Fable III: Retold Chapter 38

A Night at the Ball
"Ball room decorations" Hobson said looking around at the now redecorated throne room with ball decorations in all directions, "check, buffet table" he said looking as the long table with chefs standing on the other side setting up the courses, "check, best orchestras player from all around Albion" he said looking over to the men and women in suite and dress polishing and setting up their instruments, "check, guest invitations already sent out by me personally so check, the King Royal suit yet to be checked on" he said heading out of the throne room and for the king's chambers as he knocked on the door.
"Hobson we need to talk about this suit" Adam said from the other side of the doors as Hobson opened the door to see Adam dressed in a very decorated royal suit.
"Why your majesty this is the formal wear all kings should wear, all the most esteemed women from all around will fawn over you sir" Hobson said.
"Lucky me" Adam said bitterly.
"And your faithful companion looks dashing as well" Hobson said as Adam looked over to his dog on the bed who had been recently bathed and groomed and now wore a Bow Wow Collar.
"Yep I bet he'll meet a lady dog tonight" Adam said.
'I hope so!' Xander thought.
"Well you majesty this is what I have planned, the guest will all arrive you will stand by your throne graciously welcome them and maybe make a speak and then declare the ball to begin and you will take the first dance with a lady of your choosing, may I suggest Lady Mildred of the Vanger family" Hobson said as Xander growled at Hobson.
'Shut it fat man!' Xander thought.
"I will think about it Hobson" Adam said.
'That means no' Xander thought.
"After the first dance I suggest you dance with all the beautiful bachelorettes each one I invited comes from a wealthy family and one of them would make suitable wife and queen" Hobson said.
"Thank you Hobson" Adam said as the man left the room as Adam pulled a pocket watch from his pocket to check the time.
"Almost noon boy the guest should be arriving" Adam said.
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"Is Hobson insane!" Anna growled looking at herself in the mirror at the pink ball gown she wore that touched the ground as she messed with her recently down hair that Hobson had some servants help with.
A knock on her door got her attention as she growled.
"Hobson if that is you I swear I will take my hammer and break all your fingers!" Anna growled.
"Is that anyway to talk to a friend!" Page said entering the room in red ball gown.
"Page!" Anna said running over to hug Page as she saw Kalin in formal Auroran dress, "Kalin! Oh it's so good to see you both!" she said hugging Kalin.
"It is so good to see you too" Page said.
"Please come in" Anna said letting her friends in and closing the door.
"You look very lovely Annabel" Kalin said.
"Really? It's not too much?" Anna said.
"Of course not! You look beautiful" Page said.
"Thanks too bad he will probably choose his future queen tonight" Anna said with much bitterness.
"Page was right you do love our king very much, I see you love him very much I pray that he'll care for you as much as you do him" Kalin said.
"Thank you Kalin" Anna said.
"Anna, Ben and I brought a friend his...uh her name Ginjer and Ben and I ask that you and the King don't shoot her" Page said as Anna looked at her in confusion.
"Why would I shoot her?" Anna asked.
"Uh you know what its better you meet her yourself but just leave your weapons here" Page said.
"Uh no, if you got your weapons on you I shall keep mine, but walking around with a hammer may seem intimidating and I will never hear the end of it if Hobson sees it so I will keep my gun" Anna said hiding it in a ribbon belt around her waist.
"Come, let us go to the throne room to meet with the others" Kalin said.
"Good idea" Anna said as the three women left the room.
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"So what the hell is this thing?" Sabine asked looking down at the gnome standing next to Ben.
"I am a gnome you old pile of dirt" Ginjer the Gnome said.
"This is Ginjer he...uh sorry she a friend of mine" Ben said.
"Ginjer? That's a woman name" August said.
"I dare say didn't out young King and Anna hunt down all these annoying creatures?" Jasper asked.
"Not all of them you stupid meat sacks!" Ginjer said.
"How the hell do you put up with that thing without shooting it?" August asked.
"She doesn't bother me she doesn't annoy me one bit" Ben said.
"I stick around with him to annoy as many of the Bowerstone people as I can and what a perfect way to do that than a royal party!" Ginjer said looking around then looked to a large woman, "hey you! Farmer Joe want you back at the farm by midnight Bessie!"
"Why I never!" the woman yelled storming off.
"Annoying abomination" August said.
"Temple Monk reject" Ginjer snapped back.
"Lawn ornament freak."
"Mutated Troll."
"Misshapen hobbe."
"You're a Hobbe Knocker!"
"What! That's it! Ben I'm killing it!" August yelled.
"No August, she saved my ass a while back I owe the little guy so no one can kill her" Ben said.
"Ha!" Ginjer said.
"You better sleep with one eye open you little imp!" August growled.
"I see you guys already meet Ginjer" Page said as the girl approached and Anna eye narrowed.
"Ugh! That's Ginjer!" Anna said.
"Well if it isn't the killer of gnomes, so what is the troll doing here" Ginjer said.
"Look just because I promised Page I wouldn't shoot you doesn't mean I won't hurt you" Anna growled.
"Annabel, you look so beautiful" August said.
"Thank you dad" Anna said as they heard a glass clinking and all looked to the throne where Hobson stood with a glass and stood next to Adam and Xander.
"May I present our host for tonight ball, his majesty the King of Albion" Hobson said as all the guests clapped.
"I want to thank you all for coming out tonight, I hope you all enjoy yourselves tonight" Adam smiled as Anna heard some of the women in the room sigh loudly.
"His majesty will now lead the first chance with a lucky woman of his choice" Hobson said as Adam began to walk down the carpet as Anna rolled her eyes not wanting to see the woman she thought Adam would pick and turned to Page and Kalin.
"You girls want a drink?" Anna said as both Page and Kalin smiled at her.
"No thank but you might want to hold off on that drink" Page said.
"Why?" Anna asked unaware of Adam approaching them.
"Our King has chosen the woman he wants to dance with" Kalin said.
"Why do I care?" Anna said a bit annoyed as she heard Adam clear his throat and turned around to see him bow as Anna stood their wide eyes and felt her body tense and wouldn't move as Adam smiled at her.
"May have this dance my lady?" Adam asked holding out his hand.
"Uh oh ah of course your majesty" Anna stuttered mentally yelling at herself for acting nervous as she took Adam gloved hand as he began to lead her to the center of the room as ball room music began to begin.
Anna then put her left hand on Adam shoulder as he took her right hand into his and put his other on her waist as they began to dance to the music as Anna just let him lead and could break contact with his eyes locking with hers.
"Look at them MPFF!" Ginjer began as August covered her mouth.
"You spoil this for my daughter and I will snap your little neck!" August whispered.
"Is this what I think it is?" Logan asked standing next to them as Sabine just grunted.
"You mean my daughter and you little brother dancing with such love in their eyes, yes I've noticed" August said.
"So your fine letting you daughter being taken away by my brother?" Logan asked.
"Well not at first, but she does truly love him and hero or not if he hurts my daughter I will break his neck too!" August growled.
Adam then brought Anna closer to his chest as Anna smiled and rested her head on Adam chest as other couples began to take the dance floor.
Xander watched his master dance as the dog smiled then a poodle walked past him swiping her tail across his nose as his eyes widen.
'Oh mama!' Xander thought following after the poodle.
When the music stopped Adam smiled as Anna blushed as all the guests clapped.
"Ladies and gentlemen I want you all to help yourselves to all the foods we've prepared for you today and dance to your heart contempt" Hobson said.
"Did you see the way those two danced?" Ben asked.
"How couldn't I, those two really are in love too bad the other hasn't realized it yet" Page said.
"What? Why doesn't someone tell them then?" Ben asked.
"What were you dropped on your head as a babe? This is a personal matter, butt out of it!" Ginjer said eating a turkey leg he had suck when no one was looking.
"For once I agree with the lawn ornament, just let them handle this themselves" Page said.
"Well isn't this delightful" Reaver said as Ginjer, Page and all Adam allies growled as the man strolled in.
"Who the hell let you in?" August growled.
"I will have you know I was invited" Reaver said holding out his invitation as all the heroes eyes narrowed on Hobson said.
"What the hell do you want you pretty boy freak" Ginjer said.
"Ugh, you again where's a cage when I need it" Reaver said.
"Try it!" Ginjer growled as Ben knelt down and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Don't even bother he is not worth it" Ben said.
"Did you forget that he is the main reason your brother is dead" Ginjer said.
"What?! Of all the disgusting things you've done Reaver this make me hate your guts even more" Sabine said.
"Oh cry me a river, I came to enjoy the party" Reaver said.
"Try anything funny Reaver and you will personally get kicked in the pompous ass of yours by me" August said.
"Oh my, the giant spoke, I would love to see you try" Reaver said as August growled and Reaver walked away.
"I would love to shoot that man in the head" Page said.
"All of us would" Ben said.
For rest of the night Adam and Anna danced and spent the entire ball together till Adam had to excuse himself to use the men rooms.
"Much better" Adam said stepping out of the men room and head down the hall lit by the moon as he could see a woman up ahead.
"Hello your majesty" the woman said bowing.
"Hello, who may I ask are you madam?" Adam asked.
"I am Millicent" she said.
"Please excuse me miss" Adam said as the woman grabbed him and slammed him into a wall.
"Madam what is the meaning of this!" Adam said not liking the smile the woman was giving him.
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"What is taking him so long?" Anna said as she snuck away from the party and went into the hall as she turned the corner and gasped as she saw Adam against the wall with a woman kissing him as Anna looked away and leaned on the wall as she felt her heart ache as tears fell from her face as she ran down the hall.
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"Stop!" Adam yelled pushing the woman off him.
"What is wrong your majesty?"
"My heart belongs to someone else, she been with me through my greatest adventures and I love her I'm really sorry" Adam said leaving the woman and headed down the hall.
'I'll tell her tonight, I'll Tell Annabel I love her it's better I let her know now than wonder all my life what could have been' Adam thought as he entered the ball room to see Anna was nowhere in sight and saw Ben and Sabine were the only one of his friends in the room.
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"Anna please think about this" Page said as they watched Anna packing her stuff.
"I can't stay here, it was stupid of me to fall in love with him and stupider of me to think I had a chance" Anna said fixing her hair.
"Where will you go?" Kalin asked.
"I'm going back to the north, I want to get away from it all for a little while" Anna said as she looked to Ginjer.
"Go ahead make your insult" Anna said.
"I may insult everyone at every given opportunity but not for someone who heart is hurting so much" Ginjar said.
"That is rather decent of you" Anna said.
"Don't get used to it" Ginjar said.
"Goodbye guys, take care" Anna said as they heard thunder above as Anna opened the door and disappeared using the seal.
Back at the throne room Adam was looking for Anna as Kalin and Page returned and Page told Ben what happened as August over heard them as he punched the table making it break as all go quite.
"He did what!" August yelled.
"Uh oh this won't end well" Ben said.
"WHERE IS HE! ADAM!" August yelled.
"August what's wrong?" Adam said as August tried to lunge at Adam as Ben and Page tried to hold the large man back.
"You little bastard how dare you! When I get my hands on you your dead!" August yelled.
"August what is the problem?" Adam asked.
"He overheard Page explaining to Ben about Anna leaving for good" Logan said as Adam face paled.
"Wh-what?" Adam said.
"Don't act surprised! You've been leading my daughter this whole time while you've been keeping around your tramps! You don't deserve my daughter love!" August yelled as Adam eyes widen.
"He love? Anna loves me?" Adam said.
"Anna saw you kissing the woman in the hall my king, she's going back to the north" Page said.
"That woman kissed me!" Adam said.
"So it was a misunderstanding, well what the hell are you waiting for you stupid oaf? Are you going to go after her or not!" Ginjer yelled as Adam ran out of the throne room.
"That did the trick" August smirked.
"Wait you already knew?" Ben said.
"Of course, I got sick of waiting so when I saw Anna running from the hall I inspected what happened and saw Adam telling that woman that his heart belongs to Anna" August said.
"So he does love her" Ben said.
"He better hurry it looks like it's going to rain hard" Page said looking out the window.
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Adam ran in the rain as he pulled out his seal.
'I am not letting her go! I will find her and I will make her my queen!' Adam thought pulling out his seal.