Descending the staircase on her father's arm was mostly uneventful. Melody had entered hundreds of ballrooms, both as the most honored of guests and a humble patron, but this time felt different. She felt the eyes of the crowd on her in a way that felt entirely different than before. She felt almost a weight with each step she took. One step closer to him, she thought. Melody's eyes scanned the room. Was it the dark and handsome nobleman leering at the maids by the punch? Perhaps the pale duke nervously trying to hide a stain that dashed across his lapel in the corner was her betrothed. Thinking about which man she would marry only made her nervous. Instead, she lifted her chin and focused on breathing. Old Grimsby's voice rung strong and true through the ballroom, announcing her entrance. She arrived at the bottom now, and curtsied to her father before rising and giving a radiant smile to the room. She swept her eyes across the room again before turning back to her father. He gave her an encouraging nod as the orchestra launched into the first of many lilting melodies.
Melody trailed behind her father as he navigated towards the prince. Her heart began to quicken as her nerve began to fail. She discretely wiped her hands off at her side, and stopped abruptly as her father swung around.
"Melody," he said, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Allow me to introduce you to the Northern Ambassador, Sir Gable." Melody smiled and gave a nod to the portly and red-faced man who was appraising her like a prize mare.
"Pleased to meet you," she said.
"Likewise," he purred back, with the inflection of a true Northerner. "Now, may I present his royal highness of the North, Prince Nolan Christopher." Melody sharply inhaled.
Seemingly stepping out of thin air, the Prince stepped forward and grasped her hand. "Your highness," he said, with quite the thick accent, and he quickly bent to touch his thin lips feather light against her hand. Melody quickly tried to take stock of the man she was expected to wed. He was very Northern, with creamy pale skin and large blue eyes that always seemed to be widening in surprise. His hair was thin and blonde, and shellacked into place with a considerable amount of gel. His fingers were long and elegant, and he moved with an immense amount of grace and precision, the hallmark of a noble, but it was something more. He moved like water, with fluidity and intention. As he raised himself up, Melody found him to be about a head taller than her. He had a sharp nose that was firm, straight, and long, and there was something about it that was alluring to Melody. Realizing she must've been quiet for a beat too long, she nodded in return and felt herself drop into a curtsey.
"A pleasure, Your Majesty" she countered, before bringing herself upright. She hoped he hadn't noticed her small amount of shakiness. Stupid heels.
"Well," Eric said, after a rather long pause, "I don't suppose there's such a need for anymore formalities with curtsies and titles and so forth. After all, these two are to be married!" he said, in an overly bright manner that Melody had come to associate with a dismissal of awkward situations.
"Quite," the Ambassador nodded, after seeing the Prince give his approval. There was another embarrassingly long pause. Melody couldn't have predicted how entirely awkward meeting a man she would have to marry would be. Thankfully, the orchestra moved into a popular dance, and she noticed Prince Gable nod at it approvingly.
"Perhaps, if you do not find this too forward, you would care to dance, Prince Nolan," Melody asked, in a voice far from confident.
"Please," the Prince said, offering his arm. Melody received it and let herself be led to the floor. But not before she glanced over her shoulder to see the Ambassador's grin and her own father's head wrinkle with worry.
((Just a quick update after quite a long break))