Chapter Five: Dancing Alone

“You know this castle right? Like what is where, and who is what?”

“Pardon your majesty?” Pip looked completely lost.

“Do you know where my room is?” I rephrase slowly.

“You're chambers? Of course. But I am not aloud to grace its presence or be anywhere near it.”

“Why?” I asked

“Is it not obvious your majesty? I am only just a servant of the lowest class. I wash floors all through dawn sir.”

“Well, what if I allow you?”

Pip eyes widen.

“No your majesty, I am certainly not worthy of that honor.”

I don't care, I just need to find my room! Why is this so difficult?

“Are you gonna take me there or not Pip?” I ask getting irritated.

Luckily Pip was smart to enough read the tone of my voice.

He poised his head high and nodded obediently.

“Yes your majesty.” He answered. “As you wish.”

* * *

I had Pip stand guard outside my bedroom door.

I'm starting to forget why I even brought him along with me in the first place, but then remember… I was forced to.

Because of damn hierarchy.

And Narra.

Speaking of Narra, I turn to address her.

“We're alone now. Why do you even bother to keep hidden? No one can see you.” I tell the invisible space just above me.

She stays out of my visible view but speaks.

“I have my reasons Elias.”

I heavily lean on the bed and sigh tiredly.

“Eli.” I correct her.

“Prince Charming.” She teases.

“Ha.” I say unenthusiasticly. “Right so…”

I lay down and spread myself out on the bed, relaxing into the soft fabric made from silk and wool.

I look up as I talk.

“Hey Nare, you know what I just realized?” I asked her.

“What have you just noticed?” She rephrased.

“I'm dancing with Cinderella right?”

“Yes Elias.” She answered.

“But I can't dance. How the hel- I mean how am I going to pull that off?”

Though I couldn't see her, strangely I can feel Narra smiling.

Suddenly, like all the times before, she appears in front of me.

She stares down at me from where I laid on the bed.

Her smile is most definitely there, but it was more like a smirk, than a smile.

“What?” I asked her.

“May I?” She asked back.

“May you wha--”

She holds out her transparent hand to me.

I stare at it dumbly.

“May I have this dance Prince Elias Charming?”

“May you whaaa?” I choke on my words.    “D-dance with me? No way, I can't!”

“I will teach you. You must at least know the basics.”

“I… I’ll wing it. I've done it many times before, I'm good.”

“Are you blushing, my prince?” Narra teases again.

I sit up sharply.

“I'm not.” I deny.

“Then let us dance. How can my prince be bad? You are a prince.”

“You and I both know, I'm no prince.”

“Netherless, you are my prince. So come on Elias, take my hand.”

I stare at her now.

“I guess.” I feign nonchalance. “Fine.”

I take her hand, feeling nothing yet feeling something.

Her fingers wrap around mine, and with a strength I didn't see possible, she pulled me off the bed.

“Woah?” I say staring down at our hands. “How are you--”

She lets go of my hand and shifts her left hand to my shoulders. Using her eyes, she guides my left hand awkwardly to her waist.

Then she grabs my right hand.

“Just follow my lead, alright?”

I nod, though not listening. I'm still wondering how I can feel her when I could barely see her.

Her hands are small in my grasp, almost like her.

Her pale, colorless eyes look into mine imploringly.

“Elias, are you ready?” She askes again.

“Uh yeah.”

She smiles and together we move.

Gliding clumsily back and forth, I try to copy her movements but I soon get frustrated.

“This is stupid. I don't even know what I'm dancing to. There's no beat.”

Narra stops.

“You are right. Shall we make one?”

“How?” I ask, although somehow I already know.  

Her voice echoes as she speaks next.

“The golden chandelier rocks back and forth in a timely rhythm.”

And true to her words, the chandelier does just as she says, forming a rhythmic beat.

“Now repeat after me, and follow the beat,” she says. “One, two, three, one, two, three.”

She forces my feet to move with her count.

One step, two step, three, one step, two step, three.

And soon she doesn't talk once I've got the hang of it. The chandelier ticks on in time to to our footsteps, moving back and forth.

“Good, good,” she compliments. “You've got the basics.”

We stop and she swiftly pulls away from me.

“Now all you have to do at the ball is dance like that and somehow make it into your own. Do something fancy. Twirl her, dip her, do you.”

“Do me huh?”

Narra fades out, disappearing from my sight once again. The chandelier stops ticking.

“Tomorrow's when you're decisions begin but you must beware. This story is not meant to be played out as the original.”

“Wait but isn't that the whole point of this? What do you mean it can't be like the original?”

She doesn't answer and I could no longer feel her presence in the air.

Pulling the disappearance act on me again, are you Narra?

I just sigh heavily and hastily pry the maddeningly tight shoes off the soles of my feet along with the rest of the outfit.

The scent on my skin is different now. It's unfamiliar and uncomfortable, making me only want to crawl into my covers and disappear myself.

It wasn't long until I slipped into a deep sleep.

Reviews

[Ember Smyth]

I loved the plot twist at the end!