VIII
"You look beautiful. Now lets get you downstairs. Taichi is waiting for you for the first dance." Hikari told Yamato.
"I am not really that pretty. Anyway, it is all your work."
"Nonsense. Come on." Hikari took hold of Yamato's hand and proceeded to lead her downstairs. "It is your party after all."
At the bottom of the stairs, they met Taichi.
"I was wondering where the guest of honour was." he said playfully. "Come," holding out his hand for Yamato. "I believe the first dance is starting, and you did promise it to me."
Blushing, Yamato was led to the dance floor with Hikari watching proudly. She had hoped that Yamato would catch her brother's fancy and it seems that what she had hoped was happening.
"ahem"
Hikari turned around to see an amused Ken.
"I was wondering, as you seem to have had no other offer. Would I be able to have the pleasure of being your partner for this dance?" Ken asked with a smile.
"Of course." Hikari took his outstretched hand and walked to the dance floor. "Do you see how well Taichi and Yamato dance together?"
"Yes, I have noticed that. Finally, Taichi has found someone. Speaking of which, I believe Daisuke has gotten completely over his rejection."
"I hope he is happy with his new found love."
"I do not believed he has proposed yet, or even know of the other's returned affection, which there may not be."
"No, but he does seem to love her, and they do seem to get along very well. From the times I have spoken with Takeru, she seems to be a very nice girl who does not seem to expect very much of herself in terms of marriage. Perhaps, if Daisuke gathers up his courage to propose, she has a high chance of accepting."
"But from what I have heard from Daisuke. She also believes in marrying for love, or at least like."
"We shall see. We shall see."
++++++++++
"How are you enjoying the evening so far?" Taichi asked Yamato. It was their second dance of the evening, which incidentally was also the last dance of the evening. Taichi had noticed that Yamato had been dancing every dance, with the possible exception of one.
"It has been a tiring evening, but everyone just keeps asking me to dance, and I cannot refuse!"
"I suppose you have not been to many balls and parties then? For if you have, you would most likely have gotten used to it by now."
"Oh no! My father did not believe in them, though now I think they are wonderful things to hold. I wish I would be able to organise one someday. If you have not forgotten already, this is my coming out party."
"Well, I dare say it has been an eventful evening and it would be all over soon. Perhaps I should not have asked you to dance?"
"Oh, no, no, no. I do not mind. And yes it has been an eventful day. I have never had so much attention on me in my entire life. There has probably been at least a dozen men coming up to me and asking if I would dance with them, or if I would go for a drive with them sometime or if I would go to this party or that outing." Taichi started feeling an immense sense of anger towards those men, and if he had known what it was, jealousy. "But I did not know any of them well and only half of them by name, so I politely declined to commit myself for anything other than a dance." And all that previous feeling died in Taichi, leaving him confused as to why they started in the first place. "I was afraid that I would get it all mixed up and commit myself to something which I would later regret or forget and be out doing something else at the time." She looked at him, as if for reassurance that she did the right thing.
"That was probably the best thing to do. After all, you may never know what Hikari has planned for you next."
She smiled at that. "I do also wish to spend more time with my sister. Speaking of which, I did notice that your friend Lord Motomiya has been paying particular attention to her. Should I be worried? Should I try to stop this?"
"Daisuke, in my opinion anyway, is genuinely in love with your sister. I have never seen him this devoted to anyone, not even my sister. I do not think you would have anything to worry about, however, I would not like to see my friend hurt."
"Well, if my sister does like him, then I would wish them luck. To see my sister happily married to someone she chose would be a happy ending to my sad story."
The dance ended and they parted ways. However, Taichi was tempted to tell her that it did not have to be the only ending to her story.
++++++++++
"I have enjoyed the evening very much, please send my deepest thanks to Lord Kamiya for inviting me."
"Takeru, you know that he has to invite you, you are my sister. However, I will pass it on if you wish."
"I do wish."
"I saw that you have been with Lord Motomiya a lot this evening. Is he nice?" asked Yamato, determined to get some idea of what Takeru feels about him, especially after what Taichi had said.
"He is incredibly nice and a decent conversationalist. We have much in common and I believe that we have become good friends."
"Takeru, you know you need not be so formal to me. I am your sister. Do you like Lord Motomiya?"
Takeru paused before answering "Yes, yes I believe I do."
"It is nice to know you are truthful to me."
"Takeru!" called from outside.
"I must leave." And with a hug and a smile, Takeru walked out to the waiting carriage.
Yamato smile. Yes, at least Takeru would be happy. And, staring at the light snow drifting down, she thought, why can I not be?
++++++++++
"You look beautiful. Now lets get you downstairs. Taichi is waiting for you for the first dance." Hikari told Yamato.
"I am not really that pretty. Anyway, it is all your work."
"Nonsense. Come on." Hikari took hold of Yamato's hand and proceeded to lead her downstairs. "It is your party after all."
At the bottom of the stairs, they met Taichi.
"I was wondering where the guest of honour was." he said playfully. "Come," holding out his hand for Yamato. "I believe the first dance is starting, and you did promise it to me."
Blushing, Yamato was led to the dance floor with Hikari watching proudly. She had hoped that Yamato would catch her brother's fancy and it seems that what she had hoped was happening.
"ahem"
Hikari turned around to see an amused Ken.
"I was wondering, as you seem to have had no other offer. Would I be able to have the pleasure of being your partner for this dance?" Ken asked with a smile.
"Of course." Hikari took his outstretched hand and walked to the dance floor. "Do you see how well Taichi and Yamato dance together?"
"Yes, I have noticed that. Finally, Taichi has found someone. Speaking of which, I believe Daisuke has gotten completely over his rejection."
"I hope he is happy with his new found love."
"I do not believed he has proposed yet, or even know of the other's returned affection, which there may not be."
"No, but he does seem to love her, and they do seem to get along very well. From the times I have spoken with Takeru, she seems to be a very nice girl who does not seem to expect very much of herself in terms of marriage. Perhaps, if Daisuke gathers up his courage to propose, she has a high chance of accepting."
"But from what I have heard from Daisuke. She also believes in marrying for love, or at least like."
"We shall see. We shall see."
++++++++++
"How are you enjoying the evening so far?" Taichi asked Yamato. It was their second dance of the evening, which incidentally was also the last dance of the evening. Taichi had noticed that Yamato had been dancing every dance, with the possible exception of one.
"It has been a tiring evening, but everyone just keeps asking me to dance, and I cannot refuse!"
"I suppose you have not been to many balls and parties then? For if you have, you would most likely have gotten used to it by now."
"Oh no! My father did not believe in them, though now I think they are wonderful things to hold. I wish I would be able to organise one someday. If you have not forgotten already, this is my coming out party."
"Well, I dare say it has been an eventful evening and it would be all over soon. Perhaps I should not have asked you to dance?"
"Oh, no, no, no. I do not mind. And yes it has been an eventful day. I have never had so much attention on me in my entire life. There has probably been at least a dozen men coming up to me and asking if I would dance with them, or if I would go for a drive with them sometime or if I would go to this party or that outing." Taichi started feeling an immense sense of anger towards those men, and if he had known what it was, jealousy. "But I did not know any of them well and only half of them by name, so I politely declined to commit myself for anything other than a dance." And all that previous feeling died in Taichi, leaving him confused as to why they started in the first place. "I was afraid that I would get it all mixed up and commit myself to something which I would later regret or forget and be out doing something else at the time." She looked at him, as if for reassurance that she did the right thing.
"That was probably the best thing to do. After all, you may never know what Hikari has planned for you next."
She smiled at that. "I do also wish to spend more time with my sister. Speaking of which, I did notice that your friend Lord Motomiya has been paying particular attention to her. Should I be worried? Should I try to stop this?"
"Daisuke, in my opinion anyway, is genuinely in love with your sister. I have never seen him this devoted to anyone, not even my sister. I do not think you would have anything to worry about, however, I would not like to see my friend hurt."
"Well, if my sister does like him, then I would wish them luck. To see my sister happily married to someone she chose would be a happy ending to my sad story."
The dance ended and they parted ways. However, Taichi was tempted to tell her that it did not have to be the only ending to her story.
++++++++++
"I have enjoyed the evening very much, please send my deepest thanks to Lord Kamiya for inviting me."
"Takeru, you know that he has to invite you, you are my sister. However, I will pass it on if you wish."
"I do wish."
"I saw that you have been with Lord Motomiya a lot this evening. Is he nice?" asked Yamato, determined to get some idea of what Takeru feels about him, especially after what Taichi had said.
"He is incredibly nice and a decent conversationalist. We have much in common and I believe that we have become good friends."
"Takeru, you know you need not be so formal to me. I am your sister. Do you like Lord Motomiya?"
Takeru paused before answering "Yes, yes I believe I do."
"It is nice to know you are truthful to me."
"Takeru!" called from outside.
"I must leave." And with a hug and a smile, Takeru walked out to the waiting carriage.
Yamato smile. Yes, at least Takeru would be happy. And, staring at the light snow drifting down, she thought, why can I not be?
++++++++++