Lale stood up from the table, once the Royal Family had risen. Terem,
grinning broadly, offered her his arm, witch she accepted with a faux-
dainty air and slight smile. The crowd made it over to the dance floor as
the minstrels began to play.
"May I have this dance?" Terem asked, still grinning, and bowed. Lale curtsied back and nodded her head in assent. Terem took his hands n hers and the two began to dance. Lale had always prided herself on her dancing; she was graceful about it and she knew it. Terem was a good dancer too-he whirled, dipped, and moved both to the music and her movements. After the dance Lale was out of breath, and Terem was quickly whisked away by his mother. She walked over to the sidelines of the dance floor.
Almost immediately, Lale found herself surrounded by a large throng of young people. Almost all of them tried to introduce themselves at once.
"Hi, I'm Garth," said a smiling, charcoal haired and eyed boy.
"I'm Lukas," said a fair haired boy.
"And I'm Jonathan," said another. The torrent of names flooded her, and she could not help but laugh.
"Alright, alright, enough! Please, not all at once. We'll all get to know each other soon enough, I imagine!" Lale said, smiling.
"Lady Lale, please, would you care to dance?" asked Garth eagerly. A few other boys glared at him.
"Sure, why not?" Lale said, highly amused by all this attention. Back at her home, no one paid her the slightest mind. The other boys moaned, and Lale laughed again. "There will be more than one dance you know!" she said with a wink as Garth swept her away from the crowd of disappointed youths. She knew that their seeming adoration was only about her looks, and knew she certainly didn't look this good most days, but she still was flattered.
Lale's night passed by quickly. She danced with many men, but also was introduced to the ladies of the court. Some were entranced by her, others curious, and one sullen girl named Yvette was clearly jealous. Lale left the room exhilarated, but she didn't get far down the passageway to her room before someone grabbed her shoulder. Lale turned quickly.
It was Terem. He smiled at her, and she at him.
"Lale, will you take a walk with me in the gardens?" He asked, looking intently at her. Lale was torn; it seemed rather improper to walk at night with a young man who she didn't know very well, yet she wanted to, badly. Lale decided that she might as well; it wasn't if she was worried about being disliked or thought indecent. Even if she was, she could always go home.
"Of course. Lead the way," Lale replied. She slipped her arm through his and they walked along silently, until they reached a heavy door at the end of the hall. Terem opened the door and they walked out into a large garden. She stood still, taking in all the beauty, until he pulled her to a secluded meadow on the edge of a lake.
"It's so beautiful out here. It almost is like home," she said softly into the quiet. Terem gently removed his arm from hers and moved so that he could face her. He looked into her eyes earnestly.
"Lale." he said, trailing off. It was as if he had something important to say, but couldn't say it. Lale noticed his discomfort and led him over to a bench she spotted right on the edge of the lake. They sat down, close together. Lale could feel his body heat radiating onto her. She suddenly felt a lump in her throat, and felt the most awkward she had ever felt around Terem. She instinctively looked at him, only to find herself under his gaze, as well. He was looking at her as though sizing her up, but his eyes softened considerably soon after she looked at him.
"Lale.About.you know.Curse it, I'm not good at this. About earlier, in the carriage," he faltered. Lale nodded at him solemnly, eyebrows delicately arched, signaling him to go on. "Well..you're not mad or anything are you?" he asked, clearly tense. His eyes were troubled, and she couldn't help but wonder why he was so upset. Had she acted differently toward him afterward? She couldn't remember. She didn't think so.
"No. not at all. Is there a reason?" she asked, cautiously. At her words, his face brightened considerably. She felt herself smile just at his happy expression, though she still wanted to know what the fuss was about.
"Not really, I just.well, I just didn't want you to feel strange around me afterwards," he said, though Lale had a lurking feeling that that wasn't all he was worried about. Still she didn't press him, but leaned her head onto his shoulder.
"Don't worry. It's all fine," Lale said, but she wondered why she was reassuring him. She felt a prickly sensation, as if something was amiss, but that feeling was swallowed up by ecstasy when Terem kissed her, this time more deeply. She had been kissed before, mainly by some of her flirts who were, by these standards, hicks, but nothing had compared to this. Terem wrapped his arms around her and held her closely.
Lale broke the kiss, though she didn't want it ever to end. "Terem," she gasped. "I've got to go. Para will wonder.and this isn't entirely proper, though I loathe to say it," she said ruefully. Terem just nodded. They rose together, and Terem kissed Lale one last time before she exited through the door from with they had come. Terem remained in the meadow.
He rested his chin on his hand, and sighed. [What now? I shouldn't have gone to get her. I knew what could happen.] he thought unhappily. [I should have listened to Ranas. Well, no time to brood on the past. I've got to do something about now, and quick.] ****
Meanwhile, Lale was very lost. She had gone back through the door, and followed the passage, but she must have made a wrong turn somewhere, for she did not recognize her surroundings. She found herself in a great hall, with many paintings on the wall. There were large stone pillars, supporting the ceiling, and a few gold gilded chairs. All was silent, except for a quietly gurgling fountain by a large window. Suddenly, she heard a dull thud behind her.
Lale whirled around, panicked. She wasn't so worried that it was someone out to get her or something as much as she was worried it was someone who would tell others that she had a strange habit of wandering about at midnight. People would talk about it, and for all that Lale pretended, she did care. Lale's greatest qualm about herself was that she was very sensitive-and hotheaded, at times, usually at the wrong time.
At first Lale didn't notice anyone. Then Lale heard a polite cough, obviously a cough of one who wants attention. She looked in the direction from which it had come, and saw a young man, a few years older than herself, leaning against a pillar.
Lale noticed immediately that he was wearing all white, so that he did blend in with the pillars well. Had she been a bit better educated in court ways, she also would have known that the all white was a symbol of self confidence, and even contempt for others.
"Well, if it isn't the newcomer, Countess Lale," the man drawled languorously. He had pale blonde hair, pale lashes, and amused grey eyes. He looked quite a bit like King Vidanric, but also like Terem, in his face structure. [They have the same cheekbones,] she thought. [And the same nose.]
"Uh, yes, I am..and forgive my ignorance, but you are.?" she said, as politely as she could.
"Yes, I didn't think you would know me. My name is Prince Jeral, and I am heir to the throne." He said smoothly. [Well,] Lale thought, [that accounts for the likenesses.]
"May I have this dance?" Terem asked, still grinning, and bowed. Lale curtsied back and nodded her head in assent. Terem took his hands n hers and the two began to dance. Lale had always prided herself on her dancing; she was graceful about it and she knew it. Terem was a good dancer too-he whirled, dipped, and moved both to the music and her movements. After the dance Lale was out of breath, and Terem was quickly whisked away by his mother. She walked over to the sidelines of the dance floor.
Almost immediately, Lale found herself surrounded by a large throng of young people. Almost all of them tried to introduce themselves at once.
"Hi, I'm Garth," said a smiling, charcoal haired and eyed boy.
"I'm Lukas," said a fair haired boy.
"And I'm Jonathan," said another. The torrent of names flooded her, and she could not help but laugh.
"Alright, alright, enough! Please, not all at once. We'll all get to know each other soon enough, I imagine!" Lale said, smiling.
"Lady Lale, please, would you care to dance?" asked Garth eagerly. A few other boys glared at him.
"Sure, why not?" Lale said, highly amused by all this attention. Back at her home, no one paid her the slightest mind. The other boys moaned, and Lale laughed again. "There will be more than one dance you know!" she said with a wink as Garth swept her away from the crowd of disappointed youths. She knew that their seeming adoration was only about her looks, and knew she certainly didn't look this good most days, but she still was flattered.
Lale's night passed by quickly. She danced with many men, but also was introduced to the ladies of the court. Some were entranced by her, others curious, and one sullen girl named Yvette was clearly jealous. Lale left the room exhilarated, but she didn't get far down the passageway to her room before someone grabbed her shoulder. Lale turned quickly.
It was Terem. He smiled at her, and she at him.
"Lale, will you take a walk with me in the gardens?" He asked, looking intently at her. Lale was torn; it seemed rather improper to walk at night with a young man who she didn't know very well, yet she wanted to, badly. Lale decided that she might as well; it wasn't if she was worried about being disliked or thought indecent. Even if she was, she could always go home.
"Of course. Lead the way," Lale replied. She slipped her arm through his and they walked along silently, until they reached a heavy door at the end of the hall. Terem opened the door and they walked out into a large garden. She stood still, taking in all the beauty, until he pulled her to a secluded meadow on the edge of a lake.
"It's so beautiful out here. It almost is like home," she said softly into the quiet. Terem gently removed his arm from hers and moved so that he could face her. He looked into her eyes earnestly.
"Lale." he said, trailing off. It was as if he had something important to say, but couldn't say it. Lale noticed his discomfort and led him over to a bench she spotted right on the edge of the lake. They sat down, close together. Lale could feel his body heat radiating onto her. She suddenly felt a lump in her throat, and felt the most awkward she had ever felt around Terem. She instinctively looked at him, only to find herself under his gaze, as well. He was looking at her as though sizing her up, but his eyes softened considerably soon after she looked at him.
"Lale.About.you know.Curse it, I'm not good at this. About earlier, in the carriage," he faltered. Lale nodded at him solemnly, eyebrows delicately arched, signaling him to go on. "Well..you're not mad or anything are you?" he asked, clearly tense. His eyes were troubled, and she couldn't help but wonder why he was so upset. Had she acted differently toward him afterward? She couldn't remember. She didn't think so.
"No. not at all. Is there a reason?" she asked, cautiously. At her words, his face brightened considerably. She felt herself smile just at his happy expression, though she still wanted to know what the fuss was about.
"Not really, I just.well, I just didn't want you to feel strange around me afterwards," he said, though Lale had a lurking feeling that that wasn't all he was worried about. Still she didn't press him, but leaned her head onto his shoulder.
"Don't worry. It's all fine," Lale said, but she wondered why she was reassuring him. She felt a prickly sensation, as if something was amiss, but that feeling was swallowed up by ecstasy when Terem kissed her, this time more deeply. She had been kissed before, mainly by some of her flirts who were, by these standards, hicks, but nothing had compared to this. Terem wrapped his arms around her and held her closely.
Lale broke the kiss, though she didn't want it ever to end. "Terem," she gasped. "I've got to go. Para will wonder.and this isn't entirely proper, though I loathe to say it," she said ruefully. Terem just nodded. They rose together, and Terem kissed Lale one last time before she exited through the door from with they had come. Terem remained in the meadow.
He rested his chin on his hand, and sighed. [What now? I shouldn't have gone to get her. I knew what could happen.] he thought unhappily. [I should have listened to Ranas. Well, no time to brood on the past. I've got to do something about now, and quick.] ****
Meanwhile, Lale was very lost. She had gone back through the door, and followed the passage, but she must have made a wrong turn somewhere, for she did not recognize her surroundings. She found herself in a great hall, with many paintings on the wall. There were large stone pillars, supporting the ceiling, and a few gold gilded chairs. All was silent, except for a quietly gurgling fountain by a large window. Suddenly, she heard a dull thud behind her.
Lale whirled around, panicked. She wasn't so worried that it was someone out to get her or something as much as she was worried it was someone who would tell others that she had a strange habit of wandering about at midnight. People would talk about it, and for all that Lale pretended, she did care. Lale's greatest qualm about herself was that she was very sensitive-and hotheaded, at times, usually at the wrong time.
At first Lale didn't notice anyone. Then Lale heard a polite cough, obviously a cough of one who wants attention. She looked in the direction from which it had come, and saw a young man, a few years older than herself, leaning against a pillar.
Lale noticed immediately that he was wearing all white, so that he did blend in with the pillars well. Had she been a bit better educated in court ways, she also would have known that the all white was a symbol of self confidence, and even contempt for others.
"Well, if it isn't the newcomer, Countess Lale," the man drawled languorously. He had pale blonde hair, pale lashes, and amused grey eyes. He looked quite a bit like King Vidanric, but also like Terem, in his face structure. [They have the same cheekbones,] she thought. [And the same nose.]
"Uh, yes, I am..and forgive my ignorance, but you are.?" she said, as politely as she could.
"Yes, I didn't think you would know me. My name is Prince Jeral, and I am heir to the throne." He said smoothly. [Well,] Lale thought, [that accounts for the likenesses.]