Royal Guard Book 1: The Servant

Chapter 16 - Paige - Got Made at the Masquerade

I love dancing.

And the music, the way it was crisp and practiced, everything in tune and harmonizing perfectly. And I loved how the dress was so light it seemed to catch every breeze and it felt like silk against my skin. And I loved the mask. When people looked at me, it wasn't like they were assessing my position or what task I could do for them. It was like a crown of my own. I loved all of it. Just letting myself get carried away, laughing with my friends. I couldn't remember the last time I had been to a party.

One princess's stiletto heel stabbed my toe on the dance floor.

Okay, break time.

I hobbled back over the buffet table and started filling an empty cup with the fruit salad. I glanced every so often over my shoulder back at our table. Hutch and Ivy were happily teasing each other, so I couldn't go back yet.

I had shoved a fork into my fruit cup and was about to go looking for Rayna and Autumne when a hand drifted onto my waist. I jolted away.

"Oh. Sorry." The same wolf-mask boy came up beside me. "Just trying to get by you there," he smiled easily at me and grabbed a glass of punch. "We never got to exchange names. I'm Riker. Son of Lord Fiwen. And you are...?"

"Briedda," I picked off the top of my head. I turned back to the table and started grabbing more food.

Riker just pushed himself back into my line of sight. "Lovely to meet the lovely Briedda." His hand came up towards my face and I immediately pulled away.

"Sorry, you just have a bit of chocolate riiight there-" his hand came towards my mouth again but I stepped back and quickly wiped the back of my hand across it. There was nothing there.

"Thanks." I said shortly, now looking over his shoulder to my table. It was empty. Crap. I finally noticed the slow song which was filling the room.

"I think I was pretty patient," Riker continued. "And you owe me a dance." My eyes flickered to the swaying crowd. Everyone stepped in time, the girls twirling in time, the boys bowing in time. A slow dance I definitely did not know the moves to.

I looked back at the boy, expectantly holding out his hand. He just grinned with all the confidence of a royal, being exactly where he was meant to be.

"N-no. I'm alright." I backed up a bit.

Riker frowned. "Come on, don't be like that."

Panic started to form in the back of my chest. " No ." I placed my cup back down on the table and skirted around him, squeezing into the crowd and away from him.

I kept moving, dodging around swaying couples and trying to not get my toes stepped on. Something still pulled in the back of my chest.

He was flirting with you, that never happens. You should be happy, right? Even if it was bad, you should just gain experience and get over it. It's a part of growing up. But then... Does that happen to my friends? They're actual royals, they're always going to balls. Is this what it's like? Maybe I should have stayed, maybe it would have gotten better—

I rammed right into someone's back.

"Sorry," I squeaked, fumbling away. I looked right up to see Aostin staring at me, eyes wide in surprise. His arm halfway around-

Mihri.

I didn't give them a chance to respond, not even a chance to look me in the eye. I ran . I pushed my way through the mass of people and stumbled down the stairs away from the party. I kept going down and down until the music and the sounds of laughter and dancing disappeared.