Thanks to nagemeikenu for betaing! Written for Day 14: Dancing of Marichat May.
Marinette gave Prince Luka of the Northern Water Tribe another smile as she slipped her hand into his. "It would be my honor," she lied, getting to her feet to dance with him.
Dancing with him was perhaps the last thing she wanted to do tonight but, as the Princess of the Fire Nation, Marinette knew her duty well. Having the Northern Water Tribe as an ally would be extremely beneficial to her kingdom.
Luka put his hand on her waist, once they reached the dance floor, and they moved their feet to the beat of the music.
"You look lovely tonight," he complimented her.
Marinette's cheeks flushed as she accepted the compliment. "Thank you, you look rather dashing yourself." It was true, for all the myths she heard about the Water Tribes encaged within the ice, Luka cleaned up very nicely in his robes.
She gave him a warm smile and he turned away, pink coating his cheeks. Marinette smiled at him fondly before her eyes inadvertently trailed around the room.
She saw her good friend, Alya, the daughter of one of the generals in her father's army, dancing with Nino, an officer from the Metalbending Police Force. It was nice to see everyone mingling together, beyond the borders of their individual kingdoms.
Marinette was sure that it made Avatar Alix very happy. The less conflict the better, Alix always liked to say. She was a good Avatar, though she preferred playing to working as Marinette had learned while studying together under Master Fu.
For a moment, it seemed as though Luka had something he wanted to say to her but he abruptly shut his mouth every time Marinette glanced at him. So, she politely continued their dance while looking around the room.
Her heart twisted seeing Chat Noir stand stoically next to the wall. He was refusing every offer he received to dance and was looking rather upset. Marinette was wondering what was bothering him when he caught her eye.
The scowl that appeared on his face surprised her. It seemed to be directed at her for some reason, though Marinette couldn't imagine why.
"Who is he?" Luka asked, startling Marinette out of her thoughts.
"I'm sorry, who?" She inquired, pasting on a smile despite the turmoil she was in.
"The man in black," he nodded towards Chat Noir.
"Chat Noir, he's my personal guard," Marinette answered, a fond smile appearing on her lips as she glanced at Chat again.
"He's special to you," Luka observed.
"Yes," Marinette readily agreed. "He was my friend first, so we're very close."
The music died down and Luka escorted Marinette back to her seat. "Thank you for dancing with me," he smiled as he gently kissed her hand in farewell.
Marinette had intended to go and speak with Chat Noir but she had scarcely sat down when someone else was standing before her. It was Nathaniel, a member of the Air Nomads' delegation to the gathering.
"H-hello, Princess Marinette," he stammered. "May I have this dance?"
Suppressing a sigh, Marinette forced another smile and nodded politely. Conversation with Nathaniel was even more stilted than it was with Luka. Every time the boy went to speak, he would turn a bright red and clam up.
"Your robes are beautiful," Marinette finally said, the bright designs had caught her eye. "They're very different from the others' robes."
Nathaniel blushed even harder but he seemed to find his voice. "Th-thank you, I painted them myself."
"You're very gifted," Marinette complimented. Unfortunately, it seemed that whatever courage Nathaniel had found, had deserted him completely. All he could do was squeak in response.
Marinette continued to smile at him as they danced, only faltering when she saw Chat Noir leave the room.
Nathaniel bowed to her once the dance was over and again she was led to her seat. This time, Marinette didn't bother to sit down. Instead, she rushed out of the room the moment Nathaniel left her sight.
She bit her lip, wondering where Chat had gone off to. Marinette blindly chose a hallway to walk down, hoping that her feet would lead her to Chat.
She wasn't disappointed as she entered the courtyard; Chat was standing in the moonlight staring up at the sky.
"Something interesting up there?" She called out. Marinette had the satisfaction of seeing Chat jump as he turned around to look at her.
"Princess, what are you doing here?"
"Funny, that was my question," Marinette retorted, walking closer to him until they were shoulder to shoulder.
He turned to look back at the sky. "Oh, I just wanted a bit of fresh air."
Marinette didn't buy his nonchalant tone for even a moment. "Then why have you been so upset all evening?" Chat tried to deny it, already shaking his head, but Marinette wouldn't be swayed.
"I don't know; guess I was just uneasy meeting all these new faces," Chat admitted, at last, his head bowed.
Marinette could empathize. It wasn't easy meeting new people and if her father hadn't stressed the need for diplomacy for the night, Marinette would have trouble being friendly with the others as well.
"Wait, shouldn't you still be at the gathering, Princess?" Chat looked worried, looking as if he were moments away from dragging her back.
"We'll go back, but for right now I just want to be here with you," Marinette told him, laying her head on his shoulder. He nudged her upwards gently and Marinette reluctantly pulled away from him.
He was smiling that soft smile at her which always made her breath catch in her throat. "May I have this dance?" he bowed.
Marinette smiled, feeling her heart swell in her chest, overcome with emotion for him. "Yes, yes you may," she whispered.
They began in the steps of a traditional waltz but Marinette didn't have the energy to dance. She rested her head on his shoulder again and looped her arms around his neck, while both of his hands came to rest on her waist.
Together they swayed in the gentle breeze and in that one moment; there was nobody in the entire world except for the two of them.