I grinned watching her stand up and straighten her dress. "Oh, I just can't wait for the festivities to start!" she blurted, grinning and grabbing at her sundress to emphasize her impatience. She pranced over to me and grinned again. "What about you, Christoph?" She asked, cocking her head to the side a little. I shrugged, and she closed her eyes and began dancing as if the ballroom we were in were already full of guests. I sighed and watched with admiration. "Naomi you really can dance!" I exclaimed, impressed. She blushed and stopped, opening her eyes. "It's nothing really… Just a little something Mother taught me," she mumbled. I laughed. "Well now, don't laugh! Not that you can dance anyways." She teased. We walked out of the room together, laughing.

**Later that night when the guests had arrived…**

"Don't give me that! We all know what really happened!" Naomi laughed, her cheeks red and eyes sparkling with joy. One of the girls she was talking with took another sip of her wine and giggled, and Naomi pressed on. "C'mon now, tell the truth!" the girl shook her head. They all laughed again as I stepped closer. Naomi noticed me coming towards her and smiled, turning to me. "About time Christoph!" she giggled. "I was beginning to think you would never say hello. So what's the story?" I grinned nervously and looked down at my feet. Her friends hushed each other and drifted away, letting Naomi know where they were headed. "Uh, Naomi… Would you uhm…," I began, tripping over my words. She smiled. "Would you… Do you want to dance?" I finally said, just as a new song started playing. She blushed and held out her hand. "Sure," she said, and I took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor. I grinned as I felt her hand close around mine, and the dance began.

**The Dance…**

She sighed and put her head on my shoulder as we danced. It was a slow dance, and I could feel her relax as we went around. "Naomi, are you okay?" I whispered in her ear. She looked up at me, her cheeks were pink now. "Huh?" she asked. She looked slightly lost and unfocused. "Are you feeling okay?" I asked again, more worried. She blinked and muttered, "Yes, I'm…fine." She put her head on my shoulder again and I closed my eyes. She didn't look too well, I could see the color in her eyes and cheeks fade away. "Are you tired?" I asked again, looking down at her. She looked up again and smiled softly. "Actually, I think I am a bit. Care to sit down with me, or are you going to go after a few more maidens?" She replied, teasing me. We stopped dancing and walked over to one of the small, empty booths. Still holding hands, we sat down and watched the dance end. I heard her mumble my name. "Christoph…"

**The End of the Night…**

"Christoph…" I turned to look at her. She was smiling again, but her cheeks and skin remained pale. "What is it?" I asked, leaning in closer to hear her soft voice. She leaned closer and we kissed, forgetting everything around us. As we parted, she hugged me and I heard her whisper in my ear.

"I love you, Christoph."

And then everything, the guests, the music, the food and wine, the smell of Naomi's perfume, faded and vanished completely, becoming nothing but a mere memory. I sat, stunned, still hearing the music and still feeling her hand around mine. "Naomi," I whispered.

"I love you, too."

And then everything was gone, and I, too, was forgotten, lost in the folds of time. A mere memory...