Unlocking the Spell by E. D. Baker

Author:E. D. Baker [Baker, E. D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Published: 2012-11-30T13:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Annie glanced at her reflection in the mirrored wall. The only other time she had worn a ball gown, she had been entered in a contest to win the hand of Prince Andreas for her sister. The gown she had worn then had looked delicate and sweet. This gown was bolder, with a lower-cut bodice and more form-fitting lines. A pale yellow, it had slashes of brilliant blue in its sleeves, and on the bodice and hem. It wasn’t her favorite shade of blue, but it did go nicely with the yellow. She turned to check her reflection from the side. The gown looked as if it had been made for her and would do very well.

Gwennie, on the other hand, looked exquisite in a gown that hugged her perfect figure from shoulders to waist, where it swirled down to the floor in a cascade of rose over an underskirt of silver. The fabric shimmered in the candlelight and would have been gorgeous on a stick, but on the most beautiful princess in all the kingdoms it was entrancing. The maid who had styled her hair had let it fall in soft, gleaming curls down her back. She had put neither powder nor rouge on Gwendolyn’s face because the princess didn’t need it. Her skin was flawless, her cheeks were flushed with a natural pink, and her eyes glittered with ever-increasing excitement.

With all the time that had been spent on her own preparations, Annie knew she looked the best she had in her entire life. Unfortunately, she also knew that entering the ballroom with Gwendolyn meant that no one would even notice her, let alone what she looked like. Because she was the older sister, Gwendolyn would go in first. Annie might as well be invisible when she walked down the stairs.

She was waiting for her sister to reach the landing at the top of the steps when Liam entered the corridor. He looked magnificent in the blue jacket with the silver piping of Dorinocco royalty, and his bearing was that of a king’s. Suddenly Annie understood why the ladies-in-waiting had chosen her ball gown. The blue was the same shade as Liam’s jacket.

Annie was certain that even Liam wouldn’t be able to resist Gwennie’s allure tonight, but he never glanced her way. Instead, he kept his eyes on Annie, and the look he gave her made her heart beat faster. As he took her hand to lead her to the stairs, Annie gazed into his eyes and realized how much he had come to mean to her. She had never felt so strongly about anyone before and she wondered if this might actually be love.

When Gwendolyn reached the top of the stairs, Annie heard a collective gasp as everyone in the ballroom saw her sister at once. Liam squeezed Annie’s hand and she smiled up at him. She no longer cared if every courtier in the castle ignored her. Liam was hers and he was all she wanted.

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