Warnings: The suspense might just kill you…

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Swansong

The music rose around us like the waves of the sea, crashing over our heads and drowning all extraneous thoughts. The rippling of the sixteenth notes splashed us, and we were submersed in the long, drawn out fermatas. Adrian and I moved close to each other, perfectly in sync with the music and ourselves.

His arms came around me, warm and heavy, resting on my waist and drawing me closer to him. I rested my cheek on the brocade of his jacket and listened to his heart pounding as hard as mine was.

"Elensar, I trusted you. Now what?" He whispered into my hair, his breath stirring my elegant coiffure.

I turned my face up so that he could see the way that my lips moved. "We wait." I smiled grimly. "Wait."

The orchestra's creations swelled around as again in an uplifting crescendo, cascading down on us in torrents of triplets. Adrian and I spun apart and just as quickly we drawn back together, adhering to the age old pattern that the music set for us.

My sisters and their princes wove in and out, stepping between partners and spinning through couples. We all danced together, changing hands and partners many times, but always ending with our original partners.

Once, when I turned toward the wall, I saw Johan leaning stoically against the wall, his expressionless face refraining from emotion. I frowned slightly at him, and in response I received a small smile, but nothing more. Then Adrian captured me again, and I paid no more attention to my forgotten prince.

Song after song claimed us, and I could feel the soles of my slippers wearing thin once more. The cool marble of the floor kissed my feet and I shivered every time I stepped some place new. I could see by the frequent flinches of my sisters that their shoes were falling apart as well.

I knew that all of us would probably have blisters in the morning.

"Elensar?" Adrian worked his way through the dancers to the edge of the floor. "Let's go outside."

I nodded my assent, but before we went outside, I managed to grab two small goblets of wine. Silently, I handed one to Adrian and he drank it all without a word. I tasted my drink in small sips, preferring to savor it.

I waited for him to speak. I was getting better at waiting.

"Elensar…" He looked at me, sighed, ran a hand through his hair and started over. "Can I trust you?" He asked me solemnly.

"Of course," I replied promptly, for there was no other answer that I could even consider giving.

He tilted my chin upwards, into the light. "I don't know if I can, you know." Adrian's lips curved into a sharp shard of a smile. His fingers brushed lightly over my skin, leaving trails of cool on my cheeks. "You see, you have deceived me before. Are you doing that now?"

I stared at him, absolutely appalled. "No!" His calculating gaze cut me to the quick.

He leaned closer, and I only saw his lips form the words, "Are you?"

Equally softly, I murmured back, "I am sorry, dear Adrian." My palm rubbed across the soft bristles that were beginning to reappear on his face. I drew him to me, savoring each moment of contact that I had with him. "I am sorry," I repeated, slightly louder. "I wish that I had not been so foolish, to sacrifice love for…my flights of fancy." Our cheeks pressed together with a delicate caress of his rough jaw on my smooth cheek.

"Flights of fancy?" He whispered back. "This?"

I nodded, and he felt it even if he couldn't see it. "This is all illusion," I stated softly, "This is not real. It can't be."

"I'm fairly certain that it is real," Adrian retorted gently. "I would be rather disappointed if I wasn't really holding you right now."

I laughed gently at his jest and pulled away. "It is not real in that it has no bearing on the day-to-day welfare of my Kingdom. The people of Meridian do not benefit from this late night frolic; in fact, no one gains anything from this charade." I sighed. "I would fain give this useless game up for a life with you."

The King of Delran gazed at me pensively. "You speak well, my lady; you speak with truth and sense."

"Thank you." I met the eyes of one of the most powerful monarchs in the known world and quickly felt dwarfed by the aura of power that he had assumed. This King was not my king- this King was one who ruled well and was loved by the people.

Suddenly, the immense responsibility ebbed away, leaving simply Adrian in its place. I stared at him in awe, still shocked by his potential.

"Elensar, the music is playing." His rough, real hand was sliding into mine, bringing me back to myself. "Shall we not dance while we still can?"

I looked up at him and smiled. "But we shall have a lifetime to dance," I told him, but I let him lead me away anyway.

We danced through waltzes and a tango or two, followed by a pavan, a minuet and a beguine.

With each successive dance, Adrian and I spoke less and less and worried more and more. The evening was drawing to a close and that meant that ultimate test was soon to come.

As the music for the farandole quivered to a dramatic release, I stepped back from my king and traced every inch of him with my eyes. I wondered if this was the last night that I would ever see him alive. I hoped with all of my heart that it wasn't.

"Come," I took his hand in mine and pulled him towards the door. "It is time for the swansong."

"What?" Adrian looked confused. "The swansong?"

As I stepped back into the golden light of the ballroom, I pronounced softly, "The last dance."

"Oh." His hand gripped mine more tightly. "Which shall this be?"

The music answered for me as the beginning notes of a farandole drifted towards us. "Let's take our places." I gestured expansively to the loose circle that had formed. "Pick a spot."

We slid into place between Alyssa and Jeanette's partner, taking up the hands of the people beside us. On one side of me, Adrian gripped my hand so tightly that I thought it would fall off; on the other side, Jeanette's Prince, a man named Darius, clasped my hand in his own, slightly sweaty grip.

Then, the music really began, and we all danced. There was no alternative- you couldn't sit on the sidelines and simply watch, you had to dance. The music compelled you into spinning along, leaving you no choice but to leap from partner to partner, until you were lost to any thoughts except for those of the dance.

It took you over without asking, borrowing your body for several minutes of pure heaven. Suddenly, you could fly through the air without stumbling once; now, you could sink into the arms of your partner without worrying that they would drop you. Nothing went wrong during the last dance; it was perfect, as it always was.

We moved in perfect symmetry, the patterns that had been drilled into our heads flowing out of our feet and transmuting themselves into intricate steps that wove complicated patterns across the marble of the floor. Partners mattered no more; we all moved swiftly and gracefully from hand to hand, never noticing faces, only rhythms and the music.

When the last note of the farandole triumphed over noise and fell right into silence, we stood in our original positions again. I glanced at Darius, and then at Adrian, smiling at both in a slightly winded manner.

Adrian's face wore a nervous expression, hidden well enough to remain concealed from the others, but not from me.

"Soon," I whispered.

He touched my cheek lightly, and I caught his hand. "Elensar, I do not know…"

I silenced him with a finger to his lips. "Now is not the time, dear-heart. See," An expansive gesture from my hand included all of the dancers in the room, "They already move to sup. If we do not follow," I grinned, "We might not get anything."

"Wait- Elensar, wait. If I don't…make it through," his eyes clouded over with worry, "If I'm not the right man for you…well," The words came haltingly, seeming to stumble on their way out of his mouth. "Elensar, I love you. Always remember that." He sighed, and looked slightly relieved.

"I never doubted you." My hand found his. "I love you, how could I doubt you?" I smiled then, as warmly as I could. "Come, let us find out refreshment with my sisters."

"Of course, milady." Adrian offered me his arm and I took it delicately.

Our peers, being noble as they were, had waited politely for us to join them before the eating and drinking commenced.

I never knew where the food and drink came from, just that it was always there, no matter what. It was good food too; flaky pastries and rich wines filled our stomachs whenever we cared to take another from the platters and goblets that were being passed around. I supposed that Evadne had a full staff for our little underground palace; indeed, it seemed that way, for new servants brought out each different tray of culinary delights. Only a chef of the highest class could have prepared such food for us, and so there had to be one who made these things for us.

After helping myself to a cherry tart and a blueberry muffin sprinkled with sugar, I refrained from eating anymore, lest I burst like an over-stuffed chair. I settled for sipping wine every so often from a simple glass goblet.

I looked to Adrian, sitting at the head of the table as the guest of honor. He looked so tense as the object of everyone's scrutiny that I wanted to reassure him that all would be perfectly fine, even though it wouldn't be.

I knew how this worked; everyone but Adrian knew. I hadn't managed to tell him specifically what he was to avoid when we were dancing; I had only managed to vaguely communicate the basic gist of the thing. True to my advice, he drank only water from his glass, and watched with alert, if suspicious, eyes.

Finally, after several courses of delicious treats, Evadne clapped her hands once for silence, and then again for a servant.

A lone man walked out, holding an elegantly designed glass goblet on a golden tray. This one was much fancier than the ones that were on the table; the glassblower who had breathed life into this creation had been a truly talented. Streaks of green and silver had been etched into the glass itself and they chilled me to the bone. This glass had been made for the King of Delran and him alone; the country's colors indicted that clearly enough.

Adrian blanched when he saw his colors displayed across the crystalline exterior and reflected through the alcoholic interior of the glass. Quickly, he recovered, watching warily as the manservant stood stoically in front of him.

"For you, dear King," Evadne intoned sweetly. "You are the light of my youngest sister's life, King Adrian, and for such an achievement, I present you with this celebratory toast. You shall be hers forever, Adrian, just like you've both dreamed." Her lips slid into a smile that was quintessentially a victorious smirk. The Eldest raised her own glass in an ironic toast. "To you, King Adrian; may you delight Elensar forever."

Adrian took the glass that was presented to him. "To me, then," he murmured gravely, "Cheers, Evadne." His glass touched hers with a faint clink. He held his glass toward the rest of the table, and we all lifted our drinks in unison.

"To you, my love," I whispered faintly. I felt like crying.

Adrian's eyes glanced across mine with frightening apathy, and I suddenly wondered if he had forgotten what I had told him when we had first set out on this dreadful night. I hadn't mentioned it since, and suddenly, I doubted him.

Guilt and fear both twisted through my stomach at once, both augmenting each other and being horrible in their own right. I could barely swallow the miniscule sip of wine that I forced past my lips and onto my dry tongue.

Remember, please, Adrian, remember. I wished over and over again in my head that my one true love would remember everything I had told him, all the warnings and secrets and confessions of love. I wished with all my heart and soul that he would.

The beautiful glass was poised at his lips, the sparkling toxin within distorting the lower half of his face. He looked to me one last time, preparing to drink his death to spend a lifetime with me.

I hoped that he would see that there was another way. I whispered softly, pleading with the one person that could not hear me, "Don't, please don't."

Evadne's scorning smile grew wider as she heard my softly spoken words. She knew she had won. She knew it.

I hated her even more for it.

She would destroy the one thing that I loved the most in the world, and she would do it smiling.

I remembered what Johan had been like, before I had invited him with us. Like so many others, he had been determined to find out the secret of the Meridian Princesses no matter what the cost. He'd been the one, though, I had been sure of it. I was the last Princess to get my Prince, and I figured that it would all end before I had any real fun. He had laughed with me, and made me smile day after day as he tried to discover our secret. He had tried to woo it out of me with silly words and daft romantic notions; he had tried pleading, begging, everything to get me to tell.

Eventually, I gave in to the Prince who so desperately wanted to know. I thought that I would do him a favor. He was the youngest Prince of his country, after all, and I was the youngest Princess of mine. We were a match created by Destiny herself. I knew that, given the chance, I could learn to love Johan.

He was likeable and funny, polite to my father and bitingly sarcastic to everyone else. He had charisma and charm, and I adored him for lavishing it on me. I wanted to help this delightful young man who promised that he would ask my hand in marriage once he guess our secret of the shoes.

I invited him to the dance one night, at Evadne's behest. He discovered a brand new set of clothes in his closet that evening, just as I discovered a new gown in mine every time I planned on attending the nighttime ball. He had marveled over this, and I practically revered his innocent naiveté at something that was becoming so commonplace to me.

The night had unfolded similarly to this one with few exceptions, one of them being that Johan had walked with us undisguised through the woods instead of appearing in an almost magical fashion. Johan had danced with me, we had ended the night with a wildly exhilarating farandole and then we had gorged ourselves on the delicacies that the castle provided us.

After we had finished eating and had settled to drinking, Evadne had clapped twice, once for silence, once for wine. The glass had been strewn with the colors of the country of Johan's birth, in Aphetic maroon and white.

He had been pleased with the delicate creation, and had drunk happily to Evadne's toast, not knowing what the glass really held.

We had left him there that night, with all of the other partners, and when I had come again, it was not my Johan that met me at the shore of the lake. A stiffly formal gentleman and come and stolen the Prince that I could have loved and replaced him, all in one night.

Now, the same was going to happen to Adrian. "No, no, no!" I muttered angrily. "This is all wrong!"

"What is, my dear?" Johan was seated beside me, my gentleman.

"Everything!" I exclaimed, never taking my eyes off of Adrian. "Everything," I repeated, softly.

"Oh." Johan's voice took on the bored drawl of those who aren't really listening and don't particularly want to get involved. "I see. Is that all?"

I glared at him as best I could without looking away from my King. "Idiot," I muttered darkly.

"Yes, of course."

I sighed. Of course.

An impatient silence had descended over the table; Adrian till held the glass pressed gently upon his lips. His audience waited for him to drink.

His gaze suddenly swept over the table and locked with mine. He watched my expression for several long seconds.

I could only imagine the look of terror, guilt and anxiety mixed together with a little hope sprinkled in for good measure.

Grey eyes crinkled in a nearly imperceptible smile. Adrian dropped my gaze and looked instead to the glass.

"To truth," he said, without judgment. He let go.

The glass, so patiently worked and so beautifully designed, shattered into pieces on the floor. Pale white wine mixed with whatever cocktail Evadne had had prepared spilled across the floor in a flickering puddle of light refracted through glass shards.

Adrian deliberately wiped his mouth with his sleeve, refraining from looking at anyone but Evadne.

I think, in that moment, that Evadne hated me more than I had ever hated her.

Author's Note: Well, hello again! Summer is here (finally) and that means I have lots of time to write and update…isn't it great? Now I can stay up till all hours writing, talking, etc…I think summer is definitely my favorite time of the year!

I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did…tell me what you think of it, please!

I think I'm going to try and have this all wrapped up by the beginning of July, so that I don't have to feel bad about not updating when I'm traveling and without computers…bleh. That's the only bad thing about traveling…no computers.

Anyway, yay for summer!

To those who reviewed:

Athena Diagon Cat: No, he's not very good at being sneaky, is he? Haha :oP

Miss Piratess: Yes! Yay for Adrian!

Lilred-07: Thank you! XD

Fell4adeadguy: And here I gave you even more suspense to dance to…:-P

ElvisLivesAgain: Ah! Thank you for all your compliments! I hope this chapter was good enough to overrule its lateness!

Tinkerbell394587: I hope your finals went well…British Lit sounds like fun, but also like a lot of work…Perhaps Evadne might put insert addition problem here together, but who knows?

Tortallan-Fairy-Tale: Yep, this is the grand finale. :)

LindyLou78: I love invisibility cloaks. They're just so useful…:-P

V: I didn't really think though how he became invisible, but it was probably an invisibility cloak. I'll explain it in the next chapter, I think.

Panemonium: The branches play a very important part in the story…all will be explained in time!

Tami: Thanks! I'm glad you reviewed now! I heart reviews.

Cerri: You really think I could publish it? That is one of my dreams…and this is already fairly long! I've almost got 150 pages typed up, which is longer than anything I've ever written before. I'm so happy that you like my story so much!

Glitterpoison: I don't think it was too odd of Alyssa to say choose us, partly because it's just what she's always done, and she doesn't particularly want it to change.

Glaze: Of course I forgive you for not reviewing! At least you were reading it! As for the dancing being a tradition of the country, I was thinking that yes, other princesses before Evadne and Elensar have done it. I don't know why, but I thought it gave the dance more of a reason for being, I guess.

Ficchick456: Yay! You like it! I shall try to update more and more, because now I am also burdened with days of nothing to do…

Christine: Thanks!

Well, happy summer to all of you, and I hope that you still love the story…:-)