Dancing can only be done one, or two dances at a time, and Joshua leaves me after the first dance, when my father asks him to kindly switch him partners. So off I see Joshua go, my mother already smiling at him. My father takes my hand.
"You dance well, my dear." He smiles, making me feel like a little girl again, but in a nostalgic way. I smile brightly.
My father, though a King, is known to me as a funny man. He likes to make jokes, and tease, and tonight, his subject of tease is one of the ladies that's known fairly well for holding up her nose. I laugh when my father spins me around grandly, and says just loud enough for me to hear if I've ever wondered as well if Lady Howlett just thinks everything smells horrid. The corner of his mouth twitches, his green eyes gleaming.
"Thank you, Papa." I say, after that dance has concluded. He kisses me on the cheek, his mustache tickling.
"I do wish you a happy birthday, Elaine." He takes another moment to tell me my tiara's crooked, and gets another laugh out of me when he makes it more so in his attempt to fix it. Once its straightened, he places his hands on my shoulders, his eyes soft.
"My dear," He says, and smiles, "Do have a good time." After nodding my head that I will, he leaves, to find my mother once more, who took a few moments after her dance with Joshua to speak with him. My eyebrows shoot up when my father starts speaking to him as well. I know it's nothing to be worried about, because my parents seem pleasant in their stance while talking.
I make my way to find a drink, quite happy to find my favorite, red wine. Since I don't believe I'll be eating until the cake-cutting, I don't take any appetizers that are on various servers' platters. Instead, I get my first glass from a server, who, feeling courageous, I assume, bows slightly and wishes me a happy birthday. I nod, and thank him, ending the thanks with a drink.
Genevieve finds me standing with my glass, studying the crowd. I don't see Joshua at the moment, so my eyes are just trailing around.
"You had two glasses of wine at dinner, Elaine." She states, in an amused tone. I shrug my shoulders slightly- I haven't finished the wine yet, and another glass after this one wouldn't be a bother. Yes, I feel that my cheeks are flushed, and even before then, I was feeling slightly more at ease, as I could say, from those two glasses.
"I'm nowhere near a lightweight, sister. I can still think clearly." I chew the inside of my cheek, "You, Genevieve, were the one who got drunk at Nobel Michel. Which, by the way, was odd." Suddenly, I have a question for her, and I turn to face her better, holding my glass in one hand, the other on my opposite forearm, which may give off the appearance of boredom. Genevieve has a neutral look on her face.
"Was something bothering you then?"
She waves her hand, her bracelet catching the light. "It was months ago, Elaine. I probably was just bored." However, the edge to her voice says something else. What could it have been? Perhaps I'll never know.
I would have continued, had I not felt certain needs needed to be met. I press my glass into Genevieve's hand, earning a surprised look from her.
"I'm going to the ladies room." I say, making my way across the room for the exit, and she follows behind.
"You don't need any help, do you? Because of your dress?" Though I know she wants to help, and may want a moment to talk to me, I say I'm fine on my own, and slip out of the room, the noise from party-goers already muffled in the corridor. I let out a breath of relief, putting a hand on my chest, feeling my heartbeat slow down. Whether I'm tired or just want time for myself to think, I don't know- either way, I would like to make it to the restroom.
The marble restroom is empty, save for the female attendant, who straightens up as I enter, slipping her phone into her uniform's pocket. I take care of myself, and afterwards, look at myself in the mirror, making sure the tiara atop my head isn't planning on falling anytime soon. I would have liked to splash water on my face, after washing my hands, but that would have messed up some of my makeup. I don't believe I have a fever, but it looks as though that may be it. I blame the wine, which would mean Genevieve was right in a way, in my heart, though, I believe the flushing of my cheeks may also be from being with Joshua.
I sigh, looking at myself in the mirror. The attendant asks if I need anything.
"No, thank you." I say, making my way out of the restroom, and pausing for a moment in the hallway. I haven't lost my way, but I wonder if it would be too terrible to walk around. Of course, I'm in heels, but they are short and they are bearable. If I'm stopped by a guard or servant, I don't believe they can do too much about it.
A thought comes into my head. The Lefford royal portraits. They're located around the palace, but the majority have their own display room, more so a long corridor. I like to see the portraits fairly often, and it's been only awhile since I've looked at them, but I want to see them, anyway.
I've only made the corner, when I hear footsteps behind me. Turning, it's like my heart leaps.
"Joshua, I was...going to take a walk." I say, as he comes up to me, the look in his eyes giving off the impression he's relieved to have found me.
"Ah, Elaine, I was simply wondering where you had gone." Joshua says, and raises his hand, but draws it back, turning his face. "You have some stray hairs."
I quickly smooth them down, and run my hands over my skirt, before speaking again. "I was going to look at the royal family portraits. Would you care to join me?" I look at him, and manage to keep eye contact with him. There's a moment of just staring, and then Joshua comes to his senses.
"I would like that."
I stand by a magnificent frame, daring to actually touch the portrait. King Ferdinand of Astor, among the first of the Leffords to rule. Joshua's behind me, making a comment on the paintings at times.
"I always liked coming here to see my ancestors. My family." It gives me an overwhelming sense of being, to think that I'm related, however so distantly or not, to so many people.
"Your family is so...large." Joshua's at a loss for words, looking around the hall. He's such a beauty himself, standing out against the paintings. It makes my chest hurt, really, to look at him with such feelings. I glance at my hands, then turn my gaze back to Ferdinand Lefford.
"Being royal is so odd, don't you think?" I blurt, having only thought so, and then am quick to explain myself. "I mean, had we been born commoners, no one would have known who our ancestors were six-hundred years ago."
Joshua's beside me now. "I've never thought of being royal, with that in mind." Now, he almost has a pained expression, and tries to hide it by looking up at the frame. "I can't picture myself being King. Not like my father, or my ancestors." He grew quiet at the end of his statement, and I reach out to take his arm.
"Oh, Joshua, you'll make a fine King. Your people will love you. And I would hope your Queen will, as well." The latter part of my statement has got my heart racing again- must I think about if I was Queen at his side?
Joshua's lips part to speak, and then he raises his hand, to run a thumb along my cheek, pausing on my chin, just below my lips. His eyes are hooded in concentration- he's staring at my lips. "My Queen..." He echoes, and then a deep blush comes across his cheeks, drawing back from me. I think he too, can hear my heart pound. "P-Princess-Elaine, I didn't mean anything from that. At least, I..."
"Joshua, it's alright. I know how you feel." I quickly say, because I believe I can understand what he's feeling. Joshua looks at me.
"You do? Elaine, do you...really?" He presses his back against a wall, with his arms crossed, looking at the ground. "If you do, then I would hope that you know how insane I'm driven at this point."
I step over to him, certain of what I'm doing. I don't think it's the right time now, for anything- I just feel like this. I take the prince's hand, and he's startled.
"We can talk later. They'll be cutting my cake soon- if they haven't already gone searching for me."