~ Chapter Four ~
The Night of the Ball
Alanna and Elisia graced the halls in their new gowns. Alanna was slightly nervous. Not because she was worried no one would escort her, but because she hated balls. She was hopeless at dancing! Every time someone asked her to dance, she always made excuses. Tonight should be no different, except that Maude would be among the servants tonight, and she would be making sure Alanna dances! Alanna tried to smile as she greeted the other nobles before she descended down the stairs.
Elisia gave Alanna a confident smile as she stepped onto the stairs. Alanna peeped out. Who would escort Elisia? She smiled triumphantly as she saw Sir Gary escort Elisia down the stairs.
Alanna breathed deeply as she prepared to step onto the stairs. Her heels were hurting her feet. Suddenly she couldn't think of anything but how much her feet hurt. Concentrate! She told herself sternly.
As she walked out onto the stairs, Alanna tried to toss her hair the way she'd seen the other ladies do. Instead she got a face full of coppery hair. Her stomach churned with embarrassment as she (tried to) gracefully push it out of her face. She stepped down the stairs carefully, trying not to twist her ankle. Who would escort her? Thom was a squire, and therefore serving, so she didn't even have her brother to take her down!
She took a deep breath as a handsome young man came towards her. His hair was a dark brown, and his eyes a mysterious light brown. He was dressed in a fine suit, and smiled kindly as he walked towards Alanna.
"May I?" he asked her, holding out his hand.
Alanna smiled. "Of course," she said, trying to keep her voice calm.
Alanna walked down the stairs very efficiently with the handsome man, until she got near the bottom of the stairs. She tripped in her high heels and the strong grip on her arm from her escort was the only thing that stopped her from falling flat on her face.
Alanna gasped as she fell. Merciful Mother! She thought agonisingly. Now I've done it! I'm a flop! Alanna put on a brave smile. She descended the rest of the stairs, keeping her face hidden, and when she reached the bottom she thanked her escort and fled discreetly. Once she'd gotten out of the ballroom, she ran. She ran for all she was worth, tears streaming down her face.
Alanna ran through the halls, her eyes red with tears and embarrassment. How could she face the court after that incident? She'd never show her face again. Looking down at the marble floor, Alanna fastened her pace.
"Hey!" a smooth voice slowed Alanna.
Alanna looked up. There was Prince Jonathan, his sapphire eyes filled with worry.
"Lady Alanna, you've been crying. Are you ok?" he asked.
"I'm – I'm fine," she stammered.
The Prince's brow bent into a frown. "Really? Somehow I find that hard to believe."
Alanna smiled, in spite of herself. Then she burst into tears. "I don't want to be a lady!" she sobbed. "It's not fair! Why did I have to be the girl? Why couldn't I have been Thom's twin brother?" she cried.
Jonathan smiled. "Poor Lady Alanna," he said, holding her head into his chest.
Alanna sniffled. "Thanks, Your Highness," she said, wiping her red, blotchy eyes.
"Jon," he said. "Call me Jon."
Alanna smiled, and he smiled back.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alanna sat on Jon's chair, sipping tea. Jon sat near her, drinking tea as well.
"Don't you like balls?" asked Alanna.
Jonathan smiled. "Not really. I'm the prince – I always have everyone flocking over me, fluttering eyelashes and waiting for me to ask them to dance. It's all very annoying. What about you?" he asked. "I'm thinking those tears weren't of nervousness, were they?"
Alanna stuck her chin up. "You're very nosy for a Prince," she said.
"And you're very pert for a lady," he answered. "Well?" he asked.
Alanna looked down. "I – I tripped," she said, blushing furiously. "On the – stairs."
Jonathan's hand did not quite contain the smile he tried to hide. "Oh, don't worry," he said. "Many fine ladies trip down those stairs – they're exceptionally thin."
Alanna looked up. "You're teasing me," she said.
Jonathan laughed. "Oh, Ok, not many fine ladies, but I do remember overhearing Mother telling one of her friends the first time she met my Father – he escorted her down the stairs, then she tripped and fell flat on her face." He laughed.
"You're lying," Alanna said. "I can always tell."
Jonathan grinned. "You caught me," he said. "But really, don't worry – at least I wasn't there to see it."
Alanna pulled a face and blushed. Jonathan looked towards the door.
"I'd better go now," he said. "My parents will be in pieces if I don't appear soon." He nodded towards Alanna.
"Till we meet again, oh beautiful angel." He grinned. "Did I mention I love that dress?" he smiled, and left.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alanna peered cautiously into the ballroom. She knew she should go in and act like nothing had happened, but embarrassment stopped her. She was sure Maude would be looking for her, and she didn't want to get an earful.
She slipped quietly in; hoping no one would notice her. Her stomach flip- flopped when she saw the Prince look at her and smile.
Oh lovely, she thought. Everyone has eyes on the Prince – if he dances with me, everyone will recognise me!
Jonathan moved towards Alanna. Oh! Alanna thought. Oh, oh, oh!
Alanna turned red as she tried to move away from the walking Prince. He saw what she was doing and he smiled.
Jonathan finally caught up with her. "Lady Alanna," he asked. "You haven't been avoiding me, have you?"
"Jon." Alanna gasped for breath. "Of – of course I wasn't."
"Then will you dance?" he asked.
Alanna shut her eyes. "Oh," she said. "I really can't dance."
"Is that your excuse for everything?" he asked, pulling her onto the dance floor.
Alanna tried to protest, but his grip was too strong. The band struck up a moderate-paced song. Jonathan pulled Alanna close.
Alanna had to smile as the Prince talked about everything he could think of quietly into her ear. "It's such a drag," he complained. "Every lady wants to dance with me, especially Lady Delia."
Alanna scanned the room. She finally spotted Lady Delia, dressed in emerald and cream, her chestnut hair curled up gracefully and her lips a blood red. When she saw Alanna, her lips tightened and gave her a poisonous glare.
"I don't think she likes me," Alanna said.
"Oh, Delia hates everyone I dance with," Jon said. "Watch her face when I kiss you."
Alanna looked up in surprise. Jon leant towards her, but Alanna instinctively put her hand up to stop him.
"Not here," she told him sternly. "With your whole court watching? I don't think that would go down well. Besides, Thom's here."
Jon grinned. "Surely you're not ashamed?" he asked.
"Of course I am. Whom in their right mind would want to kiss a prince?" she asked.
The pace of the dance slowed. Jon pulled Alanna closer.
"Don't get too comfortable," she growled.
Jonathan laughed as the dance ended. "Lovely dancing with you, Lady Alanna," he said. "We should do it again sometime."
Alanna shook her head at the Prince's nerve. He had no idea what she could do.
The Night of the Ball
Alanna and Elisia graced the halls in their new gowns. Alanna was slightly nervous. Not because she was worried no one would escort her, but because she hated balls. She was hopeless at dancing! Every time someone asked her to dance, she always made excuses. Tonight should be no different, except that Maude would be among the servants tonight, and she would be making sure Alanna dances! Alanna tried to smile as she greeted the other nobles before she descended down the stairs.
Elisia gave Alanna a confident smile as she stepped onto the stairs. Alanna peeped out. Who would escort Elisia? She smiled triumphantly as she saw Sir Gary escort Elisia down the stairs.
Alanna breathed deeply as she prepared to step onto the stairs. Her heels were hurting her feet. Suddenly she couldn't think of anything but how much her feet hurt. Concentrate! She told herself sternly.
As she walked out onto the stairs, Alanna tried to toss her hair the way she'd seen the other ladies do. Instead she got a face full of coppery hair. Her stomach churned with embarrassment as she (tried to) gracefully push it out of her face. She stepped down the stairs carefully, trying not to twist her ankle. Who would escort her? Thom was a squire, and therefore serving, so she didn't even have her brother to take her down!
She took a deep breath as a handsome young man came towards her. His hair was a dark brown, and his eyes a mysterious light brown. He was dressed in a fine suit, and smiled kindly as he walked towards Alanna.
"May I?" he asked her, holding out his hand.
Alanna smiled. "Of course," she said, trying to keep her voice calm.
Alanna walked down the stairs very efficiently with the handsome man, until she got near the bottom of the stairs. She tripped in her high heels and the strong grip on her arm from her escort was the only thing that stopped her from falling flat on her face.
Alanna gasped as she fell. Merciful Mother! She thought agonisingly. Now I've done it! I'm a flop! Alanna put on a brave smile. She descended the rest of the stairs, keeping her face hidden, and when she reached the bottom she thanked her escort and fled discreetly. Once she'd gotten out of the ballroom, she ran. She ran for all she was worth, tears streaming down her face.
Alanna ran through the halls, her eyes red with tears and embarrassment. How could she face the court after that incident? She'd never show her face again. Looking down at the marble floor, Alanna fastened her pace.
"Hey!" a smooth voice slowed Alanna.
Alanna looked up. There was Prince Jonathan, his sapphire eyes filled with worry.
"Lady Alanna, you've been crying. Are you ok?" he asked.
"I'm – I'm fine," she stammered.
The Prince's brow bent into a frown. "Really? Somehow I find that hard to believe."
Alanna smiled, in spite of herself. Then she burst into tears. "I don't want to be a lady!" she sobbed. "It's not fair! Why did I have to be the girl? Why couldn't I have been Thom's twin brother?" she cried.
Jonathan smiled. "Poor Lady Alanna," he said, holding her head into his chest.
Alanna sniffled. "Thanks, Your Highness," she said, wiping her red, blotchy eyes.
"Jon," he said. "Call me Jon."
Alanna smiled, and he smiled back.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alanna sat on Jon's chair, sipping tea. Jon sat near her, drinking tea as well.
"Don't you like balls?" asked Alanna.
Jonathan smiled. "Not really. I'm the prince – I always have everyone flocking over me, fluttering eyelashes and waiting for me to ask them to dance. It's all very annoying. What about you?" he asked. "I'm thinking those tears weren't of nervousness, were they?"
Alanna stuck her chin up. "You're very nosy for a Prince," she said.
"And you're very pert for a lady," he answered. "Well?" he asked.
Alanna looked down. "I – I tripped," she said, blushing furiously. "On the – stairs."
Jonathan's hand did not quite contain the smile he tried to hide. "Oh, don't worry," he said. "Many fine ladies trip down those stairs – they're exceptionally thin."
Alanna looked up. "You're teasing me," she said.
Jonathan laughed. "Oh, Ok, not many fine ladies, but I do remember overhearing Mother telling one of her friends the first time she met my Father – he escorted her down the stairs, then she tripped and fell flat on her face." He laughed.
"You're lying," Alanna said. "I can always tell."
Jonathan grinned. "You caught me," he said. "But really, don't worry – at least I wasn't there to see it."
Alanna pulled a face and blushed. Jonathan looked towards the door.
"I'd better go now," he said. "My parents will be in pieces if I don't appear soon." He nodded towards Alanna.
"Till we meet again, oh beautiful angel." He grinned. "Did I mention I love that dress?" he smiled, and left.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alanna peered cautiously into the ballroom. She knew she should go in and act like nothing had happened, but embarrassment stopped her. She was sure Maude would be looking for her, and she didn't want to get an earful.
She slipped quietly in; hoping no one would notice her. Her stomach flip- flopped when she saw the Prince look at her and smile.
Oh lovely, she thought. Everyone has eyes on the Prince – if he dances with me, everyone will recognise me!
Jonathan moved towards Alanna. Oh! Alanna thought. Oh, oh, oh!
Alanna turned red as she tried to move away from the walking Prince. He saw what she was doing and he smiled.
Jonathan finally caught up with her. "Lady Alanna," he asked. "You haven't been avoiding me, have you?"
"Jon." Alanna gasped for breath. "Of – of course I wasn't."
"Then will you dance?" he asked.
Alanna shut her eyes. "Oh," she said. "I really can't dance."
"Is that your excuse for everything?" he asked, pulling her onto the dance floor.
Alanna tried to protest, but his grip was too strong. The band struck up a moderate-paced song. Jonathan pulled Alanna close.
Alanna had to smile as the Prince talked about everything he could think of quietly into her ear. "It's such a drag," he complained. "Every lady wants to dance with me, especially Lady Delia."
Alanna scanned the room. She finally spotted Lady Delia, dressed in emerald and cream, her chestnut hair curled up gracefully and her lips a blood red. When she saw Alanna, her lips tightened and gave her a poisonous glare.
"I don't think she likes me," Alanna said.
"Oh, Delia hates everyone I dance with," Jon said. "Watch her face when I kiss you."
Alanna looked up in surprise. Jon leant towards her, but Alanna instinctively put her hand up to stop him.
"Not here," she told him sternly. "With your whole court watching? I don't think that would go down well. Besides, Thom's here."
Jon grinned. "Surely you're not ashamed?" he asked.
"Of course I am. Whom in their right mind would want to kiss a prince?" she asked.
The pace of the dance slowed. Jon pulled Alanna closer.
"Don't get too comfortable," she growled.
Jonathan laughed as the dance ended. "Lovely dancing with you, Lady Alanna," he said. "We should do it again sometime."
Alanna shook her head at the Prince's nerve. He had no idea what she could do.