5 Evelina Stepanov

##

Maximus Palace, Kingdom of Sapphire

The sky was blue; it was exuding good energy in the kingdom. It was a luminous Sunday morning. The trees were dancing; the birds were chirping. Inside the Maximus Palace, the maids were cleaning and readying for the royal banquet. On the other hand, the lady of the Stepanov family had not woken up yet. The maids were waiting patiently outside her room. It was already 10:00. The young lady was supposed to wake up at 8:00. The butler hurriedly headed to the room of the lady. He first knocked on the door and then, entered the bedroom placidly. The bedroom had vast windows with long, majestic, magenta curtains attached to it, where the equestrian property was visible; it had high ceilings for it to be adequately ventilated. The room was decorated according to

the young lady's preferences. It was all in purple shades. The bedroom was quite huge for a commoner young lady; the lady belonged to one of the wealthiest royal families in the world-Stepanov family. The Stepanov family had been ruling the Kingdom of Sapphire for centuries. Their surname literally meant 'crown'. The young lady sleeping peacefully on the bed, was the daughter of the Marquess; the granddaughter of the King. The young lady was Evelina Stepanov. Any man would like her at first sight and love her at second sight. She was the apple of the eye of the Stepanova family. In the bedroom, She wore an off-white nightgown, that accentuated her hourglass figure. Her long slender legs were tucked to her busty, luscious, and beautifully shaped breast; her long, jet-black hair, was spread all over the bedsheets. It was more likely a goddess halo of womanly beauty; her eyes were framed by long, ebony lashes, without the use of cosmetics and enhancements. Every time she closed her eyes, it would seem that her lashes caressed her cheeks. The duvet was lying on the floor. The old butler gazed in fascination at the beautiful young lady sleeping peacefully on the bed. He studied the young lady as soon as he finished opening the curtains, making her exposed from the sun's brightness. 'She still hasn't changed. I am wishing luck to her future husband.' This was the only wish of the old butler for the young lady.

"Young miss, please wake up! Your parents will reprimand you again, " the old butler said loudly but still held a reverence in his voice. The old butler had been repeating it for the tenth time. The old butler had been serving their family for more than forty years. He was James Napoleon. His hair was gunmetal grey and neatly groomed. His face could appear in world-weariness at times but usually, he was vigorous and alert. Suddenly, he came up with an idea. "Miss, if you don't wake up, you'll become a barren for the rest of your life, " the old butler said in a serious tone.

"You think I fall for that? Surely you jest, old James, " Evelina replied with a yawn. She was still feeling slumberous. She stretched and sat up, reaching for the duvet lying on the floor. However, James knew long ago that she would attempt to reach the duvet. He was fast enough to pick it up.

Then he scolded, "Young miss, I've been telling you a million times that you shouldn't wake up late! You're supposed to be dressed at 7:00, and look at the time! It's already 10:30,"

"You know what? I don't care at all! I'm so tired of the practice yesterday. I am joining the Olympics, old James!! She replied with a complaint. 'I couldn't get it right! The triple axel jump is the most difficult part for me.' She was a figure skating athlete. She had always dreamed of wearing a gold medal. She never once achieved the gold medal because she couldn't win against her opponents. Her opponents in the competition were practicing the whole day; she only practiced for about 3 hours a day. She needed to attend numerous balls and gatherings in order to show respect and gratitude on behalf of the Stepanov family. Hence, she could only bag a bronze medal or silver medal. Figure Skating was one of her passion. She was actually having a hard time sleeping; she was preoccupied with what happened last week.

A week before, as she was strolling in town, there was a small stall situated in a secluded area that was surrounded by people. She was curious so, she decided to join the bandwagon. She followed the crowd; they were lining up. The small stall could only accommodate one person. Finally, after the long wait, it was already her turn. She was taken aback as she went inside the stall. It had one huge golden chandelier that was waiting in the lobby. The walls were painted black; there were nine huge hollow mirrors attached to it. The mirrors were embellished with old gold color. The interior of the stall looked like a home of a sorcerer. In spite of the interior, the place had a cozy and comfortable ambiance. There was no one inside the stall. The facade seemed small; it was actually larger than what she had expected. Her legs were tired from the long wait in line. Fortunately, she saw a black retro-style sleek couch and decided to sit down.

"Hello? Anybody there?" She asked as she was frustrated after all the long wait in the line. She then added, "Hello, I'm a customer. I'm actually new to this place! Could you please tell me what services do you offer?"

The room was in deep silence. There were no indications of people. No one answered. 'What on earth is this place? I waited for an hour just for this?' She stood up from the sofa and walked towards the opened door. Unexpectedly, the door was shut, making a loud bang. Evelina could feel the wind arising the atmosphere of the room. She had goosebumps all over her body. Her skin paled instantly, she didn't know what to do of the sudden climax. She was petrified. She tried turning the doorknob several times; she couldn't get out. She then approached the windows; the windows were locked and it needed a key for it to be opened. She was hopeless. Evelina sighed deeply, "Am I dreaming?" she mumbled. 'I am such an imbecile. How did I end up getting here?'