The Dance

Just a part of a story I decided to write up.

He waited in the empty courtyard, lost in his thoughts. Dew from the night time air clung to the grass and the flowers; their usual colours of bright pinks, purples and blues dimmed by the soft glow of the moons and stars that scattered across the night, as if they were droplets of white paint flicked at the black canvas that hung in the sky. Random and unorganised, yet seeming like it belonged there all along.

The air was cool and crisp. It stirred silently in the breeze that rolled like waves, carrying the gentle sounds of laughter and noise from the Kings hall a few buildings over. Besides that, the only sound that could be heard was from the fountain at the corner of the small stone square, adding to sense of calm and quiet that hung in the air, and offering a moment of peace to the troubled young boy who lent against the wall opposite the entrance.

He wore a simple suit. Tailored to be a slim fit, midnight blue pants with a jacket to match. He wore a white shirt underneath, with a tie a shade lighter than the jacket. A dark brown belt to match his dark brown shoes, and his hair was slicked back with wax. He was dressed by the Crowns tailor, and in his opinion captured how small and skinny he really was. But they were the nicest clothes he’s ever owned, and tonight he wished to look the nicest he’d ever been.

The sound of the gently running water drew his attention to the sides of the courtyard. Vines and leaves twisted and blanketed the surrounding walls. Home to hundreds of fireflies, their yellow light gently illuminated the greens of the surrounding flora.

One by one the flies started taking off into the night air, hanging lazily as if themselves were stars. What if insects in the ground mistook them for stars, would they be able to tell the difference? The young boy smiled at the idea, and as his gaze wondered between the stars in front of him and the stars in the sky, he noticed a figure waiting in the entrance.

 

She was a few inches shorter than the boy. Her skin softly reflecting the yellow glow of the fireflies that seemed to surround her. She wore a simple forest green dress, the kind of green you would see in autumn when the leaves just begin to brown. The way it hung from both her shoulders made it seem as though it weighed nothing, yet still it fell past her feet and just barely touched the ground. The way the wind tugged at it reminded the boy of the time they first met, where she found him staring at the way the leaves waved in the wind. A reminder of a simpler time, but also evidence of how far they had come.

His eyes slowly wondered up to her oak brown hair. What was usually let out and halfway down her back was now neatly braided, pulled back to pass just above her ears and gently woven at the back to form a bun, held in place with thin green vines interlacing with small pockets of white flowers. Her face was fair, her eyes sparkled with the reflections of yellow light, and her lips were pink and soft. She bore no makeup, jewellery or glitter. And she was by far, the most beautiful thing the boy had ever seen.

 

Her lips curled up into a smile at the sight of him, and hands clasped in front of her, she gently started to close the distance between them. As she moved closer the boy realized that the dress itself was made from hundreds of leaves, all woven together by vine and string and all different shades of green. The way it swayed in the breeze and hugged her gently rocking hips took his breath away.

The way he watched her brought heat to her cheeks, and looking down at her feet she stopped and waited for him in the centre of the courtyard. It was then he realised he had been staring. No words were spoken as he slowly made his way to the courtyard, the echo of his shoes on the stone ground slowly began to get drowned out by the gentle melody of music that had started up again in the Kings hall, and slowly his feet came to rest a few inches in front of hers. He could feel the heat coming from her skin. She smelt like a cinnamon mixed lightly with wood and crushed leaves. It was intoxicating, and he noticed for the first time how much harder his heart beat within his chest when standing this close to her.

“You look” they both said together, causing each to stutter and blush at their own awkwardness. She looked away as she felt warmth rush to her cheeks. Reaching up she playfully pulled at the neck of his tie. “Handsome” she spoke, softly as if not to interrupt the music that rolled through the air. She started fiddling with his tie as if it weren’t quite sitting right.

“Beautiful” he smiled, as his hands grasped hers and gently pulled them away from it. Her eyebrows furrowed with slight irritation, as the tie seemed to not want to sit right, but when she saw the warmth that was in his eyes her irritation melted away, as was left with something she hadn’t ever felt before.

Standing so close to one another, it was hard not to feel the emotions pulling at each other’s heartstrings, however the neither of them were experienced enough to know what to do. So instead, the young boy took a step back, releasing her right hand and bowed, pressing his lips to the fingers of her left. “My princess, I have not yet had the chance to take upon the dance floor tonight. Would you do me so the honour of being my first and only dance of this evening?”

Her laugh lit up the courtyard more than any stars or sun ever could, and her smile was warm enough to melt any tension that had been growing in either of their lives. “I would love to, sweet prince” she replied, giving him and light courtesy and pulling him back into their close embrace.

And as silence fell from their lips, the music from above moved and flowed between them, and together they took their first steps. Gently they fell back into their practice routine. Him taking the lead and her following it closely, feet gliding around the courtyard as if it were ice, one having the other for support in case they stumbled and fell. They span circles around one another, their bodies never being more than a few inches apart at a time, their grips gentle yet strong, their thoughts empty yet on each other. His hand on her waist yearning to pull her closer, but the fear of ruining the moment by stepping on her toes was enough for him to reconsider.

It was by no means perfect. Two months of practice doesn’t leave much room for expertise in something as complex as dance. But they took it slow, their steps were soft and as only the stars were there witness, to them it did not matter. They stared into each other’s eyes as they flowed around the courtyard. Small stars of light sparkled behind hers and the warm glow of a hearth burned deeply in his.

So ever so slowly did they find themselves getting closer and closer. The music of the moment coaxing better judgement to become of bold. Slowly, like the song and dance, and through the drum of his pulsating heart, his lips pressed into her cheek. She was as soft as the first rays of sunlight over the horizon. And just as warm too, for as his lips parted from her cheek, she turned hers to meet his, and together they melted into it.

Time waits for no one, it’s a cruel and unforgiving truth. But for those few moments, to them it did not matter. For the stars were out, the night was young, the music was soft, and their kiss went undisturbed. And sometimes that’s all you need to make a moment unforgettable.

And so, grateful of one another’s company and the privacy of the courtyard,

they danced.