The green dress was resting on the deep crimson couch, draped as if a person were already wearing it. The bodice was adorned with tiny silver stitches, which appeared vibrant and magical against the lush velvet. The sleeves were lighter, and made of different material, a transparent type of fabric that allowed the shimmering and glowing of the Queen's will lines to be visible. It fit like a glove. It was, after all, her Mother's coronation ball dress. And now, it would be hers. The new Queen Lucia Rosalie.
Her glossy chestnut hair cascaded beautifully across her shoulders and down her back, the golden crown perched atop her head. She glided gracefully down the stairs, as every noble in the hall turned to face her.
'All hail the new Queen of Albion!' Walter's voice boomed out across the room, and immediately, Lucia halted upon the steps. She scanned the room of clapping hands and grinning faces, ignoring the praise she was receiving. Instead, she searched for the Captain's messy blonde hair, and his familiar blood-stained military uniform. It had been only a few hours since she had seen him. Yet her heart ached for his comfortable musky scent.
Descending the stairs, she had decided, tonight was the night. She had to let him know, she had to tell him.
'I love you, Ben.'
From the moment they had met, in the dank, soggy air of Mourningwood, Lucia knew something was special. A spark of sorts. When he had been informally introduced, there was magic. When they had fought beside each other, nothing else in the world existed. Time stood still when he was near her. She had been hurt before. She had broken many hearts, and had hers broken in return. Elliot, a childhood sweetheart, engaged to another woman, despite her attempts to rescue him. Swift, killed, at the hands of her brother. Countless civilians, dead, because of where she was standing now. But, in a way, she didn't care. It didn't matter. Every mistake and every knot in the rope had been unravelled, and had lead her here, to this moment. Her coronation. Her allies. Her new kingdom. And now, her new love.
Lucia shrugged away her thoughts, and stood still, now at the bottom of the marble steps. Walter, dressed in all his military finery, was beaming brightly at her, with a mischievious twinkle in his wearied eyes. Lucia raised an eyebrow, giving a small twirl, and grinning back at her father-figure. He took a few strides towards the Hero, and lifted her into a hug, enveloping her in his clothes and arms.
'You look beautiful, Lucy,' He whispered gently, as music began to play from across the hall. 'Just like your Mother.' Tears welled up in her eyes as she felt her feet touch the ground. He chuckled gruffly, sniffing slightly, before straightening his uniform.
'No tears, Princes-' He stopped suddenly, breaking into a bigger smile. 'Queen.' Lucia smiled back to him, turning around to see Kalin and Page waving from the other side of the steps. Boulder and Sabine quickly followed behind, beaming with the same twinkle in their eyes. The smile on Lucia's face widened, gleaming and glowing brighter than the sun when it floats in the sky. Everything became silent inside the hall, all chattering hushed and dancing stopped. A gruff, familiar voice broke the silence.
'Lucy.'
The Queen turned to where the crowd had been stood, huddled together, only to see there had been a break, like a parting of seas. And there, through the dust and haze and silence, stood him.
Ben.
His usually messy blonde hair had been combed, and his bloodied uniform had been cleaned and scrubbed. The short blonde stubble still adorned his cheeks, and the familiar scent of gunpowder and wood made her head giddy and her knees weak. He looked divine, stepping forward to where she stood, and lowering himself to one knee. He tenderly took her hand, and pressed his lips to her knuckles. The Queen blushed a deep crimson, her heart beating like the wings of a hummingbird.
'May I have the pleasure of your hand for this dance, my Queen?' Ben's voice was husky against her pale skin, staining her cheeks a deeper scarlet. No words came to her, only gasping and heart beats and blushes. She looked silently to where Walter stood, the mischievious twinkle now making sense to her. He beamed back, gesturing for her to reply. Lucia quickly turned her head back, stuttering.
'I-I...' She swallowed, taking a deep breath. 'Yes. Thank you.' Ben chuckled again, rising to his feet and leading her to the centre of the hall, and positioning his hands to gently grasp Lucia's waist and hand. She trembled at his touch, losing herself in his musky smell and pale blue eyes. A quick nod to the conductor, and the music began again. And suddenly, she felt as though she was floating.
The ground beneath her feet disappeared suddenly, and the staring and harsh faces were no more. It was only them. Only her and Ben. Now was the time.
'Ben, I-' Her speech was broken with a swift, fleeting kiss upon her lips. Audible gasps spread like wildfire around the room, but they weren't noticed by the couple. They continued their waltz.
'No words need to be said, Lucy.' A cocky, lopsided grin spread across his face, erasing all worries and fears she had had for the evening. Lucia smiled back, her blush fading slowly, but surely. Hushed, beautiful, knowing silence occupied the small space between their two faces, until Lucia suddenly spoke, so softly only Ben could hear.
'I've waltzed with you in dreams...'