Elios stood in the stairway that wound into the ballroom, and he and his
family waited for the Moon family to appear. When they finally did, his
mother whispered, "You will escort the Princess down to the floor, and then
you will dance with her." He was fine with the first part, but having the
first dance? "Mother, that dance is reserved for the guest's choice, I
can't very well order her to dance with me." He was cut short when a small
gloved hand slid into his arm. Elios looked down at her hand, and then
into her face. He was surprised to see that her hair was down, and that it
was beautiful, he allowed a small smile to escape onto his lips, and a bit
of Serena's blush disappeared, "Milady." Elios acknowledged her, and found
that he was very comfortable, despite that fact that he had wanted nothing
better than to not have her come at all. Instead of keeping his hand on
his waist, which would have insulted her, as he had intended, he took her
hand, and turned to her, letting his lips brush across her knuckles,
"Prince Eriosu." They linked arms, and walked down the steps when their
names were announced, "Princess Serena of the Moon, and Prince Eriosu of
the Sun."
Rini blushed; he wasn't bothered when she slid her arm through his, and he didn't insult her, he just kissed her knuckles as respectably as any other Prince. What was different about him though, was that she shivered and blushed when he did so. She wondered why they were even there, there had to be an explanation better than, "For a visit." When the rest of the two royal families walked down the stairs, she knew that she had to pick someone to ask to dance, and she couldn't very well pick someone that she did not know, "Thank you all for coming, now start the music." She was still without a partner, and she didn't want to look a fool, so she couldn't really pick Elios, because he would think it absurd! She started to hear whispers, and just looked around helplessly.
What in the world was she doing? Elios suddenly realized why his mother had told him to dance with her, so he closed the distance between them, and spun her towards him. They started to dance, "Prince Eriosu, you cannot just."
"You are in no position to argue fair Princess." She was indeed fair, and as he dipped her, he caught the scent of her perfume, "You smell of roses Princess." She seemed a bit shocked, "Prince Eriosu."
"It's Elios." He said softly, interrupting her, "When last you saw me, I was Eriosu to all, but now only my Mother, and her butlers call me that. I am also called that by people who I do not particularly care to let know my English name."
Rini looked up at Elios; "English name?" She did not understand, "Eriosu is very much Elysian and for that matter, Japanese, it is just the translation sweet Princess." He had called her sweet and fair, and each time, one of her heartstrings had snapped, "You cannot call me these things." He wore a small smile, "Why not? What is your name Serena, for it is definitely not that?" He spun her, and dipped her again, "Rini." She answered, "Now why did I tell you that?"
"Because your heart wanted to lovely Rini." There it was again, and she realized that he was trying to woo her, and was doing an excellent job at it, "I told you to stop." She whispered, not really wanting him to, "You did not tell me with your heart or eyes, as a protector of beautiful dreams, I notice these things."
"Can you see dreams?" Her real question was, can you see my dreams, "Yes, I can see your dreams, you are not immune to my power." Elios spun her in the last step, holding one of her hands, while letting go of the other, then spinning her back into his arms. His lips were dangerously close to her's, but in the moment that she thought that he was going to kiss her, he let go of Rini, "Not yet sweet Rini, when we kiss I want it to be more special than this." Elios' embrace loosened, and then he walked off to speak with his friends, "That was a nice quarrel that you had there." She turned to see her mother; "You noticed that?" Her mother laughed, "Who could miss that heated dance between the two of you? I really didn't think that he would do that so quickly, but it seems that he wove you under a spell, and then let you go when you were about to give in." That was a pretty good way of putting it, "You took the words right out of my mouth." She stared after the Prince, and wondered how he had done that to her.
Rini blushed; he wasn't bothered when she slid her arm through his, and he didn't insult her, he just kissed her knuckles as respectably as any other Prince. What was different about him though, was that she shivered and blushed when he did so. She wondered why they were even there, there had to be an explanation better than, "For a visit." When the rest of the two royal families walked down the stairs, she knew that she had to pick someone to ask to dance, and she couldn't very well pick someone that she did not know, "Thank you all for coming, now start the music." She was still without a partner, and she didn't want to look a fool, so she couldn't really pick Elios, because he would think it absurd! She started to hear whispers, and just looked around helplessly.
What in the world was she doing? Elios suddenly realized why his mother had told him to dance with her, so he closed the distance between them, and spun her towards him. They started to dance, "Prince Eriosu, you cannot just."
"You are in no position to argue fair Princess." She was indeed fair, and as he dipped her, he caught the scent of her perfume, "You smell of roses Princess." She seemed a bit shocked, "Prince Eriosu."
"It's Elios." He said softly, interrupting her, "When last you saw me, I was Eriosu to all, but now only my Mother, and her butlers call me that. I am also called that by people who I do not particularly care to let know my English name."
Rini looked up at Elios; "English name?" She did not understand, "Eriosu is very much Elysian and for that matter, Japanese, it is just the translation sweet Princess." He had called her sweet and fair, and each time, one of her heartstrings had snapped, "You cannot call me these things." He wore a small smile, "Why not? What is your name Serena, for it is definitely not that?" He spun her, and dipped her again, "Rini." She answered, "Now why did I tell you that?"
"Because your heart wanted to lovely Rini." There it was again, and she realized that he was trying to woo her, and was doing an excellent job at it, "I told you to stop." She whispered, not really wanting him to, "You did not tell me with your heart or eyes, as a protector of beautiful dreams, I notice these things."
"Can you see dreams?" Her real question was, can you see my dreams, "Yes, I can see your dreams, you are not immune to my power." Elios spun her in the last step, holding one of her hands, while letting go of the other, then spinning her back into his arms. His lips were dangerously close to her's, but in the moment that she thought that he was going to kiss her, he let go of Rini, "Not yet sweet Rini, when we kiss I want it to be more special than this." Elios' embrace loosened, and then he walked off to speak with his friends, "That was a nice quarrel that you had there." She turned to see her mother; "You noticed that?" Her mother laughed, "Who could miss that heated dance between the two of you? I really didn't think that he would do that so quickly, but it seems that he wove you under a spell, and then let you go when you were about to give in." That was a pretty good way of putting it, "You took the words right out of my mouth." She stared after the Prince, and wondered how he had done that to her.
