The Last Dance (31)

Just a quick note, the original gown Celia was supposed to be presented in (from the King and Queen) was green, but I changed it to gold.

Also, special thanks to Nightlylioness for the song, I've always loved that movie and especially the song and I'm so glad your message reminded me of it =)

Comment and Vote?

Cheers,

xo.

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Chapter 31 - Golden Girl

{The High Ball, Day 2}

Celia's POV

I took one last look in the mirror, and it seemed too good to be true that I could be satisfied by my appearance for the second time. I loved the way the pale gold dress caught the light and shimmered every time I moved. It looked even prettier than it had two months ago when the King and Queen had given it to me.

Finally I left the comfort of my room and headed down the deserted hallway. This time though it was not for being late. I had received the note this morning, a summons to be at the ballroom one hour before the ball. Everyone not being presented remained in their rooms, though the excitement and laughter filtered out to ring down the halls like a procession.

Soon I wasn't the only one walking as girls timidly inched open their doors to enter the hall. Each held a cream coloured piece of parchment with curly red writing just visible between their clenched fingers.

The sight made me loosen the tight grip I had on mine for fear that the heat of my fingers might cause the ink to run.

Most floated down the hallway as if in a dream, and for many of them it probably was. I was glad to see mine wasn't the only face pale with worry.

At least I fit in, I thought dully, at least I looked the part, though from glances I kept getting I knew I still stood out. The question was whether it was in a bad way or good.

The few girls before me turned a corner and held their skirts up to climb a set of stairs I had never used before. I knew where it led though, and followed the bodies that swirled around me in a near daze.

I was grateful to have people to follow since I wasn't paying the slightest attention to where I was going. My mind was elsewhere, on another set of stairs that I had never walked before.

Unconsciously my steps slowed down, as if in anticipation of the ordeal to come and I bumped into another girl behind me.

I jerked out of my trance and turned around to apologize, only to be looked over in contempt and pushed roughly past by a girl in a dark orange dress.

Judging.

They were always judging.

The stairs opened out into a wide room bathed in bright candlelight. Most girls were crowed here now while yet more arrived, each with the telltale cream card.

At the end of the room towered the ornate double doors that opened to the ballroom.

A mounting sense of dread mixed unpleasantly with an eruption of butterflies from my lower stomach.

Standing before the doors was an older woman with a sour look on her face trying to establish some kind of order. Around the room castle attendants begged for quiet and finally the loud din fell to a quiet hush of anticipation.

The sour woman at the front began to talk, her words sharp, and commanding a rapt attention from the women around me. The words hardly seemed to register in my fear clouded mind, though I struggled to pay attention.

All at once the crowd surged forward, and I found myself pushed to the front just as the oak doors were pushed outward.

My eyes stayed trained on the older woman as she strode forward and demonstrated the descent for all of us to see.

It seemed slightly ridiculous to me that we should be taught how to walk down a flight of stairs, and yet I was grateful for the show all the same.

It would be easy in the moment to forget just how to place one foot in front of the other. Something I felt sure only I would manage to do.

The woman descended gracefully, one hand placed lightly on the banister to her right. It was a relief that I would have that support at least, though I would more likely be clenching the railing for dear life rather than the feather light touch she placed upon it.

She reached the bottom quickly and came back up from the other side to stand before us once more. Another set of commands were shouted out before she stood once again before the stairs.

I realized that a line was beginning to form and meekly stood off to the side letting the most anxious take places at the front. I watched as the woman began gliding down once more, this time with a line of girls' following one step behind the other.

Not wanting to be at the end I placed myself somewhere in the middle, though still nearer the back. The line moved steadily following the mistress down one side and up the other.

I moved my cream place card to my left hand as the rail came into view and grasped it tightly, finding reassurance in the solid marble under my fingers.

I felt my eyes focus on the hem of the girl before me, taking each step only when she did, not even noticing when we reached the bottom and only vaguely aware that we were climbing up once more.

Only then did I finally look up and see that the mistress had disappeared back into the room, the line still intact and trailing ahead of me.

As we walked back into the room I saw that the line looped back and forth from the door to the back of the room, with the mistress and her attendants walking between us to keep everyone in place.

Apparently this would be the order of our presentation and I was glad I had chosen a spot nearer to the back.

When the last girl had walked back into the room the doors were shut once again, allowing me a sigh of relief.

Everyone stood in silence as the sounds from below started drifting up to where we were. I knew without hearing the bells that the second night of the ball had started.

***

The woman walked to the front of the doors again, motioning for us to be silent though no one had dared utter a sound.

The candelabras around us were doused of light until only a few wall sconces burned in the sudden dark. I wondered for a moment why we were suddenly denied light when the double doors creaked open once again and I realized its purpose.

The room was designed in such a way that we could see into the hall without being seen ourselves, but only when we got close enough in line.

From where I stood I could only make out a few girls in front of me and the top of the ballroom, though none of the people, and was glad I couldn't; it would only scare me faster if I did.

I watched as the first girl came out of the shadows and into the soft lighting of the ballroom. With sure steps she handed her cream place card to a herald who called out her name to the waiting room.

There was quiet talking below as she began walking down before disappearing out of sight. The sound of polite applause signalled her reaching the bottom and another girl was urged forward by the mistress still standing in the shadows.

The pattern followed as each girl was called forward and joined the ranks of adulthood. Harps and violins played soft music, and would for the remainder of the names yet to come, but the sounds of the ball could still be heard above it.

There was always the sound of chatter from those below as girl upon girl came forward. Some cheers were louder than others if a lady was better known, or perhaps more beautiful; I had no way of knowing.

In no time at all it seemed I was near the doors myself, with only a few other girls before me.

Rather than let my eyes be drawn back to the grand staircase I looked out over the ballroom.

Everyone looked much smaller from up here, making the stairs seem that much higher from my perspective.

The chandeliers that hung from the ceiling had hundreds of shards of glass tinted a pale bronze color. As the candles flicked in their holders, light twinkled around the room in soft browns and gold's. Drapes and streamers hung around the walls in deep red and rich brown to make the whole room seem inviting and sultry.

I noticed with some alarm that I was next in line and took a deep breath trying in vain to calm my nerves.

Still hidden in the shadows I pinched my cheeks, trying to put some color in so I wouldn't look so pale with fright in front of everyone.

I heard the sound of applause below and felt a hand on the small of my back pushing me gently forward.

I took one wobbly step and then another until the ballroom opened out below me. I swallowed hard and willed myself to take another step forward to bring me in line with the herald.

With shaking fingers I handed him the card, trying to block out the hundreds of faces staring up at me.

Judging.

Always judging, I thought again.

I saw his lips move but was deaf to the sound since my ears roared with the sound of rushing blood that made me feel momentarily dizzy.

It didn't matter that I couldn't hear it though, since I knew what he said, the words in red ink that stained that cream parchment.

'Lady Celia Aredia Rhodes, daughter of Sir Dimitri and Lady Gizelle of Chalot'.

I took a last step forward, bringing me to the edge of the stairs, but that was all I could manage before being frozen in fear.

There were too many people watching, far too many people.

My heartbeat pumped up to an alarming rate, and another rush of my blood to my head had me grasping the banister in a vice like grip.

There was no mask for me to hide behind today, nor even a lady to walk down in front of me to focus on.

I was all on my own up here.

It was a small mercy that my feet didn't waver or I would surely have fallen. People kept staring, unaware that anything had gone amiss, too far away to notice how white my knuckles were.

Hardly anyone seemed to be talking down there anymore; some had even stopped dancing to watch.

Don't, go back to dancing I begged in my mind.

I had to move, what was I supposed to do now?

One foot in front of the other, I remembered.

I could do that, I could. It was simple. I'd just done it.

I lifted one foot off the ground and placed it on the step below me. So far so good; the first was the hardest.

My eyes searched the room, catching on a woman in a red dress; Anna.

Even from afar I could see her smiling reassuringly, and took another step down.

My grip on the banister loosened considerably as I focused on just her.

For a moment I forgot the others watching and judging and only looked back at her, the steps melting away before me as I slowly made my way down.

I was halfway when I found the courage to look away, searching for another face.

The King and Queen had matching smiles of pride, but the third seat beside them was empty. I looked at the crowd assembled before me, the few couples on the dance floor that had stopped to watch, even the edges of the room, but I couldn't find him anywhere.

The crown and royal seal shouldn't have been hard to see, yet still they eluded me.

I felt a rush of disappointment wash over me.

I refused to believe he wasn't here though.

He had to be.

Somewhere just out of sight maybe, but he had to be here. He would never miss this, if only to make some quip that I hadn't tripped over my gown.

The thought brought a smile to my face, which was probably why I didn't notice that I was on the last step.

I brought my foot down, expecting another step, and instead met only air since the floor was much lower than another step would have been. I felt off balance and stumbled forward slightly, only to be caught by the elbow and steadied.

I could feel my face flushing but no one else seemed to notice the fall as a loud sound of applause filled the air.

I could tell, from the sparks that raced up and down my arms, who my hero was, but it didn't stop me from blushing even brighter when I saw the smirk on his face.

He still held my elbow and tugged me into the shadows and towards the wall by the stairs.

I was too surprised to object, surprised that he'd been right there at the bottom of the stairs, the last place I'd ever expected him to be.

With our backs against the wall he turned to me again, the smirk still in place.

"Don't even say it" I snapped quietly.

His eyes widened in innocence as he tried to hide the smile that couldn't be kept off his face.

"But this is such a perfect 'I told you so' moment" He whined playfully.

I glanced around to make sure no one was watching us before punching him in the side.

Faster than I thought him capable of he pinned my hand in place and forced my hand open to lace his fingers through mine.

Another blush crept up my skin while I looked fretfully around the room for anyone who might be looking here, not missing his smug look.

I tried tugging my hand out of his grasp but he refused to let go, only stepping closer so it couldn't be seen.

"Don't be embarrassed, you once said some... poor fool would catch you at the bottom, and there I was."

He grinned at me, a silly smile that caught me off guard and was completely adorable. I couldn't help but smile back even though I was supposed to be annoyed at him.

Something about what he'd said tugged at my memory.

I distinctly remember it being him who said some poor fool would have to catch me... right after I'd said my true love would be waiting at the bottom.

Did he remember that part too?

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye while he continued to watch the girls being presented. Something about his smile made me think he did remember that significant detail of our old conversation.

The thought worried me. He couldn't afford to feel that way about me; I couldn't afford to feel that way about him. He was going to pick a wife at the end of this ball.

My grip slackened in his hand only slightly, but he still noticed, and let go immediately, as if anticipating my objection. Just that made me feel colder and I crossed my hands over my chest trying to replicate the warmth.

I turned to look at the stairs as the last girl was descending; the one in dark orange who'd pushed passed me earlier. Her arrogance was evident even from this distance as she walked down with her nose in the air and looked down on everyone in contempt.

As she reached the bottom the customary applause broke out, but was drowned out after just a moment with the swelling music that invited everyone to the dance floor.

The girl in orange shot a look at the corner where the musicians stood, glaring in silent accusation for ruining her moment of glory.

The crowd around us thinned slightly as couples filled the dance floor. I shifted uncomfortably as pairs of eyes turned towards us. Some stared in contempt, others in disbelief.

Whispered conversations behind upraised hands began circulating around the room like some sort of new fashion trend.

I tugged on the sleeve of John's tunic until he tilted his head towards me.

"John, why is everyone staring at us?"

"Well, it may have escaped your attention, but I am the Prince."

"Careful now, if your head gets any bigger that crown might not fit" I replied back sarcastically.

I knew how people looked at a Prince, in awe or admiration, and that was most certainly not the way most of them were looking at us now.

It occurred to me that I was probably who they were staring at and gossiping about; or rather, the fact that I was standing with the Prince.

We're not together I wanted to tell them.

We're just friends.

The thought struck a painful cord in the pit of my stomach.

"Forget them" He said nonchalantly.

Forget them? That wasn't such an easy thing to do.

He may be used to it but I hated the attention.

Once again I felt they were judging me.

John cursed under his breath, so quietly I barely heard it, and making me aware of how close we were standing.

No wonder they stared.

Before I could take a step away John had grabbed my hand and was pulling me after him.

I wanted to ask what, or maybe who, had been the cause of his whispered curse when I realized he was leading me into the midst of the dancers and forgot all about my question.

My steps slowed down until he was almost dragging me before he turned to give me an exasperated look.

"You know I can't dance John."

"You're not near as bad as you think" He said with a half smile.

"I don't want to trip in front of everyone."

"I won't let you" He said firmly and continued pulling me along.

He only stopped when we stood almost in the center of the room, where dozens of other dancing couples made us less conspicuous.

His hand rested on my waist, warm and comfortable before leading us into the dance.

I had no idea what music was playing or what the dance required, but John seemed to know the steps well enough for the both of us. The few times I stumbled his grip would tighten around me, holding me steady until I regained my balance.

When the dance ended he made no move to leave, or even let go for that matter, and I found I didn't really want to stop anyway.

It was only moments before the next dance started up, and another after that. It soon felt natural dancing with him, even my stumbles causing less embarrassment than the time before. He was true to his word, covering up my stumbles just like I'd covered up his poor swordsmanship skills on our first duel. I relaxed more, letting the music wash over me with its soothing rhythms.

When I finally felt confident enough to stop watching my feet I regretted looking up.

All the women from the couples that danced around us were staring. It was one thing for those standing around with nothing better to do to be staring but this was ridiculous.

"There's something I wanted your opinion on."

His voice broke through my dread and I looked up, grateful for something else to concentrate on.

"Remember on our... adventure, all those girls who said they wanted to come to the castle to train?"

I nodded, remembering Sir Corry's little girls and the two from the camp in the forest.

"I was thinking about establishing a training school just for girls. Not many girls want to take a pages training with the boys, but maybe if they had their own school more would come."

"That sounds like an incredible idea John."

"Really? Because I was hoping you might consider teaching it..."

Now that I hadn't seen coming.

"I don't know John, I'm not that good with little kids."

"They wouldn't be that young, at least twelve or thirteen. At least think about it."

"Of course I will."

It was good to know he was finally taking being King seriously. Maybe if he had this school to plan, something to look forward to, the pressure wouldn't get to him so badly.

And if it was a success, which I was sure it would be, maybe it would be just the confidence booster he needed.

The song playing ended, and by this time I'd lost count of how many we'd danced together.

"Prince John, didn't anyone teach you how to share?"

He grinned and clapped Mason on the shoulder.

"No one's had the nerve to ask, and I wasn't about to give her up willingly" He said with a wink in my direction.

I rolled my eyes at him, causing them both to laugh.

"You can borrow her if she'll have you Mase, but the last dance is mine"

His hand still held on to mine and he brought it up to brush his lips against before letting go.

I watched him disappear into the crowd stunned, having been caught by surprise yet again. It was both infuriating and sweet how he charmed me so easily.

The next song started up and Mason took my hand. The feeling was different than with John, less... just less.

"My Lady is popular tonight" He said with a smile.

I glanced up at him in confusion, only half paying attention since I had to watch my steps; he didn't lead quite as confidently as John.

"What do you mean?"

"It seems everyone is talking about you."

Now I was definitely paying attention.

"Why would they be talking about me?" I asked in confusion.

He couldn't be right, they had all been staring at John, and they must be talking about him.

I looked wearily around me and noticed that while my dance partner had changed I was receiving no less attention.

He smirked slightly, reminding me of John; no wonder they got along so well.

"They all want to know how the castle tomboy finally got the Prince to dance. Golden girl, they've been calling you. It seems no one can believe the girl they see in the practice courts is really you."

I looked at him incredulously.

"You can't be serious."

"But I am" He insisted.

I looked around me once more, seeing envy, surprise, curiosity, and even downright hostility.

Golden girl? How silly.

"What did you mean by 'finally got the Prince to dance'?"

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You mean you don't know?"

I shook my head, annoyed that John's new squire knew more than I did after only being at court for a little over a week.

He looked amused, but whether it was because I didn't know or because of what he was about to tell me I couldn't be sure.

"I'm told our Prince has never danced at the High Ball before."

My jaw dropped open in shock and I lost track of the steps, stumbling into Mason in the process.

He steadied me quickly with a slight smile and shake of the head but I hardly noticed.

He'd never danced at the High Ball before?

How could that possibly be true? He comes here every year!

But that would explain all the looks I was getting, all that golden girl nonsense.

Idiot Prince, he could have warned me.

I hated being the center of attention. He knew that.

As if it wasn't bad enough I even let myself be seen with him, he had to go and make a big spectacle by dancing with me.

Mason was looking at me with amusement when the song ended and David walked up just then too, laughing at the expression on my face.

"What did he do this time?" David asked with a grin.

There was no question who he was.

Mason cut in before I could answer. "The problem seems to be that he danced with her."

"Is that what everyone's been talking about?" He said with a laugh.

"Well, I'm glad you two are amused, but if you'll excuse me I have a certain Prince to kill."

They each grabbed a hand before I could take so much as a step.

"You're not going anywhere till I have a dance" David said with a smirk.

"Or you could come with me to the courtyard to help dig the grave" I said sweetly.

Mason laughed and let go of my arm. "I'll go get My Lady a spade" He said with a grin before walking off. I scowled at him before turning the look to David.

As per usual he seemed indifferent to it and pulled me along to the music which I hadn't even realized had started.

"He should have warned me" I said sullenly.

"So you could turn him down? Not likely" He said with a grin.

I blushed slightly knowing it was true. If John had told me from before what would happen I would have said no, or at least insisted he dance with someone else first.

"Do you know what they're calling me?" I asked with a wince, hearing the name murmured from a couple that danced too close.

His grin widened even further.

"Golden girl. You should be flattered, even with being the castles resident lady knight, you've managed to out-do all the other girls here."

"I may look like a Lady but I certainly don't feel like one" I grumbled annoyed.

"But they don't know that do they? It was quite entertaining to watch all their jaws drop when they announced your name."

"Of course you would think that" I said with a roll of the eyes.

My lips twisted up in a smile. Come to think of it that would be fairly amusing.

David and I danced the next song as well, and the one after that was with Luke followed by Mason once again.

It seemed rather suspicious that one of the three always appeared by my side just as a song ended, making it impossible for anyone else to approach me.

Probably John's work.

I didn't really mind if it was; I was getting used to his sudden protectiveness of me.

The bells signalling the last dance of the evening chimed and John appeared by my side before their sound had even faded away.

Mason nodded at him before melting into the crowd once again.

The sight of him made me forget my annoyance as the familiar warmth spread through me from his touch.

"Miss me Golden Girl?" He asked with a smile, his voice husky and quiet.

"Miss you? I've spent almost the whole night with you."

"Is that a yes?" He whispered.

His familiar smirk tugged at his lips when I felt myself nodding.

"Why haven't you ever danced at the High Ball before? You come every year."

The question blurted out before I could stop it, but at least it didn't sound like an accusation.

He seemed to think about it for a moment before shrugging.

"I've never wanted to before."

"Why now?" I asked curiously.

He cocked an eyebrow and smiled sweetly. "Isn't it obvious?"

I looked down as my face heated up yet again in realization of what he'd just said.

I couldn't explain the elated way it made me feel to hear it.

So what if in a few days he would have to choose another girl to be his bride?

Tonight it didn't matter that I was a lady knight, and right now, I didn't care that they judged me.

Tonight I was golden girl,

and tonight at least,

he was all mine.