Chapter Six: Diplomatic Implausibility
Yumi stode confidently through the open doorway into the massive dance hall. Aelita followed uncertainly behind her, shuffling her feet underneath the pale yellow dress. It was too long on her, sweeping along on the floor behing her like a cape. Ulrich and Odd, ever diligently following, were struggling not to tred on it. They too had dressed up, looking less like knights and more like noblemen.
Finding and empty spot by the wall, Yumi halted the little parade. Peering intently into the crowd, she couldn't see anything beyond the swirling skirts of the French ladies, some of whom were staring at Yumi's foreign features quite openly. Glaring back, Yumi drew herself up to her full height, daring the women to comment on her ethnicity. Defeated, the women returned to their dancing and their boyfriends, leaving Yumi to her thoughts.
Several songs and a long uncomfortable silence between Yumi and her company later, Jeremie arrived. Grasping Yumi's hand, he pulled her gently away from the wall. "Come with me. Father wants to announce our engagement to the room." Yumi realized he must have known where she was the entire time, but hadn't approached her.
Jeremie led her to the front of the room where a throne sat on a raised section of the floor. In the thone was perched the king, a smile dawing on his face when Yumi and Jeremie arrived. "Ah, Princess," he cooed. "Are you enjoying your ball?"
Plastering on a fake smile, Yumi gave a small curtsy and answered him in French. "Yes, my Lord. Thank you very much for having it for me."
The King laughed heartily at her use of French. Before she had adressed him in Japanese. Jeremie also looked shocked, his earlier converstaion with her had also taken place in her native tougue. He was fluent in Japanese, as he was in the language of any country France did business with, but the Prince hadn't realized his bride-to-be shared this skill.
The King smiled. Signaling to the band, he stopped the music and all eyes turned to the platform and it's occupants. "Welcome all," the King's voice boomed. "Tonight's ball is held in the honor of Prince Jeremie's betrothed, Princess Yumi!" The room erupted into muffled applause as Yumi stood akwardly shifting her weight from one foot to the other under the dress. After what seemed like an eternity the band started up again with a waltz.
To her relief Yumi found that Ulrich, Odd and Aelita had followed her and were waiting for her at the edge of the crowd. Just when she reached them, however, Yumi felt a small tap on her shoulder. Turning, she found Jeremie behind her. "Would you care to dance?" Would the horrors never cease? Giving Aelita a desperate look, Yumi sighed and responded, realzing that she had to dance with him. She was his fiance after all.
"Of course." Taking his offered hand, Yumi allowed Jeremie to lead her out to the middle of the floor, where the crowd parted to give them room to dance. Letting her mind go numb, Yumi let her body go on autopilot, suddenly thankful to her teachers making her learn Western dances.Finally it ended and Yumi detached herself from Jeremie, slipping away into the crowd.
"I'm glad that's over," she breathed upon finding Aelita and her guards again.
"He can't be that bad," soothed Aelita gently, earning a look from the Princess. Suddenly her demeanor changed and she gave a quick curtsy to a figure behind Yumi, blushing faintly as she did so. The Princess turned to see that Prince Jeremie had again appraoched her.
"Would you care to dance again?" His tone suggested that perhaps he was doing this to please his father.
"Actually," Ulrich stepped forward as he spoke, "She promised to dance with me."
Looking greatly relieved, Jeremie shot Ulrich a thankful look. "Very well then." He allowed himself a smile as he strode away.
Yumi wheeled around sharply to see Ulrich, eyes wide with questioning. "Do you mean that?"
He blinked. "Well, you didn't seem to want to dance with him again, so…" He trailed off helplessly, and felt the beginings of a blush forming on his cheeks.
Smiling, Yumi grabbed his hands. "Let's dance then!"
Aelita stared in shock as the two headed out to the floor. Odd gave a pleased chuckle, and the maid turned to look up at him. He caught her gaze, nodded his head toward the Princess and his own counterpart. "Well, what do you think of that?"
"I think," the girl answereed, shifting her attention back to the dancing couple with an amused smile on her face, "that Yumi's father is not going to be pleased with this." Odd laughed.
"No, I suppose he isn't."
Yumi stode confidently through the open doorway into the massive dance hall. Aelita followed uncertainly behind her, shuffling her feet underneath the pale yellow dress. It was too long on her, sweeping along on the floor behing her like a cape. Ulrich and Odd, ever diligently following, were struggling not to tred on it. They too had dressed up, looking less like knights and more like noblemen.
Finding and empty spot by the wall, Yumi halted the little parade. Peering intently into the crowd, she couldn't see anything beyond the swirling skirts of the French ladies, some of whom were staring at Yumi's foreign features quite openly. Glaring back, Yumi drew herself up to her full height, daring the women to comment on her ethnicity. Defeated, the women returned to their dancing and their boyfriends, leaving Yumi to her thoughts.
Several songs and a long uncomfortable silence between Yumi and her company later, Jeremie arrived. Grasping Yumi's hand, he pulled her gently away from the wall. "Come with me. Father wants to announce our engagement to the room." Yumi realized he must have known where she was the entire time, but hadn't approached her.
Jeremie led her to the front of the room where a throne sat on a raised section of the floor. In the thone was perched the king, a smile dawing on his face when Yumi and Jeremie arrived. "Ah, Princess," he cooed. "Are you enjoying your ball?"
Plastering on a fake smile, Yumi gave a small curtsy and answered him in French. "Yes, my Lord. Thank you very much for having it for me."
The King laughed heartily at her use of French. Before she had adressed him in Japanese. Jeremie also looked shocked, his earlier converstaion with her had also taken place in her native tougue. He was fluent in Japanese, as he was in the language of any country France did business with, but the Prince hadn't realized his bride-to-be shared this skill.
The King smiled. Signaling to the band, he stopped the music and all eyes turned to the platform and it's occupants. "Welcome all," the King's voice boomed. "Tonight's ball is held in the honor of Prince Jeremie's betrothed, Princess Yumi!" The room erupted into muffled applause as Yumi stood akwardly shifting her weight from one foot to the other under the dress. After what seemed like an eternity the band started up again with a waltz.
To her relief Yumi found that Ulrich, Odd and Aelita had followed her and were waiting for her at the edge of the crowd. Just when she reached them, however, Yumi felt a small tap on her shoulder. Turning, she found Jeremie behind her. "Would you care to dance?" Would the horrors never cease? Giving Aelita a desperate look, Yumi sighed and responded, realzing that she had to dance with him. She was his fiance after all.
"Of course." Taking his offered hand, Yumi allowed Jeremie to lead her out to the middle of the floor, where the crowd parted to give them room to dance. Letting her mind go numb, Yumi let her body go on autopilot, suddenly thankful to her teachers making her learn Western dances.Finally it ended and Yumi detached herself from Jeremie, slipping away into the crowd.
"I'm glad that's over," she breathed upon finding Aelita and her guards again.
"He can't be that bad," soothed Aelita gently, earning a look from the Princess. Suddenly her demeanor changed and she gave a quick curtsy to a figure behind Yumi, blushing faintly as she did so. The Princess turned to see that Prince Jeremie had again appraoched her.
"Would you care to dance again?" His tone suggested that perhaps he was doing this to please his father.
"Actually," Ulrich stepped forward as he spoke, "She promised to dance with me."
Looking greatly relieved, Jeremie shot Ulrich a thankful look. "Very well then." He allowed himself a smile as he strode away.
Yumi wheeled around sharply to see Ulrich, eyes wide with questioning. "Do you mean that?"
He blinked. "Well, you didn't seem to want to dance with him again, so…" He trailed off helplessly, and felt the beginings of a blush forming on his cheeks.
Smiling, Yumi grabbed his hands. "Let's dance then!"
Aelita stared in shock as the two headed out to the floor. Odd gave a pleased chuckle, and the maid turned to look up at him. He caught her gaze, nodded his head toward the Princess and his own counterpart. "Well, what do you think of that?"
"I think," the girl answereed, shifting her attention back to the dancing couple with an amused smile on her face, "that Yumi's father is not going to be pleased with this." Odd laughed.
"No, I suppose he isn't."