The cheers filled the halls, yet for Aaron, the sound had a deafening impact on his heart. Food lay waiting as noblemen and women went on to take a glass of wine in celebrations, and yet Ishaan couldn't even look straight up.
Their faces were as pale as ghosts, shocked, dismal and betrayed.
"You know now that I think about it, it was so obvious, like when we first met, remember how Isabella tried to stop Estella as she was explaining the festival? What a fool I am to have not realised it sooner," Aaron said with a broken smile.
"Ya true, also if we think about it, they never gave their last names too, and the way they spoke, oh man, they played us for fools, and we just danced right at their hands" Ishaan looked down with his hands on his head.
As both the boys sat there, Mr & Mrs Banerjee came up and placed their hands on the boys, trying to calm them, but no words came out, as they were themselves dumbfounded about what to say.
Slowly, now the cheers started to fade, and the slow waltz music started to play. The girls descended the stairs, and everyone's gaze was fixed on the two princesses who exuded grace and dignity like goddesses coming from heaven onto Earth.
Many noblemen, sons of dignitaries, gathered to ask the girls for their hand at the dance. Still, to their surprise, the girls cut through the sea of suitors and just walked straight up to the boys, two foreign commoners who just so happened to have gotten the luxury of getting to step foot in the court.
The boys were sitting there like broken dolls when the girls came, and they locked their eyes for the first time. There was something in them that had realised the gravity of things, yet, as per tradition, they asked.
"Gentlemen, would you be kind enough to be our escorts for the opening act?" Isabella said it with a confident and graceful manner, but her eyes said otherwise.
Even though the boys felt utterly betrayed and broken inside, when they saw their parents and their worried faces, they stood up and gracefully walked alongside them with a smile.
As they walked up and started to dance, murmurs began. Some noblemen and women approached Mr & Mrs Banerjee, seeing a sort of opportunity, some started to gossip about the entire thing, but for the group, this gossip fell on deaf ears.
"Sorry for all this, we never wanted to do this, I mean it, we are…." Isabella whispered as the dance started.
"Your majesty, no need to apologise. After all, it was as you told it was your training, we are just happy we could at least serve as tools for a grand purpose," Aaron said all of this with a calm, devastated tone.
"You are not to blame, your highness, after all. Subjects are meant to serve their kings and queens, anyway, we are good at being forgotten, you know, so it's fine, it's at least good that we have a great story to add to our experience," Ishaan said this with a casual, cold smile.
As these word left their mouths, something in both Isabella and Estella broke, and both partly hid their face in their partner's shoulder enough for no one to notice their almost outburst.
As the dance was coming to an end, the girls told the boys, "Please, I know it's the last thing you wish to hear from us, but please wait for us. We will explain everything to you after all of this"
With this, the girls left, the boys putting their little charade did come to their parents, but they just couldn't take it anymore.
"Ma, I feel a little dizzy, let's go back, yes", Aaron told his mother.
"Ok, ya lets go" Mr Banerjee, without a second thought, started to return.
As they started to move back towards their inn, the streets were extremely crowded, lively and joyful. Someone was talking about how the princesses were beautiful, some were enjoying the festival, some kids were just running around, but Aaron and Ishaan were too exhausted.
As they walked back to the inn, the mask they had put on was already slipping, Aaron trying his hardest and yet was continuously brushing his left hand across his gloves, and Ishaan fidgeting with his bracelet.
"Listen, I know what happened was unexpected…. But I don't believe those two are those kinds of girls, boys, trust them, they will come out clean, I know it" Mrs Banerjee is trying to console the boys.
"Those two ran circles around you for a week. I don't think girls like that do it without a reason, so do listen to them, obviously we will be behind you" Mr Banerjee was trying to liven up the mood with a bit of sarcasm, but failed.
As Aaron and Ishaan went into their rooms and lay on the bed, they didn't say a single word to each other, only looking at the gifts they received.
They were just lying there, fidgeting with the gifts they received as both Mr and Mrs Banerjee stood by the door looking worried.
After a few hours, a carriage and messenger came to pick up the boys on the order of the king.
As they came near the place once more, Ishaan and Aaron remembered. The gates looked the same as the first time Isabella had pointed them out from across the street, laughing at something Estella had said.
And then, without a warning, tears flooded their eyes.