A/N: See I promised to make up for the last chapter!

Chapter 6: The Dance Part 1

The night of the dance had arrived. After all the massive planning over the past two weeks, the invitations were sent, the guests were beginning to arrive. And every one was dressed in their finest to meet Eliza. (Alex is due to arrive in two days time)

Eliza POV

Oh god! Its going to start soon... I look absolutely stupid! I never fit in to balls, and dances that are this formal. I hate them. Plus this whole thing is ridicules, I mean I have already met most of them. Did I not live in the same palace as them? And the Queen, she seemed to have invited anyone and everyone who was royal or noble, from all the palaces on all the planets. This really is overdoing bit by a little, no a lot! I look down at the dress, that Vilandra and Mina helped me pick out. It is a beautiful dress, and once again they managed to somehow make me actually look good in it. But its so formal, and the more I stare into the mirror the less I recognize myself. I just see a body, whose has this wearing the deep red dress, that with the help of a tailor or two, flows with my body, and its curves, or lack of curves. But here I am. A stranger, about to enter a room full of fakes and phonies. And I wish more than anything that I could just run, hide, and just stay here in this room with Mina.

"Eliza! Its time for hair and makeup! You can't go to the ball half way done!"- Mina informs me...just applying makeup and doing the hair, to cover up my fear of tonight. My fear that he might be there! My fear that Zan will realize who he is, and he'll stop looking at me the way he has in past two weeks. He'll stop locking eyes with me, or smiling when I enter my room. If he is there, then like always it will be one of the worst nights of my life! Damnit just the thought of him being there makes my skin craw. What a lovely thought, for my future husband eh?

"Eliza!"- Mina gets my attention.

"Ok"- I go over to the table that she has set up. I close my eyes, not caring how I look. If it gets Zan's head to turn, then it'll be worth it. If it gets his head to turn, then it shall be torture. "Are you ok?"- Mina ask with concern in her voice. She doesn't understand to what extant I am not ok. I mean he most likely got an invitation, and will most likely come. She knows how much I can't stand the idea of marrying him, but she doesn't get how fearful I am of him too. How he makes me want to run and hide, like a little child. And he's the monster I am running from. But I'll loose, and have to live the nightmare.

"I'm fine, just nervous"- I lie to her. And I can tell even without looking at her, I know she knows I am lying.

Mina POV:

She seems sad. Worried. I don't get it. Eliza is brilliant when it comes to diplomatic things such as welcoming balls and all. Sure she has never had one for herself to this extent. Well I mean she had one on Munlice, but it wasn't this large of one. Not nearly. While I work on her makeup...I wonder what it is like to be in a ball. Eliza always just says they're boring and not worth the thought. And I know she tries to make me equal in everything that she can, but she can't. And though to her it might not be worth her time. I would like to once, attend a ball, and not as servant. But as a guess. And I'd like to dance, and have on this magnificent dress that no one would be able to peel their eyes off of me. "Done"- I inform Eliza. And we both look up and stare into the mirror. My god, she really has no idea how beautiful she is. And tonight she looks prettier, than she ever has. Yes, Zan will be all over her tonight. Oh knocking at the door. Of course it would have to ruin a perfectly nice moment that Eliza was having. Now she's rushing around to make sure she is ready. But I can't complain considering its Rath whose coming to take her down. And Rath in a tux. That is something I must see. He'd look.. "Hello Mina, is Eliza ready"- O.. ok he looks really good. And he didn't say something mean to me?

"Almost, do come in. You know you look absurd in that tux"- Wait what am I saying? If I had my way with him, he'd be in one everyday.

"I know, I hate tux's, but duty calls"- What no sarcasm tonight? Well I am thoroughly disappointed. "Hello Rath"- Eliza comes to the door.

"Lets us descend my lady"- Rath informs her in a mocking courtier's voice. I hear her take in a deep breath.

"Yes, lets us"- She smiles and takes his arm. And that is the end of my evening, as I see the door close in my face.

Zan POV:

Ok, so Rath went to go get her, that mean she'll be down here soon. Oh god... ok Zan, just remember keep your distance and you should be okay. I mean, Eva's going to be here. She can't see me around her, because I know I would be really obvious. And I can't have her knowing it, because that would be a huge political and social scandal. I wish I could just turn off my feeling for her for one night. Yet for some reason, I know that she's going to need all the support she can get. I don't know how I know, I just do. Ok they should be down here any moment. I should start socializing with all those who came early. But one look at her won't hurt anyone. I mean if I look at her once, just to see what type of dress she has on, so I can avoid it. Then there you go, I will be okay.

"Zan, mom wants you to have the first dance with Eliza, to open the evening"- Vilandra infoms me with a smile. A smile like she knows. And if she knows that means one thing: not good!

"Tell her I will"- No I won't! I can't! I can't promise what will happen if I dance with her. Holding her, being that close to her. So much for trying to avoid her. Is that Rath's voice I hear? Oh there they are coming into the room. She looks magnificent. A little nervous, her eyes are searching the ball room. What is she looking for. I look straight at her, hoping to lock eyes with her. We do. She looks away quickly though, she must not really understand exactly how I feel about her. How much I wish that she was mine. But those words she said from the moment I met her still bear into me. "And like you, I am too engaged" . But as to who she is engaged too, I don't know. But I would give anything to be him. Rath is leading Eliza towards me. She is slowly greeting everyone though. She truly has some magnificent manners.

"Zan!"- Rath yells to me. Leave it to Rath to yell during a ball. Unlike his sister, he doesn't care about manners and impressions.

"Hello Rath, Eliza"- I greet them... okay look anywhere, everywhere just not at her. Not at her face. If I look there I will not be able to pull back.

"Zan, so the music going to start soon, they'll do that then the greetings. At least that is what Vilandra told me to tell you. Like I care?!? Anyways she said your dancing with Eliza first"- Damn I looked at her. Her face flushes slightly at the last part. And she seems even more nervous.

"Rath, Zan I am curious, are all the royals from all the planets coming?"- She seemed very weary of this particular question.

"Yes, of course, they all want to see you again...because lets face it, who could resist our family's charm?"- Rath says sarcastically. And her eyes start darting around the room. The music starting, I hold out my hand for her. I notice she hesitates. Then she grabs it and smiles at me. Her smile, the one thing that makes everything else seem unimportant. We begin dancing, she just seems to float on the floor. Following my every lead. Her eyes are staring straight into mine. As if looking for something.

"Are you ok?"- I ask, why is she so worried? I mean I have seen her tackle a room full of politicians without breaking a sweat.

"I'm fine. There's a lot of people here isn't there?"- Ok conversation, that's good. At least it breaks the staring. But I really didn't want it to. I could spend my life just looking at her.

"Yes there is, but there all just social highlighters. You've already conquered all the big fish"- Maybe that'll calm her down.

"Oh yes, I guess your right. But the worst is yet to come. I must greet them next"- She says, and pretends to put a petrified look on. I laugh at this. In moments like that you can tell she's Rath sister. As we continue dancing, neither of us say anything. I just keep looking into her eyes, and the amazing thing is she looks straight back into mine. I know its only been a short amount of time, but its seemed like an eternity. I need to tell her how I feel, its just feels like its now or never. Because right now I don't give a damn about politics, and being the future king of antar, all I care about is her.

"After your done meeting and greeting, meet me in the gardens"- I whisper into her ears, she looks startled at the breaking of the silence.

"Ok"-She whispers back, and at that moment the song ends. Around us people applaud. Its funny, I had forgotten they were there. I watched as she slowly walked towards my mother and father, where she will meet the royals and the higher nobility.

Vilandra's POV:

And the plot thickens. Those two dancing together, and the look on Eva's face. This is without a doubt the most exciting one I have been to in a while. I, of course, informed Eva that is was my mother's request that they dance the first dance together. And so she eyed Eliza, with a little less suspicion. Watching Eva, try to but her way to the front to re-meet this Eliza, which she probably forgot used to live with her. Trying to size up the competition. But from what I know of Eliza, even if she likes my brother, she wouldn't do anything about just because she is to conscious of political affairs. And she is much to modest. And from what I know of my brother, he would never do anything that would make this family look bad. But looking at them on the dance floor, I don't think they were really thinking about any of that. Well, there is no action right this moment. I must find Rath. I swear sometimes he forgets, that he's suppose to be my date to these things. Where could he be? The ball just started, he better not have run off yet.