Chapter 5
"You ride very well you know."
"Thank you."
"Where did you learn?"
"Erm, at the orphanage."
"They taught you to ride there?"
"Yes." Squall knew this was a lie, but did not push it any further, changing the subject instead.
"There is to be a ball held here tonight. I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, it slipped my mind. Will you be attending?"
"What's the ball for?"
"Oh, it's for a charity. In hold it every year."
"Really?" Rinoa was shocked. "I bet Seifer wouldn't help other people."
"What was that?"
"Oh, nothing. Sorry."
"Will you come then?"
"I don't know." She usually hated events like this, being forced to dance with total strangers and make polite conversation all evening.
"Please. I get really bored at things like this. I could do with someone to talk to." Seeing that tonight could be different, Rinoa agreed to go.
"Fine, I'll be there."
"Thank you." Squall smiled at Rinoa, making her feel warm in the chill air. "I'll take you to town if you want so you can get something to wear."
"It's alright, I have something suitable with me, but thank you for the offer anyway."
"Why would an orphan, living on the streets have clothes like that?" Squall pondered.
"Are you ready yet?"
"Just a minute," Rinoa shouted from the other side of the door. She sat in front of the mirror, ensuring that every hair on her head was neat and in place. "It'll be alright," she told herself, instinctively clasping the necklace she always wore around her neck. She didn't know why, but wearing her mother's ring gave her some inner strength. She stood up and straightened out the creases in her favourite dress, a long, flowing white ball gown. It was one of the few things that she had brought with her because she thought it was beautiful. She had never worn it for any occasion before, as she knew that she would have had a miserable time, stuck with one of the many random men her father introduced her to. "Tonight will be different," she told herself. "I might even enjoy myself if I spend the evening with Squall." Remembering that he was waiting for her outside, she opened the door. "So, how do I look?" she asked. There was no reply from Squall as he stared straight at her, never moving his gaze. "What's wrong? Do I look terrible? Is my hair in a mess?" She was genuinely panicked about not looking her best. Squall shook his head.
"No, no. You look fantastic. There's nothing wrong at all. You look perfect."
"Then why were you staring?" Squall's cheeks turned pink as he began to blush.
"I was just shocked, that's all. Shall we get going?" Rinoa nodded and followed him down the staircase with a distant look on her face. "Are you alright?"
"I'm just nervous. I don't know anybody here." That was a lie. In reality, she was afraid that somebody would recognise her.
"Don't worry. You'll be fine. Just stick close to me." They arrived at the double doors of the great hall.
"Ladies and gentleman, Lord Leonhart and Miss Rinoa Heartilly," Zell announced to all present. There were some murmurs amongst the guests, wondering who the woman was who was entering the room on the arm of Lord Leonhart. She merely smiled as they walked into the room, Squall noticing her confident strides.
"Feels like she's done this before," he thought.
Rinoa knew that she had made the right decision by coming. All through the meal, people were constantly asking Squall questions, and he obliged them by answering, even though Rinoa could tell that secretly, he wanted everyone to leave him alone. Even so, what he had to say was fascinating to Rinoa, and was never pretentious, which shocked her, as he was a nobleman. Again she wondered why her father had never chosen a suitor for her with a personality like Squall's. He would make a great king, that Rinoa knew for sure.
After the meal had been cleared away came the part that Rinoa had always hated the most, dancing. She headed instinctively for the wall, and surveyed the dance floor, hoping to remain inconspicuous. She noticed Squall get stopped every other step by various women, all hoping for a dance. Every time, he refused.
"So I'm not the only one then," she thought to herself, stifling a laugh as yet another young woman nearly tripped over her gown trying to catch up with the Lord. Eventually, a rather harassed looking Squall made it away from the dance floor, and leant against the wall next to Rinoa.
"I see you don't like dancing then."
"It's not that I don't like it. I just don't like dancing with complete strangers who always turn out to be complete jerks. What's your excuse?"
"I can't dance."
"Can't dance?" she asked with disbelief. He nodded his head, staring at the floor. "I don't believe you. Every Lord learns to dance."
"I can't dance."
"Sure you can, come on," Rinoa motioned towards the dance floor.
"No way, I'm not dancing."
"Let me guess, you'll only dance with somebody you like. Well here goes." She moved her finger back and forth in front of Squall's eyes, trying to hypnotise him. "You're going to like me, you're going to like me. Well, did it work?" Without waiting for an answer, she said, "Good," and dragged him onto the dance floor. Grabbing both of his hands, she placed one on her waist and began to dance.
"I haven't done this for so long," he thought. "She's going to laugh at me. I'm going to screw this up." Sure enough, he stepped on her foot almost immediately. To his surprise, she just smiled and continued dancing. "I'm not doing this." He started to walk away, but was swiftly dragged back by Rinoa.
"It'll be fine," she said, smiling at him. Something in those eyes gave him confidence, something in that smile made him believe that he could do this. He shut his eyes and tried to recall his dance lessons. To his surprise, he found that he could, and was soon dancing like a pro. He was even more surprised, however, at the grace of Rinoa. She danced as if it was her second nature. Every movement of her feet was perfect. Squall could tell that she had been very well trained, and had had a great deal of practice. "Where did she learn this?" he thought. He quickly dispelled this, and decided to enjoy the dance instead. To him, it was perfect. There was something about being this close to her. He couldn't explain the feeling he got when she was in his arms. He had never felt this way before. When the dance came to an end, he didn't let go of Rinoa. He held her closer and stoked her hair from her face, causing her to smile. He began to lean towards her, until their lips were almost touching. He expected her to pull away, but instead she slid her hand into his, lacing their fingers together. He leaned further, but before their lips could touch, there was a tap on Squall's shoulder.
"Excuse me. Can I have the next dance?" asked a fair-haired young woman.
"I'm sorry. I'm going to get a drink." Squall strode off towards the kitchen, leaving Rinoa and the woman staring at each other in the centre of the hall.
Sorry for the delay in writing this update. I'd like to say thank you to everybody who's reviewed my fics. All the reviews mean a great deal to me, so please keep them coming. I would especially like to thank Angelwhispher, Renegade Seraph and Rinoa Leonhart73, and above all Dan, because without him, I wouldn't be writing.
"You ride very well you know."
"Thank you."
"Where did you learn?"
"Erm, at the orphanage."
"They taught you to ride there?"
"Yes." Squall knew this was a lie, but did not push it any further, changing the subject instead.
"There is to be a ball held here tonight. I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, it slipped my mind. Will you be attending?"
"What's the ball for?"
"Oh, it's for a charity. In hold it every year."
"Really?" Rinoa was shocked. "I bet Seifer wouldn't help other people."
"What was that?"
"Oh, nothing. Sorry."
"Will you come then?"
"I don't know." She usually hated events like this, being forced to dance with total strangers and make polite conversation all evening.
"Please. I get really bored at things like this. I could do with someone to talk to." Seeing that tonight could be different, Rinoa agreed to go.
"Fine, I'll be there."
"Thank you." Squall smiled at Rinoa, making her feel warm in the chill air. "I'll take you to town if you want so you can get something to wear."
"It's alright, I have something suitable with me, but thank you for the offer anyway."
"Why would an orphan, living on the streets have clothes like that?" Squall pondered.
"Are you ready yet?"
"Just a minute," Rinoa shouted from the other side of the door. She sat in front of the mirror, ensuring that every hair on her head was neat and in place. "It'll be alright," she told herself, instinctively clasping the necklace she always wore around her neck. She didn't know why, but wearing her mother's ring gave her some inner strength. She stood up and straightened out the creases in her favourite dress, a long, flowing white ball gown. It was one of the few things that she had brought with her because she thought it was beautiful. She had never worn it for any occasion before, as she knew that she would have had a miserable time, stuck with one of the many random men her father introduced her to. "Tonight will be different," she told herself. "I might even enjoy myself if I spend the evening with Squall." Remembering that he was waiting for her outside, she opened the door. "So, how do I look?" she asked. There was no reply from Squall as he stared straight at her, never moving his gaze. "What's wrong? Do I look terrible? Is my hair in a mess?" She was genuinely panicked about not looking her best. Squall shook his head.
"No, no. You look fantastic. There's nothing wrong at all. You look perfect."
"Then why were you staring?" Squall's cheeks turned pink as he began to blush.
"I was just shocked, that's all. Shall we get going?" Rinoa nodded and followed him down the staircase with a distant look on her face. "Are you alright?"
"I'm just nervous. I don't know anybody here." That was a lie. In reality, she was afraid that somebody would recognise her.
"Don't worry. You'll be fine. Just stick close to me." They arrived at the double doors of the great hall.
"Ladies and gentleman, Lord Leonhart and Miss Rinoa Heartilly," Zell announced to all present. There were some murmurs amongst the guests, wondering who the woman was who was entering the room on the arm of Lord Leonhart. She merely smiled as they walked into the room, Squall noticing her confident strides.
"Feels like she's done this before," he thought.
Rinoa knew that she had made the right decision by coming. All through the meal, people were constantly asking Squall questions, and he obliged them by answering, even though Rinoa could tell that secretly, he wanted everyone to leave him alone. Even so, what he had to say was fascinating to Rinoa, and was never pretentious, which shocked her, as he was a nobleman. Again she wondered why her father had never chosen a suitor for her with a personality like Squall's. He would make a great king, that Rinoa knew for sure.
After the meal had been cleared away came the part that Rinoa had always hated the most, dancing. She headed instinctively for the wall, and surveyed the dance floor, hoping to remain inconspicuous. She noticed Squall get stopped every other step by various women, all hoping for a dance. Every time, he refused.
"So I'm not the only one then," she thought to herself, stifling a laugh as yet another young woman nearly tripped over her gown trying to catch up with the Lord. Eventually, a rather harassed looking Squall made it away from the dance floor, and leant against the wall next to Rinoa.
"I see you don't like dancing then."
"It's not that I don't like it. I just don't like dancing with complete strangers who always turn out to be complete jerks. What's your excuse?"
"I can't dance."
"Can't dance?" she asked with disbelief. He nodded his head, staring at the floor. "I don't believe you. Every Lord learns to dance."
"I can't dance."
"Sure you can, come on," Rinoa motioned towards the dance floor.
"No way, I'm not dancing."
"Let me guess, you'll only dance with somebody you like. Well here goes." She moved her finger back and forth in front of Squall's eyes, trying to hypnotise him. "You're going to like me, you're going to like me. Well, did it work?" Without waiting for an answer, she said, "Good," and dragged him onto the dance floor. Grabbing both of his hands, she placed one on her waist and began to dance.
"I haven't done this for so long," he thought. "She's going to laugh at me. I'm going to screw this up." Sure enough, he stepped on her foot almost immediately. To his surprise, she just smiled and continued dancing. "I'm not doing this." He started to walk away, but was swiftly dragged back by Rinoa.
"It'll be fine," she said, smiling at him. Something in those eyes gave him confidence, something in that smile made him believe that he could do this. He shut his eyes and tried to recall his dance lessons. To his surprise, he found that he could, and was soon dancing like a pro. He was even more surprised, however, at the grace of Rinoa. She danced as if it was her second nature. Every movement of her feet was perfect. Squall could tell that she had been very well trained, and had had a great deal of practice. "Where did she learn this?" he thought. He quickly dispelled this, and decided to enjoy the dance instead. To him, it was perfect. There was something about being this close to her. He couldn't explain the feeling he got when she was in his arms. He had never felt this way before. When the dance came to an end, he didn't let go of Rinoa. He held her closer and stoked her hair from her face, causing her to smile. He began to lean towards her, until their lips were almost touching. He expected her to pull away, but instead she slid her hand into his, lacing their fingers together. He leaned further, but before their lips could touch, there was a tap on Squall's shoulder.
"Excuse me. Can I have the next dance?" asked a fair-haired young woman.
"I'm sorry. I'm going to get a drink." Squall strode off towards the kitchen, leaving Rinoa and the woman staring at each other in the centre of the hall.
Sorry for the delay in writing this update. I'd like to say thank you to everybody who's reviewed my fics. All the reviews mean a great deal to me, so please keep them coming. I would especially like to thank Angelwhispher, Renegade Seraph and Rinoa Leonhart73, and above all Dan, because without him, I wouldn't be writing.