Ch.3
Daine was a nervous wreck, not only had she not been to a ball before; she didn't know how to dance! She'd figure out something though. The lass slowly walked up the grand stairs leading to the magnificent, gold doors of the ballroom. She took a deep breath and was about to push open the doors when a servant stopped her.
"What is your name miss?" he asked.
Daine thought fast, "Umm Diane Saski."
Philip glanced over at her and she shrugged her shoulders. The officer opened the huge doors and announced her properly. She slowly walked into the room and down the stairs with Philip by her side. Most of the men stopped talking at once to admire Daine, but she was too busy making sure she wasn't going to trip to notice the stares. When they reached the bottom of the staircase, she sighed in relief and looked up. She gasped. It was so enchanting! There were sparkling jewels, fancy dresses, glittering gold, and silver everywhere!
Paul looked over at Daine and chuckled. "You best close that mouth of yours lass, you might swallow a fly."
Embarrassed, Daine quickly closed her mouth. "Paul, what if someone asks me to dance?" she asked worriedly.
"Well than lass, you dance with them!" he looked over at Daine and saw the panicked look on her face. "You don't know how to dance do you?"
She quickly shook her head. "Well than lass, Philip here is just the guy to teach you."
Philip looked over at Paul quickly and realized that he meant it. He cleared his throat and offered a hand to Daine. "May I have this dance fair lady?"
Daine blushed slightly and smiled, "Of course."
Philip led Daine to the dance floor and put one hand on her thin waist and placed Daine's hand on his shoulder and the other he held in his palm. "Just follow my lead," he whispered in her ear.
His voice sent shivers up Daine's spine. She followed Philip and after a few mistakes, discovered how fun dancing could be.
: Having fun? She heard something say.
Daine looked over to where the voice was coming from and saw a mouse to her right. "Are you talking to me?" she whispered.
"What?" Philip asked absent-mindedly.
Surprised Daine glanced over at Philip. "Oh nothing." She responded, quickly looking back over to the mouse. It was gone. 'Weird' she thought.
"Okay Daine, once this song ends I'm sure every man here will ask you to dance. Use that technique we taught you last week, while you are dancing. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
Once the song ended, Philip stepped away and a young man hurriedly asked if she would allow him a dance. She looked him over. He had kind brown eyes and bright copper hair. He also looked very wealthy, so she graciously accepted. He pulled her close to him and they started to dance to the tempo.
"So, uh, miss what's your name?" he asked shyly.
"Diane."
"Diane," he repeated, "My name is Richard. Are you new in Tortall? I've never seen you here before."
"Uh, yes. I just arrived here this morning." They danced a few minutes with out saying anything. Daine glanced over Richard's right shoulder and saw Philip. He mouthed, "The technique." She quickly remembered what she had to do. "So Richard, you really do know how to capture a girl's heart," Daine said putting both of her hands around his shoulders pulling him close.
Richard looked up surprised, "Wh-why th-thank you."
Daine chuckled to herself. She slowly put her hand in his pocket and found his wallet. She hurriedly pulled it out without Richard noticing and slipped it to Paul who walked past her. She grinned to herself, 'Two years ago I would've thought this was a horrible thing to do. But of course this is the only way of surviving.'
When the dance ended, Daine was yet again engaged with another dance partner. After a few dances, she had grown hot and tired, wanting to rest her feet. The lass glanced over at the garden and thought it looked peaceful and just the place to rest. She snuck out there and started walking, when she heard a voice again.
: Diane, you're very pretty.
Daine looked around and couldn't find the speaker anywhere. "Where are you?" Daine asked hesitantly.
: Look down.
She followed the order and saw a little blue jay by her feet. She had always been very fond of animals and they had always been fond of her, but she never tried speaking to them.
The blue jay jumped up and started to fly away. She shook her head confused. Daine sat on a nearby bench and sighed. What a wonderful night! She thought, thinking of all the dances she had danced. She giggled thinking of the funny old man. How surprised he will be when he finds out his watch is missing! And oh the chubby little fellow that was a whole 3 inches shorter than her. She giggled again. What a wonderful night!
Suddenly she didn't feel so tired anymore. She stood up and offered her arm to someone invisible. She imagined him being some handsome young man that was the spitting image of Philip. "May I have this dance kind sir?" She put her hands on the pretend person and started to waltz. "Why yes sir, I did get this dress at the palace." She giggled to herself at her childish fantasies. As she whirled around one last time, she smacked head one into something hard and fell to the ground. Someone had been watching her! She looked up alarmed and saw a very tall black robed young man with thick black hair and dark eyes staring down at her. (A/N-Sound familiar?)
*So, did you guys like it?? Sorry the last few chapters have been short! I'll try writing more soon! I also need suggestions, should this be a D/N or a new combo, Daine/Philip? R/R please!!!!
Daine was a nervous wreck, not only had she not been to a ball before; she didn't know how to dance! She'd figure out something though. The lass slowly walked up the grand stairs leading to the magnificent, gold doors of the ballroom. She took a deep breath and was about to push open the doors when a servant stopped her.
"What is your name miss?" he asked.
Daine thought fast, "Umm Diane Saski."
Philip glanced over at her and she shrugged her shoulders. The officer opened the huge doors and announced her properly. She slowly walked into the room and down the stairs with Philip by her side. Most of the men stopped talking at once to admire Daine, but she was too busy making sure she wasn't going to trip to notice the stares. When they reached the bottom of the staircase, she sighed in relief and looked up. She gasped. It was so enchanting! There were sparkling jewels, fancy dresses, glittering gold, and silver everywhere!
Paul looked over at Daine and chuckled. "You best close that mouth of yours lass, you might swallow a fly."
Embarrassed, Daine quickly closed her mouth. "Paul, what if someone asks me to dance?" she asked worriedly.
"Well than lass, you dance with them!" he looked over at Daine and saw the panicked look on her face. "You don't know how to dance do you?"
She quickly shook her head. "Well than lass, Philip here is just the guy to teach you."
Philip looked over at Paul quickly and realized that he meant it. He cleared his throat and offered a hand to Daine. "May I have this dance fair lady?"
Daine blushed slightly and smiled, "Of course."
Philip led Daine to the dance floor and put one hand on her thin waist and placed Daine's hand on his shoulder and the other he held in his palm. "Just follow my lead," he whispered in her ear.
His voice sent shivers up Daine's spine. She followed Philip and after a few mistakes, discovered how fun dancing could be.
: Having fun? She heard something say.
Daine looked over to where the voice was coming from and saw a mouse to her right. "Are you talking to me?" she whispered.
"What?" Philip asked absent-mindedly.
Surprised Daine glanced over at Philip. "Oh nothing." She responded, quickly looking back over to the mouse. It was gone. 'Weird' she thought.
"Okay Daine, once this song ends I'm sure every man here will ask you to dance. Use that technique we taught you last week, while you are dancing. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
Once the song ended, Philip stepped away and a young man hurriedly asked if she would allow him a dance. She looked him over. He had kind brown eyes and bright copper hair. He also looked very wealthy, so she graciously accepted. He pulled her close to him and they started to dance to the tempo.
"So, uh, miss what's your name?" he asked shyly.
"Diane."
"Diane," he repeated, "My name is Richard. Are you new in Tortall? I've never seen you here before."
"Uh, yes. I just arrived here this morning." They danced a few minutes with out saying anything. Daine glanced over Richard's right shoulder and saw Philip. He mouthed, "The technique." She quickly remembered what she had to do. "So Richard, you really do know how to capture a girl's heart," Daine said putting both of her hands around his shoulders pulling him close.
Richard looked up surprised, "Wh-why th-thank you."
Daine chuckled to herself. She slowly put her hand in his pocket and found his wallet. She hurriedly pulled it out without Richard noticing and slipped it to Paul who walked past her. She grinned to herself, 'Two years ago I would've thought this was a horrible thing to do. But of course this is the only way of surviving.'
When the dance ended, Daine was yet again engaged with another dance partner. After a few dances, she had grown hot and tired, wanting to rest her feet. The lass glanced over at the garden and thought it looked peaceful and just the place to rest. She snuck out there and started walking, when she heard a voice again.
: Diane, you're very pretty.
Daine looked around and couldn't find the speaker anywhere. "Where are you?" Daine asked hesitantly.
: Look down.
She followed the order and saw a little blue jay by her feet. She had always been very fond of animals and they had always been fond of her, but she never tried speaking to them.
The blue jay jumped up and started to fly away. She shook her head confused. Daine sat on a nearby bench and sighed. What a wonderful night! She thought, thinking of all the dances she had danced. She giggled thinking of the funny old man. How surprised he will be when he finds out his watch is missing! And oh the chubby little fellow that was a whole 3 inches shorter than her. She giggled again. What a wonderful night!
Suddenly she didn't feel so tired anymore. She stood up and offered her arm to someone invisible. She imagined him being some handsome young man that was the spitting image of Philip. "May I have this dance kind sir?" She put her hands on the pretend person and started to waltz. "Why yes sir, I did get this dress at the palace." She giggled to herself at her childish fantasies. As she whirled around one last time, she smacked head one into something hard and fell to the ground. Someone had been watching her! She looked up alarmed and saw a very tall black robed young man with thick black hair and dark eyes staring down at her. (A/N-Sound familiar?)
*So, did you guys like it?? Sorry the last few chapters have been short! I'll try writing more soon! I also need suggestions, should this be a D/N or a new combo, Daine/Philip? R/R please!!!!
