Ashes of Cinder

25

Everyone's eyes seemed to be stuck on you two, as if the entire world had just paused. Unsure of what to do with this stranger's request, you gave into the pressure and hesitantly placed your hand on his. Warmth wrapping around your skin, the young man then dipped his head down to lay a gentle kiss on the back of your hand. This reminded you of that day where Blaise teased you and did the same out of the blue. You smiled fondly at the memory of it, almost forgetting you were at the ball. Goodness. Why were you thinking about him at this time? Going back into the present, you blinked down on the male. Thinking that perhaps you should respond verbally, you awkwardly said, "Uh... yes, I would love to dance with you."

He beamed at the answer and stood up, pulling you with him. Wobbling to your feet, you followed him to the floor where other couples were still dancing. Weirdly enough though, when you and this man passed through them, the crowd would part to make space. They would also glance at you in curiosity. You furrowed your forehead at this. Wait. Why were they staring at you two?

The blond man in front of you took a gentlemanly bow, to which you had no idea what to do in response. "If I am being honest here... I do not know how to dance," you pointed out, lips curving down in embarrassment. His blue eyes widened and his mouth parted to let out a little chuckle.

"That is perfectly fine. All you need to do is follow my lead," he told you, holding his hand out again for you to take. Nodding with a bit more confidence, you took his hand and he guided your left hand to his right shoulder. Resting it there, it brushed the fabrics of his stunning dress coat. Your right hand continued to stay in his other hand while his own other hand placed itself on your torso, right below your arm. He began to step in graceful movements, so you hurried to follow his motions. Seeing how rigid you looked, he shot you a comforting smile. "Relax. No one is judging you here."

"Right. Thank you," you said, pretending you did not just step on his toes a few times already. People's eyes were still on you. Why? You couldn't take it anymore. You needed answers and perhaps this partner of yours would know a thing or two. "Hey... er... why do the guests keep looking at us for?"

His hues gazed around the ballroom and locked themselves on yours once more. He blinked at you blankly for a few moments and his eyebrows rose. "You don't know who I am?" he asked.

You tilted your head. "Am I supposed to...?"

Looking down for a second, he grinned to himself and shook his head. "Well... I am the Prince of France, so take it however you will."

It took you a while to even register what he just said. "What?" Staring hollowly at him as the instilling fear settled in, you wondered if you could run away from this situation before it's too late. It didn't make things any better how Prince Cameron was smiling amusedly at your reaction, unable to understand the grave mistake you've made on your part. Your stepmother... your stepsisters... they were at the ball and they were here for the Prince. Obviously, they would keeps tabs on him, which meant they may have already seen you by now. If they knew you here tonight, there would be some consequences to face.

Stay calm, [Y/N], you thought to yourself. That was right. There would be no use in panicking. Maybe there was a chance they didn't notice you or realize who you were. If Vincent couldn't recognize you from up close, then it'd be harder to recognize you if you were dancing from afar. As long as you and the Prince danced away from where they were, then it should be fine. But... the real question was, where were they sitting or dancing? There was just way too many people to inspect your surroundings. Also, if you were to accidentally make eye contact with them, they may instantly find out that it was you.

This was stressing you out -- on the night you've been waiting for your entire life. Not wanting to waste this opportunity, you went on to try to enjoy the dance. At least you were getting the hang of the dance, yes?