Chapter Two - The Ball

Chapter Two - The Ball

The sun was sinking low on the horizon, melting into the dusky evening as all of Natïa came alive with the flickering of lanterns. I had spent much of the evening before and today in my room, seething over rage I felt against my Aunt. I couldn't escape the screams of those girls as they echoed in my ears, nor ice that crept into my chest when I saw my Aunt’s cruel smile as those little girls burned and the farmer’s heart shattered. But most of all, I can’t shake the ache in my heart that I've always felt this way towards her….

But before I can form any solidity to my thoughts, Mari comes bustling in carrying a large package over her arm. 

“Ara, what are you doing out on the balcony? Are you alright? It’s time to get ready for this blasted ball. If you don’t get down there soon, Poppy is going to go into a raging fit.” I smile as Mira continues rambling and rolling her eyes as she carefully unwraps her parcel. 

“Okay, now since your Aunt insisted on having this specially made, but not giving me or Rosemari any sort of chance to have you come down, we had to pick this all out ourselves…” As she said this a gorgeous inky, midnight blue gown unfolded as she held it up. 

“Mari, It’s beautiful!” I gasp, holding my hand out to touch the lovely fabric. Light and wispy, it fell in soft folds and looked just like the night sky as every time it moved it sparkled as though covered in stardust. 

“You think? Well, go and try it on then, quick like!” 

It looked just as lovely on as it did in Mari’s hands; The deep blue made me look a lot paler, but it brought out the copper in my hair, which Mari had pinned lightly back from my face, letting the rest of it flow down my back and over my shoulders, and the green of my eyes and made me look a lot more piercing than I actually was. It fell loosely from my waist and pooled slightly on the floor, even in my heels, giving me an illusion of graceful height. The sleeves fell from my shoulders, leaving them bare and left my neck and collarbone exposed. 

“You look beautiful, Darling. Your parents would be so proud.” Small tears swelled in her eyes, and I smiled at her before hugging her close. 

“Oh, look at me. All a blubbering mess.” She quickly dabbed at her eyes.

“Oh, and I almost forgot….get all to blubbering and look what happens…” 

From her pocket, she produced a small silver tiara inlaid with small drops of amber. Reaching up, she gently set it on my head, and smiled even brighter. 

“It was your mothers, I thought it might match your pendant lovely.”  Reaching up with my hand, I lightly touched the cold band of silver. Smiling, all I could do was mouth thank-you for fear of letting lose tears. Mari understood however and straightened her own dress before nodding determinedly at me and opening the double doors we stood behind. 

By now the night was as dark and inky as my dress, illuminated only by the crescent moon and the gentle freckling of stars, but all of Ingemar seemed to be on fire as the lanterns glowed against the pure white walls. The ball room was a large, circular room that grew from the west side of the castle and directly stood above the sea. All of the walls were alternations between enormous arched windows that rose from floor to ceiling and the graceful white pillars that held them in place. The ceiling rose high above the polished marble floors and illuminated the room by the light of a giant chandelier and it’s hundreds of crystals. The room glittered and sparkled as violins played joyfully from the far side and hundreds of people danced in the center of the room. Brilliant hues of silks and velvet swept across the floor while jewels glinted with ever step of their owners. Any onlooker would have felt the warmth of the crowd and the jubilation of the chattering attendants, but all I felt was the swelling discomfort in my chest as I walked among the people, smiling and chatting lightly as they met me with fake smiles and envious or malicious eyes. 

“Princess! I was just looking for you.” 

I almost groaned aloud as I turned, meeting the smile of Lord Jonathan Gael with a quickly plastered on smile.

“Oh, It’s lovely to see you Lord Gael.”  A good two years my senior, Jonathan was of medium build with blonde hair and brown eyes that were as lifeless as the gemstones he wore on each finger. He was a slick as honey though, and behind his dull eyes the gears of his head were working out some plot to ask for my engagement. 

“I see that you are well, Princess.” He said, quickly grabbing my hand and bowing to lay his lips on it. I tried with all my might not to blanch. 

“Indeed, I am, and I trust you are as well?” You greasy slime ball…

“Could I have this--” 

“Would you care for a dance, Your Highness?” 

Turning around, my heart seemed to forget how to beat for a moment as my eyes met the most gorgeous boy. He was tall and slightly sun-kissed, with dark hair that fell rather untidily on his head and he was smiling at me in a way that was clearly meant to be blissfully polite, but I couldn't help noticing the slight crookedness to it, as though he was in the middle of some great plot. 

“I don’t believe she will…and Whom, might I ask, is inquiring?” The boy’s gaze left mine to settle on Jonathan, who had puffed up like a rooster in an attempt to display all of his authority. 

“I believe the Princess may answer for herself.” He said rather indignantly, raising an eyebrow at Jonathan, his smile becoming ever the more wicked before his eyes flitted back to me expectantly.

“Um….” I blinked, allowing myself a moment to clear my head. “Yes, I would like that very much, thank-you.” 

The boy smiled and took my hand, glancing back at Jonathan for a moment, as though daring him to protest, and I turned to give him the most dazzling smile I could come up with as I let the boy pull me onto the dancing floor. 

“Do you always need such saving, or was it my lucky day?” He asked, placing his hand other hand on my waste and beginning to lead the dance. My heart began racing and my stomach dropped out completely. This is utterly ridiculous. I don’t even know him! Just take a deep breath and grow up.

“Saving? I don’t think I would call that a heroic rescue, though I do thank-you.” 

“Oh? And, pray tell what you exactly would have done if I had not come to your rescue?”

“Well, I suppose I would have just had to pretend to be the most awful dancer and stomp upon his feet until he just couldn't stand being my partner any longer.” He surprised me and laughed out loud, a musical-ringing laugh that echoed through my ears and made me smile rather ridiculously. 

“ And are you pretending right now?” His eyes dark eyes glittered mischievously and I lost my breath for a moment; I can swear I've seen those eyes before.

“Pretending what?” 

“To be a bad dancer?” He let go of my waist for a moment as he twirled me around. Why am I so dizzy? From the dancing? That can’t be right…

“No. You know I could have you thrown in the dungeons for suggesting such a thing. Highly treasonous you know.” A smile dances at the corner of his lips and I’m suddenly tempted to… No. No. No. This is ridiculous. I don’t even know him. I mean…No. 

“Is it now? Well, then I suppose shall be led out in shackles.” I couldn't help but laugh at this, and my strange outburst got us reprimanding looks from quite a few of the couples around us. 

“I can’t seem to shake this feeling that I know you from somewhere…” The laughing now subsided and I look up into his eyes again, lost in the deepness of their shadows. He just smiles and looks me harder in the eyes, as though searching for something within their depths. 

“I think you would remember if you ever met someone as dashingly handsome as myself.” His smile turns mischievous again, but his eyes remain soft and searching as he slowly reaches up and pulls a strand of my hair out of my face. Heart in my throat, I’m not exactly sure how I’m breathing, if I’m breathing as his hand traces it’s way gently  down my neck and across my collarbone, leaving a trail of fire on my skin. I am quite sure I’m going to pass out when his hand finally stops and gently touches my pendant which sits nestled in the crook of my collarbone, and flips it over revealing the etching on the other side. His eyes briefly widen as he stares at the pendant before looking back up into my eyes where a smile breaks out onto his lips again. 

“Who are you?” My heart is still beating in my chest and the feeling of familiarity washes over me again, but my mind feels too cloudy to understand why.

“Matthew. You, however, can call me Matt, Your Highness.” He bows his head low before looking back at me. 

“Matt…” His name slips off my lips before I can stop them, but for some reason I feel braver than usual, like this was meant to happen. “Please, call me Ara.” 

“Alright…Ara.” 

I stare harder into his eyes, my mind so close to remembering, when the music suddenly ends and the hall erupts into a roar of clapping hands and Matt and I break apart. 

I open my mouth to say something to Matt, but the music abruptly starts again and I am quickly tapped on the shoulder and asked to dance again. I look back at Matt but he just smiles and raises his eyebrows at me, as though questioningly my need to check with him, and as I am pulled onto the floor once more I feel slightly foolish for having looked for approval. One dance means nothing. Does it?  My eyes follow Matt around the room as I dance automatically, present only in physical body. He makes his way over to another man whom I know I've seen before, one of the nobles from court, and he smiles a little when he catches my eyes on him.  I wonder how they know each other? The nobleman looks anxious….

“Princess?” I blink and look at the young man I’m partnered with. He’s tall but not as graceful as Matt is, and his eyes hold none of the boyish mischief that Matt’s do. I blink and shake myself again for being foolish. 

“I’m sorry, what were you saying?” 

“Are you alright, Princess? You see a little distracted.” 

“Do I? Hmm, perhaps I’m just a little dizzy. Would you mind if I go stand off to the side for a little while and regain my composure?” He nods politely and bows as I walk away, feeling slightly guilty for not even catching his name. 

I find myself wandering quickly over to where Matt and the nobleman are talking in quite whispers, a little bit reserved from the rest of the crowd. 

What am I doing? What if he doesn't wish to speak to you anymore? What are you going to say? 

But it’s too late, I am already upon them and I can’t turn back. As I’m approaching and about to open my mouth to speak however, a snippet of their conversation floats to my ears.

“… chamber is directly down this hall and to the right.”

“And you’re sure the letters will be there?”

“Positive. I was just in there with the Queen discussing her plans of attacking…” But the nobleman stops abruptly, eyes starring widely into mine and shock floods my mind. Plans to attack…? Letters? Matt must be here to steal them, why else would he want to know where they are? But why?  Matt quickly turns around and meets my eyes just as the answer clicks in my head. I shake my head no over and over, and recoil a little as he reaches out and grabs my arms.

“Ara, Ara, listen to me. You don’t understand.” 

“You…You’re a Renatus…” Panic weighs down my chest and I’m not sure what to do. I should call for the guards…but I can’t. I just can’t. 

“ Yes, but listen, Please.” A new song starts again, and Matt seizes the opportunity and pulls me to the floor. I begin to try and yank my hand from his but he just pulls me closer and whispers in my ear:

“Now, you don’t want to cause a scene, do you Princess?” 

Annoyance pushes away some of the fear and I can feel my eyes harden.

“You lied to me.” 

“No,” He smiles slightly as he sees the annoyance bubble up inside of me and push forward.

“I asked you who you were and you said…”

“What did you expect me to say, Princess? That I’m a Renatus that came to your castle to steal the plans the Queen has to declare war on us? And what exactly do you think you would have done?” 

“I… I… That’s not the point. Why did you dance with me if you are here to steal some plans? And how do I know if you’re telling me the truth?” He thoughtfully tilts his head at this, another smile playing on the corners of his mouth, as he spins us around once more. 

“I don’t know why I decided to dance with you, but I’m not exactly complaining about that choice. Are you?” 

“ I…well…no…” 

“And I don’t know how to make you trust me, but if anything about that look in your eyes yesterday at the trial means anything, I think you and I are on the same side.” 

“I’m not a Renatus.” 

“Aren't you? Haven’t you helped a traitor escape before?” 

“How do you…”

“That doesn't matter. What does is that the guards are starting to keep a closer eye on me now. Someone has tipped them off. And now you have to make a choice: Do you want to be a good little princess and call the guards on me and see me burned tomorrow with the rising of the sun, or do you want to leave this place? I can take you away from here, if you wish.”

My head is spinning again, though this time I’m quite sure it’s not the dancing. I look over at the guards and see he is right, they are starting to watch us and seem to be moving in closer around us. Could I really leave here? But where would we go?  Would that make me a traitor too? Do I care?

Indecision plays across my mind, but when I look back at Matt something takes a hold over me, and I can swear I can feel the wind against my face, like I did so many years before. Heart and mind racing, I look Matt right in the eyes and try and solidify my resolve. I’m not sure if I’m making the right choice; but I do know which choice I am making.

“Run.” 

Author's Note

Please review and critique :) Any thoughts are highly welcome :) Thank-you!

Chapter two. Finally. Obviously, this is still a rather rough draft of my story in general, but what do you think?