A/N: Characters belong to Gail Carson Levine. (I can't believe I finished
this chapter so quickly. I'm on a roll!)
- - - A DANCE AND A SONG - - -
After the dancing escapade with Olive (which I finally managed to escape when I convinced her I had other guests to attend to), I looked for Lela again. I thought that if I found her, I would be able to begin to enjoy myself. But, she was nowhere to be found. I had been searching for 10 minutes, which was probably a good length of time I should have spent entertaining guests. I decided (unenthusiastically) that I should head back towards the dance floor and find another partner.
I was whirling around the dance floor with my raven-haired maiden when I saw her. Lela of Bast, that is. I managed to catch her eye and tried to convey a message.
"Wait for me," I mouthed over my partner's shoulder. She understood right away, and nodded. I breathed a sigh of relief.
Another twirl or two, a side step, a clasping of hands, and the dance ended. I bowed to my partner, and hurried towards where Lela was standing. I was glad she had waited.
"Will you dance?," I asked, offering her my arm. "I looked for you."
She accepted my arm, and we entered the dance.
"I was here all the while," she said. "I watched you."
Was she hiding? Why didn't I see her?
I was confused. But instead I asked her, "What did you see?"
"An excellent host who had little real enjoyment in the ball."
Very intuitive. Very.
"Was it so apparent?" I laughed a little bit as I said this. After all, I had been practically consumed with putting on a good show for my father and mother. And still was.
"It was to me."
Well, at least she cared enough to notice.
"Will you be here tomorrow?" I asked. "My father has asked me to perform an Ayorthaian song." And I was dreading it. I needed all of the moral support I could get.
"When will you sing?"
"Sometime late. If I'm lucky, many of my guests will have gone. They needn't all hear their future ruler disgrace himself," I said, laughing a little.
"There will be no disgrace, not if you were taught in Ayortha. What will you sing?"
"A homecoming song."
I leaned forward a little bit and sang only so she could hear:
"Oak, granite,
Lilies by the road,
Remember me?
I remember you.
Clouds brushing
Clover hills,
Remember me?
Sister, child,
Grown tall,
Remember me?
I remember you."
I stopped, right as the dance ended. I noticed that she was blushing a little bit, under her mask. I wondered why she still wore it. I hadn't even noticed that she still had it on till now.
"There's more. I want you to hear it. Will you?"
"I'll be delighted to, but I must leave now tonight. I'm expected by twelve."
So early? I was hoping that I could talk with her more, get to know her better. Maybe have her tell me about Bast. Have a couple more dances. I thought. . .
"Oh. I'd hoped. . . I'm sorry. I mustn't. . ." I was slightly flustered. So instead, I bowed.
She curtsied. "Till tomorrow, Majesty."
"One last thing," I said, catching her hand in mine. "Please call me Char."
"Oh. . ." She looked a little more than surprised by my gesture. "Thank you Your Ma- er, I mean, Char."
I smiled at her, very generously. And then she left me.
And as soon as Lela left, Hattie rushed at me, her elaborate curls (which I must admit, looked a little more than ridiculous) bouncing along.
"Your Highness!" she breathed. "Prince Charmont!" She caught up with me, and grabbed my arm. I discreetly tried to pull away, but she noticed and clasped my arm tighter.
"Oh Your Majesty, I am so glad that I caught up with you!" She smirked, revealing large front teeth that somehow reminded me of a beaver. Or a rabbit.
"There is something that I simply MUST discuss with you! Its that maiden, Lela. I'm sure she's up to no good."
I simply looked at her. What was she talking about?
"Its that mask that she wears. Every other maiden has removed hers. Surely you've noticed that she is almost the only one who has not yet unmasked?"
"Well, yes, but-"
She rushed on. "Some wenches will stoop to anything to intrigue a man. I should be devastated if I had to wear a mask in order to be interesting."
I sighed. I was aching all over, and I didn't want to hear or deal with this. Lela was my friend, and I was not going to hear Hattie speak harshly of her.
"Thank you for your concern, Hattie. But it is not necessary, because Lela is just not that type of person--"
"But Your Highness! That mask could conceal anything! A deformity, advancing age, the face of a known bandit. . . If I were a sovereign, I would order her to remove her mask."
This infuriated me. If she were a sovereign, every Kyrrian would wish she'd DON one!
Hattie knew nothing about Lela. I had to struggle to control myself.
My voice was very quiet with my controlled anger. "Once again, thank you for your concern, Hattie. But it is not necessary. I don't care about her appearance. Now if you'll excuse me, the ball is almost over and I must see to my other guests."
I wrenched my arm from her grasp, turned on my heel and left her there, her mouth open in a round "O" shape.
- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - A DANCE AND A SONG - - -
After the dancing escapade with Olive (which I finally managed to escape when I convinced her I had other guests to attend to), I looked for Lela again. I thought that if I found her, I would be able to begin to enjoy myself. But, she was nowhere to be found. I had been searching for 10 minutes, which was probably a good length of time I should have spent entertaining guests. I decided (unenthusiastically) that I should head back towards the dance floor and find another partner.
I was whirling around the dance floor with my raven-haired maiden when I saw her. Lela of Bast, that is. I managed to catch her eye and tried to convey a message.
"Wait for me," I mouthed over my partner's shoulder. She understood right away, and nodded. I breathed a sigh of relief.
Another twirl or two, a side step, a clasping of hands, and the dance ended. I bowed to my partner, and hurried towards where Lela was standing. I was glad she had waited.
"Will you dance?," I asked, offering her my arm. "I looked for you."
She accepted my arm, and we entered the dance.
"I was here all the while," she said. "I watched you."
Was she hiding? Why didn't I see her?
I was confused. But instead I asked her, "What did you see?"
"An excellent host who had little real enjoyment in the ball."
Very intuitive. Very.
"Was it so apparent?" I laughed a little bit as I said this. After all, I had been practically consumed with putting on a good show for my father and mother. And still was.
"It was to me."
Well, at least she cared enough to notice.
"Will you be here tomorrow?" I asked. "My father has asked me to perform an Ayorthaian song." And I was dreading it. I needed all of the moral support I could get.
"When will you sing?"
"Sometime late. If I'm lucky, many of my guests will have gone. They needn't all hear their future ruler disgrace himself," I said, laughing a little.
"There will be no disgrace, not if you were taught in Ayortha. What will you sing?"
"A homecoming song."
I leaned forward a little bit and sang only so she could hear:
"Oak, granite,
Lilies by the road,
Remember me?
I remember you.
Clouds brushing
Clover hills,
Remember me?
Sister, child,
Grown tall,
Remember me?
I remember you."
I stopped, right as the dance ended. I noticed that she was blushing a little bit, under her mask. I wondered why she still wore it. I hadn't even noticed that she still had it on till now.
"There's more. I want you to hear it. Will you?"
"I'll be delighted to, but I must leave now tonight. I'm expected by twelve."
So early? I was hoping that I could talk with her more, get to know her better. Maybe have her tell me about Bast. Have a couple more dances. I thought. . .
"Oh. I'd hoped. . . I'm sorry. I mustn't. . ." I was slightly flustered. So instead, I bowed.
She curtsied. "Till tomorrow, Majesty."
"One last thing," I said, catching her hand in mine. "Please call me Char."
"Oh. . ." She looked a little more than surprised by my gesture. "Thank you Your Ma- er, I mean, Char."
I smiled at her, very generously. And then she left me.
And as soon as Lela left, Hattie rushed at me, her elaborate curls (which I must admit, looked a little more than ridiculous) bouncing along.
"Your Highness!" she breathed. "Prince Charmont!" She caught up with me, and grabbed my arm. I discreetly tried to pull away, but she noticed and clasped my arm tighter.
"Oh Your Majesty, I am so glad that I caught up with you!" She smirked, revealing large front teeth that somehow reminded me of a beaver. Or a rabbit.
"There is something that I simply MUST discuss with you! Its that maiden, Lela. I'm sure she's up to no good."
I simply looked at her. What was she talking about?
"Its that mask that she wears. Every other maiden has removed hers. Surely you've noticed that she is almost the only one who has not yet unmasked?"
"Well, yes, but-"
She rushed on. "Some wenches will stoop to anything to intrigue a man. I should be devastated if I had to wear a mask in order to be interesting."
I sighed. I was aching all over, and I didn't want to hear or deal with this. Lela was my friend, and I was not going to hear Hattie speak harshly of her.
"Thank you for your concern, Hattie. But it is not necessary, because Lela is just not that type of person--"
"But Your Highness! That mask could conceal anything! A deformity, advancing age, the face of a known bandit. . . If I were a sovereign, I would order her to remove her mask."
This infuriated me. If she were a sovereign, every Kyrrian would wish she'd DON one!
Hattie knew nothing about Lela. I had to struggle to control myself.
My voice was very quiet with my controlled anger. "Once again, thank you for your concern, Hattie. But it is not necessary. I don't care about her appearance. Now if you'll excuse me, the ball is almost over and I must see to my other guests."
I wrenched my arm from her grasp, turned on my heel and left her there, her mouth open in a round "O" shape.
- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -