Her nerves were causing her hands to tremble. She drew in a long breath and stared at herself in the mirror.
“You can do this, Sabrina,” she said, locking eyes with her own reflection. “Just try to stay calm and have fun. This will be a great night.”
As long as I don't screw anything up, she thought.
The ball was only twenty minutes away. Sabrina had already taken a luxurious bath in the over-sized tub. She now smelled of lavender and rose pedals, which Marla had put in the water before drawing the bath for her. The royal hairdresser and makeup artist h
ad already turned her into a masterpiece fit for a magazine cover. All that was left was to get into her dress.
A light knock came from the bedroom door and Sabrina spun around. “Come in.”
Marco popped his head in and grinned. Sabrina's eyes moved up and down his body. In the time he had been away, Marco had changed into a formal outfit. He was dressed in a dark blue suit, with gold designs on the shoulders and gold buttons on the front. His hair was combed neatly to the side and he'd cleaned up his beard stubble. For the first time since they'd met, he appeared like the prince that he was. Sabrina yelped in excitement and ran toward him, embracing him in a hug.
“Hey, lovely,” he said, kissing her cheek. “I trust Winston gave you a proper tour?”
“He showed me around a little bit, but there really wasn't enough time for an in-depth tour,” Sabrina said. “But he did teach me a few things that he said would help me to fit in around here.”
Marco raised his eyebrows. “Like what?”
Sabrina gracefully bent her knees and bowed, at the same time bringing her hands up to her side as if she were holding the bottom of a dress. The perfect curtsy.
“Look at that,” Marco said, with a chuckle. “I must say that I've not often seen a more refined bow. Clearly, Winston knows what he's doing. Should we promote him to curtsy teacher?”
Sabrina laughed and playfully pushed against Marco's chest. “To be fair, I think Winston saved me a lot of embarrassment by teaching me the proper way to greet your parents.”
“He's a good man,” he said. “I've known him since I was a child.”
Marco closed the bedroom door and then looked past Sabrina toward the array of dresses that were laid out on the bed. He grabbed Sabrina's hand and walked her toward them. “What do you think?”
“I think I love every single one of them,” Sabrina said, with a childlike smile. “They're all so beautiful.”
“They are indeed,” Marco said, carefully running his fingers over each one. “Have you chosen one for tonight, though? The ball starts soon and we must be on time.”
“There's one that I really like,” she said, stepping toward the white dress that was draped over the foot of the bed. “But I wanted to get your opinion on it first.”
She picked up the dress and held it in the air. The look on Marco's face told her everything she needed to know. His eyes widened, along with his smile. He nodded as he looked between Sabrina and the dress.
“You'd look amazing in that,” he said. “Please, try it on.”
Sabrina nodded and then grabbed a pair of panties and a bra from her suitcase. Then she pulled off the towel that was wrapped around her, letting it fall to the floor. She stood naked in front of the Prince, and watched as his eyes dilated.
“If only we had more than a few minutes,” he said, his eyes moving up and down her nude body.
“You be good, Prince Marco,” she said, flirtatiously. “We have a ball to attend.”
She turned and walked to the bathroom. As quickly as possible, she got into the dress. She was amazed at how perfectly it conformed to her curves. It was as though the dress had been stitched just for her. She stared in the mirror for a moment. The woman in front of her was a princess, transformed by a fairy godmother.
When she walked back into the bedroom, Marco stood up from the bed. His expression was one of complete awe as he eyed her up and down.
“I've never seen someone so lovely,” he said. “Sabrina, you look incredible.”
Sabrina pushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ear and smiled. “Thank you. You're so sweet.”
“Here, let me button up the back for you,” Marco said, stepping behind her.
He pulled the back of the dress together and buttoned it up. Sabrina closed her eyes and relaxed her shoulders. Marco leaned close and kissed the back of her neck as he clasped the top button. When he pulled away, he said, “Okay, you're all set.”
Sabrina spun around and kissed him. She let her hands wander over his shoulders and down the front of his shirt, letting her fingers bounce over the gold buttons. The smell of his cologne entered her nose and for a fleeting moment, she wondered if they could possibly fit in a bit of intimate time before the ball.