Chapter 2. An Invite to Dance

Rose’s POV

“Rose, come dance with us!” a voice broke through my thoughts. My sister. Of course.

My sister had made her way to my table, and somehow, I hadn't noticed she was coming to meet me until she was standing in front of me, tugging at my arm.

The dancing continued at the center of the hall, with laughter and music swirling together in a kind of rhythmic spell. Earlier, Ana and her husband had started to move around to greet people, gliding gracefully from one guest to the next, like royalty at a court ball.

The hall, even as big as it was, was still almost fully occupied. People continued to arrive at the venue, and new tables had to be brought in to accommodate them.

I glanced down at my dress. I was probably the least dressed person here. A quiet, familiar insecurity crept in. One could tell just by observing that the people in attendance were… well, they were wealthy people.

When I first arrived at the mansion, I was dumbstruck. I had never seen a structure as magnificent as this. Her husband had to be a government official or prince of some sort. There were so many stern-looking guards around, and they were stationed at every exit and entry. Some of them carried visible guns strapped on their shoulders. They all had on a dark suit set, and most of them wore dark shades.

There were cars littered all over the large compound. Rolls-Royce, Bentleys, Mercedes Benz, sleek SUVs, and a couple of others that I could not name, but I was sure cost a whole lot of money. Because I arrived around the exact time that the wedding was going to commence, I didn't get a chance to speak to my sister. There was a woman at the entrance of the main building in the mansion waiting to receive me.

“Willkommen, meine Dame. Bitte folgen Sie mir,” the woman said and smiled warmly. She didn't wait for a response but turned and started walking away, her heels clicking confidently against the polished floors.

I did not understand the language, but I assumed she wanted to take me somewhere, and I could follow her. She had been staring at me with a smile from the moment the guards let me into the gate and ushered me towards the main building. I followed her silently into the mansion. I was trying so hard to keep my mouth closed from the moment I stepped into the place.

The space was more like a lobby. At first, I noticed the lavish silver chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, about six of them at various points. There was a fireplace on the left, and some cushions were placed in front of it, white cushions with a center table.

Just above the fireplace hung a large portrait of a historical woman I couldn't identify, and on either side, there were lampstands. It seemed like every single light source in this space had been lit. There were large white ceramic pots filled with flowers at every corner, and while I did not have the opportunity at the moment to take in the entire interior look, I could not help but appreciate the craftsmanship and opulence that radiated in the structure.

The floors were wooden, dark brown, and we passed by several small tables that held flower pots. The flower pots mostly housed white roses, which must have contributed to the sweet, comforting scent that filled the air.

We got to a semi-spiral stairwell and climbed it to the next floor. It was almost similar to the one below, except it had more floor rugs and not as many small tables. The lady took a left turn, and then we ended up in front of a room. She lifted her hand and pressed some numbers on the electronic smart door lock. I heard a clicking sound, and the door gave way.

It was a dressing room… a pink one. The paintings and floral pictures on the walls were pink. The tiles on the floor as well. This must surely belong to Ana. The lady beckoned for me to come closer, and she started looking through the row of dresses on all sides of the room. The center cabinet by the wall was filled with all kinds of shoes, and the shelf closest to the entrance was filled was jewelry, mostly gold jewelry. Gold jewelry was also Ana’s style.

After the woman had finished looking through the dresses, she handed over a short blue gown to me. She also reached below and pulled out a pair of silver heels. At that moment, the door to the room opened, and another girl came in. The old lady smiled at the lady and said something in her language, which I couldn't understand, so I couldn't respond. And I clearly did not need to, since she left the room immediately after she said what she said. It was just me and the girl now.

I just noticed that the lady and this new girl had similar outfits on, so it was most likely a uniform.

“Good day, ma’am. The door…” she gestured towards another door in the room, just beside the clothes rack, “…will lead you to a room where you can freshen up and change. If you need anything, I will be right here.” She tried to smile warmly as if urging me to go and check it.

I nodded and went to the room to change. It was more like a bathroom, but with a mirror and a makeup table. It also had a television, and there was another clothes rack in it. I assumed what was stored there was mostly towels, bathrobes, and sleepwear.

Convinced that I was safe and at the right location since I had yet to see my sister and all I could do now was trust that she knew I was here since everyone I had met so far had treated me like an expected guest, I dropped the outfit in my hands on the makeup table and began to undress.