Claire hummed as she pulled her dress on, then stepping out from behind the screen, she motioned for Kaylin to lace it up. This one was a lot different from the ones she usually wore. It was dark blue for one and much more see through and exposed more than she would like. However her father gave her this dress so she .<br/><br/>"So are you going to be serving at the ball tonight then?" She asked her maid.<br/><br/>Making more small talk, she straitened up and gave it a twirl. The light material made the dress flounce in ways her regular ones couldn't. "Well then how do I look?" She smiled at Kaylin and waited for an answer, then made her way to the room.<br/><br/>She arrived at the large golden doors, where a servant stood, she nodded to him and he opened the large doors, leading into the dazzling gold and white room.<br/><br/>"I present to you. Heir to the Kingdom of Gatineau, Princess Claire."<br/><br/>She waved and resisted the urge to cover her ears as the trumpets blared.<br/><br/>She made her way up the rows to the main table, sitting down beside her brother and her father. She scanned the other tables and Mark was doubled over with laughter. Sure he was the physician's apprentice but he was also related to one of the nobles and therefore invited. Still his clothing looked shabbier than most. Claire rolled her eyes and silently told Mark to shut up.<br/><br/>The King tapped his glass and stood up. His large belly protruding from the table, nearly knocking over a wine glass. The chatter in the room slowly died down.<br/><br/>"I would like to welcome you all to this special occasion. As you all hopefully know, today is my lovely daughter's 21st birthday. She is now of age and eligible for marriage and ruling the kingdom. Now without further ado, let the feast begin." King Francis waved his hands and servants started bringing in platters of food.<br/><br/>Claire touched her fingertips to her forehead. This was going to be a massive headache. At least that explained the dress.