“Prince Marco, it's wonderful to see you again, sir,” he said, reaching for his radio.
The guard said a few things into the radio and a moment later, the front doors opened up. Sabrina gripped the crook of Marco's elbow as they stepped inside the palace. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the massive stairway in the center, which was covered in elegant red carpet. She glanced around, admiring the white marble which most everything seemed to be made of. It felt like she had just walked into the picture of a magazine or onto one of those documentaries where they showcase the world's richest people.
It's so beautiful, she thought, clearly overwhelmed by her surroundings.
A man in a black suit with yellow accents hurried over to Marco and whispered something in his ear. Marco sighed and turned to face her.
“I have a few things to attend to, now that I'm home. I need to check in with my father and Queen Magdalena, and touch base with some of the other nobles. I'm sorry to leave you, but it must be done.”
“I understand,” she told him with a gentle smile. “You're important here.”
It was true. He stood taller here. In just the few moments of being inside the palace, she could already tell that this was where Marco belonged. He fit. She wasn't sure that she did yet, but he belonged in the castle as much as the marble in the walls did.
“Your room is on the third floor. Just take the stairway up and then turn right when you reach the top. Go all the way down to the end of the hall and it's the last door on the left,” Marco said, bringing his hands to Sabrina's shoulders. “I wanted to show it to you myself.”
“You can show it to me later,” she replied with a suggestive wink. It made him smile before he glanced at the waiting man in black and schooled his face. He checked his watch.
“Winston will find you shortly,” he told her. “He's the man I told you about, the one who will help you prep for tonight's ball.”
Sabrina nodded, and the ball of nerves started building in her stomach again. The ball. She wasn't sure she was ready to be presented to a room full of royalty.
“Winston will teach you everything you need to know for tonight,” Marco promised her. “He's amazing at what he does.”
The man in black cleared his throat and Marco frowned.
“You should get going,” Sabrina told him. “I'll be fine. I'll head up to the room and freshen up before I meet with Winston. The next time you see me, you'll barely recognize me.”
“I'd recognize you anywhere,” he told her.
Marco kissed her cheek and followed the man in black around a corner, leaving Sabrina by herself in the grand entryway of the palace. She took a deep breath, trying not to feel completely overwhelmed. She'd just make her way up to the bedroom, and then go from there. One step at a time.
She walked slowly, taking in all the details of the palace. She noticed a few people, but none of them appeared to be from the royal family. One of them was obviously a janitor, based on the cleaning cart he pushed. And she also saw a woman in a gray maid's outfit. But no royalty.
When she got to the top of the stairs, she stopped and looked around. Marco had said that her bedroom was to the right, but something toward her left caught her eye. There was movement and when she looked over, she saw an attractive blonde-haired woman in a long purple dress walking quickly down the hallway. She was probably only twenty years or so Sabrina's senior, but she moved with grace that Sabrina knew she would never have. Following this lady, like an obedient little puppy dog, was a muscular man who was only wearing swim trunks. Sabrina watched them until they made it halfway down the hall.
The woman giggled and kissed the younger man before pulling him into an open door. The door slammed shut, and the giggling was cut off.
What was that all about? She thought to herself. I might be wrong here, but it definitely felt like that lady and that guy were about to have sex. They seemed pretty eager.
She didn't know who they were, but the woman was dressed very nicely and Sabrina thought for sure that she could have been royalty. Maybe it was the way she carried herself or possibly the dress, but something told Sabrina that the woman was most definitely not a maid.
“Huh, oh well,” she whispered.
Then she faced to the right, pointing herself the other direction. She walked down the hallway and got to the end, where she saw that the door on the left was open. Inside, a young woman with blonde hair was standing at the foot of the bed. She was carefully straightening the bedspread, but turned around when she saw Sabrina in the doorway.
“Oh goodness, where are my manners,” the young woman said, dropping to a knee and bowing her head. “I didn't know you were standing there, Ms. Wise. I'm so sorry.”
“How do you know my name?” Sabrina asked.
“Everyone knows your name, Ms. Wise,” she said, with a thick accent that was similar to Marco's. “Marco informed us of your arrival. And actually, you're the reason I'm in his room right now. He told me to pick out something for you to wear.”
Sabrina stepped forward. “Please, stand up. I appreciate the gesture, but you certainly don't need to bow for me.”
The girl hesitantly stood up from the floor. She appeared to be about the same age as Sabrina.
“What's your name?” Sabrina asked.
“Marla, Ms. Wise,” the girl said. She motioned to the bed behind her. “I hope you like what I've picked out so far.”