“I told you, didn't I?” Magdalena asked as soon as Sabrina left the library. “You are nothing but a worthless commoner and you will never be royal.”
“I will marry Marco,” Sabrina informed her. She could see her beloved just across the room. He smiled at her and motioned that he would be there in just one moment.
Anger flashed across Magdalena's beautiful features. Heat flared in her lavender eyes as she realized her plan hadn't worked. She cocked her head and smiled cruelly.
“You haven't won. You will never marry him. You only want him for his title,” Magdalena shouted. Everyone in the room turned and looked.
Sabrina looked around, suddenly feeling very small.
“You don't belong here,” Magdalena growled, so loud that everyone could hear it.
Sabrina's cheeks burned as she blushed from embarrassment.
“I'm sorry you feel that way,” Sabrina whispered.
Out of the corner of her eye, Sabrina saw Marco approaching. He marched up to them quickly.
“What's going on over here?” he asked, staring straight at Magdalena.
“None of your business, Marco,” Magdalena snapped. “Why don't you go back to your father and leave me alone with your little princess?”
“I don't want to have this argument,” Sabrina said. “I just want to have a good night.”
Magdalena let out an exaggerated scoff. Then she reached forward and grabbed the shoulder strap of Sabrina's dress.
“Nothing in this palace belongs to you,” Magdalena said, her voice more raspy and evil than before. “Nothing. Not even this dress.”
As soon as she finished speaking the words, she tugged down firmly on the shoulder-strap, causing it to rip off of Sabrina's shoulder. Sabrina squealed in surprise and took a step back, holding the top of the dress up with her hands to keep from exposing her breasts to the entire party.
“How dare you try to swindle our prince!” Magdalena shouted.
Marco turned an absurd shade of red as the ballroom ground to a halt and everyone turned to watch the scene unfolding before them. Marco grabbed Magdalena's arm, pulling her away from Sabrina and toward his father.
While Marco and Carlo were arguing with Magdalena, Sabrina was left standing by herself. The tears that she had been desperately trying to hold back finally welled out of her eyes and down her cheeks. Never in her life had she felt so embarrassed and discriminated against.
She stood there for a moment, just holding up the top of the dress. The shoulder-strap, now torn at one end, hung loosely by her side. She waited, hoping that Marco would come and comfort her. She needed him in that moment. But he didn't come to her. He stayed with Carlo and Magdalena.
Why isn't he coming over here? She thought.
Sabrina watched as the royal trio walked away. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was pretty clear that the words were not civil. They all appeared to be shouting and their hands were flailing in the air with anger.
I can't believe this, she thought. I never should have come here. This was a mistake. Everything about this was a huge mistake.
Tears flowing, Sabrina turned and ran toward the doors. She looked at the ground to avoid eye contact from the guests, not wanting to feel any more embarrassment. She made it to the main entryway of the palace, but saw a group
of people standing there. They turned to face her, but she didn't want to chat. The only thing Sabrina wanted was to get out of there.
So she ran down the hallway that Winston had shown her earlier that day. She passed the pictures of the nobles that were hung on the wall. Her stomach turned as she passed the one of Magdalena. When she got to the end, she pushed through the double doors and into the sunlight.
I don't know where I'm going. I just want to be anywhere but here right now, she thought.
Sabrina ran down the steps and into a large courtyard. It was surrounded by parts of the palace, with a large fountain in the center. She slowed her pace down to catch her breath, but continued to move across the courtyard. Once she had reached the opposite side, she stepped into a door.
Another hallway, she thought.
This one was empty, thankfully. But she still didn't know where she was or how to get out of the palace. She walked around for a bit, until she found another door that led outside. She pushed it open and focused her eyes. Toward the bottom of the hill was a main road. It was the same one that Marco and Sabrina had taken to get to the palace earlier that day.
“That's my way out of here,” she whispered.