Content Warning: Murder, Mentions of blood, War

“I will never understand you, Eloise! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and you want to throw it away!? Life in the arms of a prince is a dream some young girls can only dream of! You should know. I thought I taught you better than this.”

“Yes, but it is not a dream I wish for!”  Eloise said, turning her back on her adoptive mother.

“You're insufferable, did you know that? I offer you the opportunity to live the life of royalty and you throw it away? I helped you go from rags to riches. I saved you from that filthy little town. You should be glad I didn't cast you away.”

“I did not ask for your help! I never needed it.”

“You foolish girl, read the damn letter. Then pick out your finest clothing. You are going to that ball.” Her mother stormed off, slamming the door shut behind her. Eloise dropped down onto her bed and screamed into her pillow. Despite never feeling more frustrated than she did right now, She reached for the letter and opened it out of sheer curiosity.

“On behalf of his Royal Highness, Prince Felix, we hereby invite your ladyship to join us for a celebratory dance and dinner..”

She couldn't find it in herself to finish reading the letter. Eloise ripped it up, cutting her finger on the edge of the paper in the process. Her eyes welled with tears as the pain shot through the nerves in her hand, blurring her vision as she watched the blood seep through the coffee colored paper. 

Idiots. She thought. As if they already haven't taken enough away from me, and now they wish to take away my freedom! 

She paced back and forth across her room anxiously. She did not want to be married off so soon. After all, she was only 17. 

She devised a plan and figured it was the only option to get out of her predicament. She rushed to reach from underneath her bed, pulling out a little jewelry box filled with folded pieces of paper. After analyzing the papers for a bit, Eloise made her way downstairs to confront her mother.

“Mother, I come to negotiate.” 

“What do you wish of me, child?”

“I will go to the ball.. On the terms that you accompany me.” 

“Very well.” 

_______________________

Eloise walked into the ballroom, her dress flowing behind her as she counted the amount of guards and flagged the exits. People tripped over themselves to greet the new princess.

“So you’re the suitor for my son, I see?” the king says as he emerges from the crowd. “My name is Philip. King Philip. It's an absolute delight to meet you.” He smiled, raising her hand to his lips. 

“How charming,” she sneered distastefully, “and where is the charming husband of mine?”

“I will guide you to him after this toast.” The king strided to the stage, grabbing a bottle of champagne and an empty glass

“Seven years ago today, a war amongst Feandover and ourselves emerged. It is now that we celebrate our inevitable gain! To us! And may their souls never be in peace." He snickered, and suddenly Eloise was no longer in the ballroom. 

She was now standing in her old bedroom, the pleading screams of her parents audible from the other room. 

Suddenly the champagne popping turned into splattered blood on the walls. Everybody's gleeful cheers, turned into her little sister's screams as she was brutally beaten to death. 

The dancing appeared as soldiers marched across the ruins of her house.

"Good riddance." The mother sneered, falling onto the floor almost immediately after as blood spilled all over the floor. 

OMG YO

Soon everybody's cheerfulness turned into horror, the screams seeming more and more real by the second. Eloise finds herself stuck in the war again. Her family’s screaming faded away along with their lives. Soon everything fell silent. The ballroom was painted red as she stood in the center, her beautiful dress tattered and stained. Nobody was left except one person. 

"You must be the prince," she bowed, "it's a pleasure to meet you." She walked toward him. The prince slowly backed away. 

"Why would you do this?" He stuttered"I just wanted to return a favor." She smiled, watching the prince attempting to run. Only moments away from the exit, but being stopped by stumbling on a dead body. 

“Now if it's not too much to ask,” Eloise grinned, “May I have one final dance?” She pulled him up, placing her hands on his waist and shoulder as she guided them both to circle around all the bodies. “I'm sorry, but I'm not the best at dancing.” She whispered, pulling out her dagger and piercing his heart. She grinned as she felt the prince stumble into his death, eventually dancing with nothing but a lifeless corpse.