Morning came too quickly and the wake-up call from the front desk was most unwelcome. I looked around. The dress from Castrum Lilium sat in a heap on the floor where I had taken it off last night. My computer was flashing that I had received mail. My notebook was thankfully on the desk next to it. Grabbing my phone, I noticed I had missed a call. It was my fourth day on Isola del Paradiso. Opening the blinds I saw that the snow from last night had piled high enough to leave a white blanket upon the earth. It was beautiful. Looking at my phone I saw that Giselle had called me. I went to the desk and opened my email. Madame, Tonight you will attend Prince Van Orcello’s masquerade ball at 8pm. Nathan will arrive in the early afternoon to escort you to pick up what you require. The time for me to reveal myself is coming. -Werner I stared at the email. I was going to meet Werner? An excited flutter went through my chest. Then I realized that time was ticking by. I jumped up and grabbed a set of clothes, heading for the bathroom. As I ran the shower, waiting for it to warm, I noticed the letter. I picked it up, turning it over to look at the seal. That was when my phone rang again and I answered. “Hello?” “Jeez! Stop sleeping!” shouted an exasperated voice. “Giselle,” I said with a little laugh. “I’m awake now.” “Where are you staying right now?” Giselle asked, cryptically. I blinked. “Hotel Calla,” I said while fingering an embroidered towel with the hotel’s logo on it. “Why do you ask?” Giselle could barely contain her excitement. “Oh no reason… Just kidding! Come down in ten minutes!” “T-Ten? Wait, Giselle, I’m about to take a shower and I have to-” The phone beeped at me then, alerting me that the other person had disconnected. “Crap!” I jumped in the shower, washing as quickly as possible. Wrapping a towel around my hair, I pulled myself into some tight dark blue jeans and a camisole with a loose silk top over that. Then I brushed my teeth and applied some light eyeliner to cover the puffiness in my eyes from a lack of sleep. I was slipping on my shoes when my phone rang again. It was Giselle. She was the impatient type. “I’m coming,” I said as I answered the phone. A knock came at the door then. “Don’t bother,” Giselle said. I could hear her tinkling laughter on the other side of the door. I hung up the phone and rushed to the door, the towel falling from my hair. “Giselle, what are you doing here?” I gasped as I opened the door and Giselle hugged me tightly. “I couldn’t let you have all the fun,” she said with her beaming smile. “Besides, Jack said that I couldn’t let an opportunity like this pass and pulled some strings to get me to replace my mother.” Jack was Giselle’s agent, an overbearing and serious man however he really did care for Giselle and watched over the young starlet with all his might. Giselle Schneider’s mother was Harley Schneider, a famous movie star from an older age. It wasn’t a surprise that she would have been invited, as she still carried quite a bit of clout. For Jack to get Harley’s permission for Giselle to come would have been no small feat. Giselle had moved into my room and plopped onto the bed. “But to see you here,” she said with a sneaky smile. “You really need to explain this one.”
“Well…” I stammered, stalling for time. I was saved as Giselle suddenly bounced up and hurried to the bathroom. “Oh I forgot,” she called out from the bathroom. “I’ve been invited to this luncheon this afternoon and you should come. A ton of celebrities are going of course, and I bet you could get a great story out of them. They like to talk after a few drinks you know…” she trailed off. “Actually, I have to do something this afternoon,” I said, moving to the desk and shutting my laptop quietly. I slid my notebook into the desk drawer as well. Giselle was quiet and I began to get worried. Then she emerged from the bathroom, fingering something in her hands. My heart palpitated as I realized it was the letter. “T-That’s-” I began. “Tell me what’s going on,” Giselle said, sounding hurt. “This has Pantora’s seal on it…” She raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow at me. Then she grinned. “What happened to Prince Kirtak?” I blushed violently and collapsed upon the chair. My eyes were drawn to the bag with Prince Orcello’s jacket in it and I blushed harder. “I-I… Just give me that!” I snatched it from her as she walked past me to the bed. She raised her hands in submission. “I won’t ask until you tell me. It’s a shame you can’t come though, I wanted you to see Jack again.” I groaned. “Jack treats me like a nuisance you know…” Jack had never forgiven me for writing an article on Giselle without his permission. “Let’s go get coffee,” Giselle said suddenly and grabbed my hand. “My driver is downstairs, and I don’t want to stay in this stuffy hotel room any longer.” I was dragged from the room, barely able to grab my coat and purse. I left a message at the front desk for Nathan in case he showed up to look for me. We spent the morning walking along Azolla Pier, a famous landmark where the giant royal yachts came to dock. There were also chic cafes here and small kitschy shops. “I’m jealous,” Giselle said as she stirred the cream in her coffee. “Jack won’t let me have a spontaneous romance like you.” I felt my ears get hot. “Giselle…” Her shocking green eyes stared out at the thin chunks of ice that had begun to form in spots over the lake. “I’m rooting for you, whoever you end up with.” She sucked the coffee off the end of the straw and replaced the lid. She looked at me then and smiled genuinely. “There you are,” said a slightly out of breath voice. I looked up in surprise and saw Nathan standing there in a black overcoat with a long grey scarf wrapped about his neck. He had a worried look on his face, his cheeks pink from the cold outside. His ruddy chestnut hair had been tousled by the wind outside and his grey eyes flicked over to Giselle. “You are…” Giselle said in shock, a pale hand going to cover her mouth.