It was the day the whole of Grautaz had been talking and gushing and fussing over for the past month, maybe even more.

You are cordially invited to the debutante ball of Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess Sooyoung of Auszra.

Princess Yoona didn’t really know what to think of it.

She wasn’t heiress apparent after all, which meant she didn’t know much about the birthday girl nor did she know anything more about the three crown princes.

She’d heard about them, of course. More than heard, really, for while she wasn’t heiress apparent, her uncle happened to be His Majesty The King of Bece – the lone sovereign without a spouse or issue. It meant that her father was first in line to the throne or heir apparent or whatever it is they’d want to call him. And that fact alone meant that she was second in line to the throne and her sister, Nana, third in line.

It didn’t really matter as much, not when all eyes were, as it should always be, on the residents of The Palace.

But as she was still part of the immediate royal family of Bece, her presence was required in tonight’s debutante ball; the long haired brunette having just slipped on her chosen dress of the evening, a rich navy blue high-neck halter floor length glitter and lace dress with an empire waist, a keyhole back and a trumpet skirt. It was one of those colors strictly limited to the royal family – an unspoken rule she never really understood to be honest – and of the many permitted in an event such as a debutante ball.

It was considered inappropriate for women to wear black in a birthday celebration, unless otherwise declared allowable by the celebrant. It was a color usually reserved for mourning and strict black tie political events. White was another color with a restriction in Grautazian society as it was usually reserved for the bride and, as with cases such as a debutante ball, and the celebrant, unless, again, it was declared otherwise.

Yoona hadn’t been surprised when neither colors were allowed for the Crown Princess’ birthday ball. But she had been surprised when she caught wind of the news that Princess Sooyoung had downright refused to wear a ball gown.

It was customary for the debutante and only the debutante to wear a ball gown for the party and considering that the debutante happened to be the Crown Princess herself, it was supposedly inevitable. Supposedly. Yoona figured it spoke a lot about the Crown Princess’ character when she heard her father and mother conversing about the latest bit of news regarding the ball. According to her father, Princess Sooyoung could not be dissuaded and was adamantly again wearing ‘a heavy chunk of cloth with an exaggeratedly poofed up skirt that wouldn’t fit in a chair” much to the Crown Princes’ apparent amusement. Yoona was sure that some of the Elders had frowned upon such change in tradition but Sooyoung knew how to drive a hard bargain. After all, it was either she wear a poofy gown and discard her tiara or a more toned down dress along with her tiara.

Her exact words, according her father, had been. “I will not wear two things that both scream what I am to everyone in that ballroom. They do not need the very fact to be slapped into their faces every time their gaze would fall on me.”

Impressive.

Yoona shook her head, moving to stand before the full-length mirror in the corner of her bedroom that had been passed down from generation to generation. She’d kept her silky, chocolate tresses straight and behind her ears, falling down to the middle of her back. Her makeup was simple yet still matched the dress; the young princess moving back to her vanity to put on a pair of diamond crusted pearl earrings, a silver stretch bracelet and a pair of high heeled glittered open toe pumps.

She was ready to party.

“Yoona.” A soft knock preceded her sister’s entrance to her bedroom. “Are you ready to go?”

Yoona took a moment to study her younger sister, who was clad in a coral pink floor length dress made of sheer chiffon overlaying metallic lace with a ruched bodice complimented by heavy rhinestone and swarovski detailing in the shape of a burst flower and a sweetheart neckline. Nana’s blonde hair was curled at the ends and largely kept loose, save for the sides which were pulled to the back and pinned to the base of her head with a crystal clip. She’d paired it with high heeled colored lace and satin sandals and a rhinestone cocktail ring, drop earrings and box bag to match the design of her dress.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

The two princesses quietly made their way to the main receiving area of the castle, where the butlers, maids, governesses, guards and security detail welcomed them with a low bow in respect and greeting. It hadn’t take long for their father and mother to grace them with their presence and, with their full entourage in tow, boarded the awaiting vehicles that were to take them in the Palace. While the overall customs of Grautaz weren’t as rigid to them as the Sovereign was not part of their immediate family, their family still belonged to the immediate royal family of Bece. Thus, as in compliance with protocol, the Prince and Princess had their own vehicle while their daughters rode another.

The trip to The Palace hadn’t been long and due to their status received priority upon entering the estate. Yoona could count the number of times she’d been to The Palace her entire life with two hands and a foot but she could see nothing much has changed. Tall, intricate iron gates mounted against a marble fenced parted to let cars enter and they were soon welcomed by the sight of an enormous, ivory fountain at the center of the driveway and turned the area into a rotunda. On either side of the smooth cemented road that led to The Palace were perfectly manicured bushes and shrubs and green blades of grass spread as far as her eyes could see. Up ahead she could see that the guests had started arriving and the guards stationed in The Palace had lined up the front steps to welcome them.

As was protocol as well, her mother and father were escorted from their vehicle first before she and Nana followed closely behind with the rest of the entourage spread around or behind them in their security formation. She gave the guards a warm smile when they saluted in greeting; her father respectfully nodding back before the family disappeared into The Palace. There was so much activity going on inside that it took a while for Yoona to catch up with everything. The main lobby that house the grand staircase that led to the upper floors of The Palace was pristine and polished yet bore no decoration on its ivory walls and marble columns for the debutante ball. Staff members escorted guests left and right into the grand ballroom in the east wing, which didn’t take long for the same to be done to them.

“Do you think uncle has arrived?” Nana whispered.

Yoona ever so subtly shrugged her shoulders as they waited outside the main double doors to be properly announced to the guests already waiting inside. “I’m not sure.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Bece and their children, Their Royal Highnesses Princesses Yoona and Nana.”

Polite but loud applause welcomed them once the double doors have been parted open and Yoona caught her first glimpse of Princess Sooyoung’s d