Chapter fourteen:
Once Raven was fully inside the room, Darling carefully closed the door behind them, she made her way back to Raven's side and took one of Raven's hands back into hers again.
As they both looked around the room, neither of them could work out how Briar had managed to turn the hall from drab to fabulous in such a short space of time. There were tables spread around the edge of the room, each table was lit with soft golden candle light, the dancefloor gleamed in the light, the ceiling was enchanted to look like the night sky and doors to the room where open allowing access to the high hedged garden outside which was bathed is soft silver moonlight
Hand in hand Darling and Raven made their way over to Briar, the couple smiled at Briar, who smiled back at them and asked them with a slight touch of nerves to her voice. "Well, what do you think?"
"Wow, this is amazing Briar! Thank you so much!" Raven told Briar in an awed and joyful voice.
Darling nodded in agreement to these words saying as she did so. "Yes, this is very special. You did a wonderful job Briar."
As they told her with Briar slowly relaxed, she smiled at Darling and Raven, before saying to them in a happy voice. "I'm so glad that you are both happy with the party."
Darling looked at Raven, asking as she did so. "Would you like to dance before to many guests arrive?"
Raven nodded to her. "I'd love that. Briar would you mind asking the DJ to play a slow song for us to dance to before all the guests get here?"
Briar smiled widely at Darling and Raven, saying as she did so. "No problem."
As Raven and Darling made their way to the dancefloor, Briar quickly went to the DJ and asked him to play them a slow song to dance to. Without hesitation the DJ put on a slow and romantic song called enchanted heart for Darling and Raven to dance to.
Slowly Darling and Raven started to waltz around the floor, they smiled at each other as they danced and it was quite clear that Darling and Raven were enjoying this quiet dance together and that they had deep love for each other.
As Briar watched them dancing, she could see just how much Raven and Darling loved each other and she hopped with all of her heart that she would be lucky enough to find a love which was as deep as theirs.
During this dance some more guests had arrived at the party, some got drinks, others snacks and others watched the Darling and Raven from the side lines of the dancefloor. None of them joined the couple on the dancefloor as they all felt this was a dance which should just be for Raven and Darling alone.
Darling and Raven didn't notice all the people watching them, as they only had eyes for each other as they danced. When the song came to an end, Raven curtsied to Darling who bowed to her at the same time and then arm in arm left the dancefloor.
The couple still holding hands, then took the time to walk around the party, Darling and Raven talked to some of the guests, happily receiving their congratulations and answering what questions they could whilst keeping certain facts to themselves.
There were of course those guests who were not so happy about their paring and when they made this obvious to them, Darling made sure to openly protect Raven, while Raven would protect Darling in a much more subtle way so that she would not damage the role which Darling held within their story.
When they had finished talking to the guests Raven spotted to Maddie at a table across the room, she waved her free hand to Maddie and said to Darling as she did so. "Oh! There is Maddie!"
Darling turned in the direction Raven was looking in, she smiled at the sight of Maddie who was waving back to Raven enthusiastically, she then turned her gaze to Raven and asked her. "Shall we go and join her?"
"If that is alright with you, I would love that." Raven said softly to her.
Darling nodded to her, then together they made their way over to Maddie. She smiled at Darling and Raven, and once they were close to her Maddie greeted them cheerfully. "Hey you two!"
"Good evening Maddie." Darling greeted politely in return.
"Hi Maddie!" Raven said in turn, before she released Darling's hand to hug Maddie.
Maddie didn't hesitate to return the hug and when the friends released each other, Raven instantly took Darling's hand back into hers. Raven spoke to Darling and Maddie. "I received a great new time table from the headmaster. I think I am really going to enjoy it."
"That's hat-tastic!" Maddie announced with great cheer.
Darling smiled at Raven and said in turn. "Mine also looks wonderful. What classes do you have now?"
Raven answered this question without any hesitation. "Bewitching song, damsel-in-distressing, kingdom management, geofairy, good magic mastery, chemythstry, science and sorcery, science and spells, advanced allusions, muse-ic, dance class-ic and best training and care."
"That is a time table which sounds just right for you!" Maddie announced with joy.
Darling nodded in agreement to what Maddie said, before adding her own words. "That really does sound like a wonderful selection of classes for you."
"What about you Darling? What are your new classes like?" Raven asked her curiously.
"Ah mine to fit my new role a lot more. I now have, beast training and care, grimmnastics, advanced wooing, dragon slaying, hero training, heroics 101, kingdom management, geofairy, chemythstry, science, study ball and dance class-ic." Darling told them.
"I am glad to hear we will get some classes together." Raven said to her with a smile.
Darling smiled back at her and squeezed her hand. "As am I."
"You two are as beautiful as the royal red rose of wonderland." Maddie told them with great sincerity.
Raven and Darling blushed a little at this compliment and then Raven spoke to her. "Thank you, for saying that, Maddie."
As another slow song started to play Darling turned her gaze onto Raven and asked softly. "Would you join me for another slow dance?"
"I'd love that." Raven told her, then she turned to Maddie and said to her. "Please excuse us!"
"Of course." Maddie assured them, and waved them away.
With this assurance from Maddie Raven and Darling made their way out onto the dancefloor, they held each other close and began to dance to the song. Darling and Raven quickly lost themselves in staring into each other's eyes and sharing soft loving smiles.
As the song came to its end, Raven and Darling came to an end at the side of the dancefloor where the doors were open out onto the garden. "Shall we go for a walk in the garden?" Darling asked her in a soft voice.
"I'd like that." Raven replied with a nod of the head and a bright smile for Darling.
Darling took her hand into hers and then together they then made their way out of the party and out into the quiet moonlit garden. They stood in silence side to side for a few moments, then Raven sighed happily and squeezed Darling's hand. "This is wonderful."
Darling had no reason to disagree with this and so she said to her. "It certainly is and you suit the moonlight perfectly…You look beautiful my lady princess."
Raven blushed slightly, she looked into Darling's bright blue eyes, then stroked her hand over some of Darling's smooth white hair and said to her softly. "You look wonderful in it too…Your hair is even whiter and almost glitters. You are so beautiful my Charming Lady knight. I am very lucky to have won your heart for my own."
Darling slowly wrapped her arms around Raven, in response to this she placed her hands onto Darling's shoulders and then they slowly kissed each other. They both hummed with delight, then Darling and Raven moved a little closer to and tightened their grip on each other.
The kissing sent warmth and pleasure through Raven, she felt like her insides were full of a fluttering warmth, her heart was filled with joy and Raven never wanted this kiss to end, it was as far as she was concerned this was perfection.
Darling felt so wonderful, as kissing Raven filled her with delight, it felt so right, so perfect, the kind of kiss she had waited to experience for her whole life. She was briefly aware of the fact that their kissing was causing them to glow slightly with golden light. Darling was well aware, that it was rare for a couple to glow every time they kissed, but knowing how rare their bond was she felt no concern over the glowing and was in fact comforted by it occurring.
When the couple broke the kiss, Darling hugged Raven to her. Raven responded to this by moving her hands from Darling's shoulders to around her waist and nuzzling into her. Darling lifted one hand and slowly stroked it over Raven's hair. This drew a murmur of contentment from her and caused Raven to snuggle a little further into Darling.
How long they held each other like this they were unsure, but their quiet moment alone was broken when Darling said softly and regretfully to Raven. "As much as I would like to embrace you like this forever, we should really head inside…The party is for us after all."
Raven nodded to her in agreement, before she slowly pulled back, looked into Darling's eyes and said to her. "And Briar went to a lot of work for us."
"Indeed." Darling agreed.
Reluctantly Raven and Darling made their way back inside. They were greeted by the new guests who had arrived whilst they were in the garden. Apple who had finally arrived at the party, came over to the couple smiling in her perfectly princess fashion. "Hey!"
Raven greeted her in a friendly way. "Hi Apple."
"Hello Apple." Darling said in a slightly more formal tone as they were not as close as Apple and Raven were.
"You two certainly cut the fine couple." Apple told them honestly.
Darling and Raven smiled at her compliment and Darling said to Apple. "Thank you for saying so."
Just as Apple was about to say more a new up-tempo song came on, Raven's eyes lit up and she exclaimed in pleasure. "Oh, I love this song!"
"Then let's go dance to it!" Apple said enthusiastically.
Together the three made their way out onto the dancefloor and danced to the song. Apple could hardly keep her eyes from Raven, who was smiling so brightly, she was clearly having a wonderful time and Apple found herself loving seeing Raven being so joyful.
Darling had noticed the way Apple was focused on Raven, she felt a rush of protectiveness and possessiveness go through her. How dare Apple look at her lady princess like that? Raven was her true love and Apple should not better than to get all moony over someone else's true love and princess.
When Apple turned her gaze reluctantly to Darling she gave her an artic look, which caused the other princess to blush with shame and look at the floor for a moment, before bringing her eyes up and forcing them to focus on both Darling and Raven as they danced.
Satisfied that Apple was well aware that she knew that she had been looking at her lady princess in a way which Darling did not appreciate and would not tolerate Darling turned all of her attention away from Apple and onto Raven.
Darling, Raven, Apple and Maddie spent the rest of the night, talking and dancing, save when a slow song would come on then Apple and Maddie would leave Raven and Darling to dance together. Maddie would always go and join Kitty for the slow songs, meanwhile Apple was left standing on the side of the dancefloor watching the Raven and Darling together and wishing with all her might that she was the one dancing with Raven and not Darling.
Apple was well aware that Darling had caught onto the fact she had romantic feelings for Raven and from the cold and angry look which Darling had given her earlier, not only was the Charming lady knight not pleased about this fact, she would also not hesitate to make Apple regret it if she somehow crossed the line with her lady princess.
Apple wondered if she should tell Darling that she was doing her best to get over her feelings for Raven and after considering this idea for a few moments Apple decided that it would in fact be an excellent idea to tell Darling this. Now she had settled on telling Darling, Apple felt that the party was not the best place to have this conversation with Darling and so she decided that she would have it next time she ran into Darling when the knight was on her own and when she was also not with anyone else.
As the party started to wind down and guests started to leave to head to bed, Darling and Raven made their way over to Briar. "This was a fantastic party Briar!" Darling told Briar in a warm voice.
"Yes, it was wonderful." Raven said in agreement.
Briar smiled widely at the couple, her eyes were full of joy as she said to them. "Thank you both. I am glad to know that you both enjoyed this party."
"Do you need any help with tidying up?" Raven asked her kindly.
Quickly Briar shook her head at them. "No, I have that organised, but thank you for offering Raven."
Raven smiled at Briar. "You are most welcome."
Darling slipped her hand into Raven's and looked at her with soft eyes, saying as she did so. "I think it is time I walked my lady princess back to her dorm room for the night."
"I agree." Briar told Darling with a nod of her head.
"Are you ready to go Raven?" Darling inquired of her politely.
Raven nodded to her and spoke reassuringly to Darling. "I am."
Hand in hand the couple left the party, Darling and Raven walked back through the castle in companionable silence. When they reached the door to Raven's room, Darling and Raven turned to face each other. "Would you like a goodnight kiss?" As Raven asked Darling this question a slight blush stained her cheeks.
The moment Raven asked her this question, pleasure surged through Darling, she smiled softly at her blushing lady princess and then answered her question. "I'd enjoy that a great deal."
Raven's face bloomed with a smile and joy was clear to see in her eyes when Darling said this. Raven moved a little closer to Darling and then kissed her softly on the lips. As always kissing Darling filled Raven with warmth and a deep delight, which she could not find and did not want to find an ending to.
The moment Raven kissed her Darling felt a surge of happiness, belonging and protectiveness wash through her in one giant tsunami wave of emotion. Darling began to return the kiss, wanting nothing more than to get lost in the kiss and the wonderful feelings which it set free inside of her.
After the couple had kissed for a few moments, they slowly drew apart, they both felt a little breathless but incredibly happy. "Good night, my Raven. I'll see you at breakfast." Darling said in a low soft voice.
"I look forwards to seeing you at breakfast. Good night my Darling." Raven told her in return, before she slipped inside her dorm room.
Once inside Raven quickly got ready for bed, her mind and heart were full of her feelings for Darling. The more she thought about it the more Raven found that she was completely happy and thrilled by everything which had occurred today and knew without a doubt she would change nothing about it. As soon as Raven was ready for bed, she slipped between the sheets of her bed and after such a long hectic day she was soon fast asleep.
Darling mean while made her way back to her own room, she couldn't get her thoughts and feelings away from Raven and she really didn't want to. With a happy smile curling up her lips and with joy and love in her heart, Darling prepared herself for bed, before getting into bed, she settled down and then quickly fell asleep.
