A Princess's Duty

•Chapter Three• Dancing With Royalty

Under the scrutiny of nobles and royals across the country, Queen Catherine entered the ballroom on the arm of her husband. She kept her expression neutral, not looking over excited or bored.

The Queen soon spotted Kathryn at the foot of the staircase she was descending. She smiled inwardly at her daughter's masked expression of distaste. Though nearly as skilled at hiding her emotion as she was, Kat's ridged posture and tentative fake smile were enough to tell she would prefer to be elsewhere. Catherine had always loved parties, but respected her daughter's distaste for them. She recalled the time a few years ago when Kathryn attended the ball that would become an annual tradition in the castle. She had shoved one of the princes out of a tree, and clever James had made her attend the ball.

Though it was not traditional, Catherine and James had allowed their daughter to enter the ball unannounced, per her own request. When Catherine reached the bottom of the stairs leading into the ballroom, she kissed her daughter's cheek and quietly told her to have fun.

Kathryn smiled, doubting she would. Especially since most of the people at the ball were either pretentious idiots, posh people of high standing, or cunning gold diggers. This ball happened every year, and every year she stayed on the edges of the room, hoping to avoid human interaction. But every year, she was pulled into at least one dance.

Kathryn eventually decided to settle in a remote corner. She chose the corner farthest from where her parents were standing, walking in the direction with poise.

Everyone but Kathryn wanted to be near the King and Queen, so there was hardly anyone in the back corners. She hoped no one asked her to dance. She didn't know how long she could go without losing her breath and passing out. Usually her dresses weren't so fitted, but she feared her mother's maids had overdone it a bit. Kathryn wished she had brought a book along with her. She sighed. This was going to be a very long night.

As Kathryn stood in her secluded corner, nausea overcame her. Her head spun like a top, and the ground wouldn't stay still beneath her feet. She lowered herself to the floor, trying to catch her breath. She heard muffled giggles from people who pointed and stated in her direction.

I do suppose I look ridiculous, thought Kathryn. She took a few deep breaths and regained her composure. When she stood, she found herself face to face with a brown-eyed grinning fiend. William.

"Are you well, my lady?" He inquired. Kathryn raised an eyebrow. He didn't seem to notice. "I saw you sitting on the floor and was wondering if you needed assistance. May I dare to request your name?"

Was he joking? Did he not recognize her? Kathryn knew she looked drastically different, but didn't realize that people actually wouldn't recognize her. She had met him in a rather unfortunate encounter years ago, and had avoided him at events such as this.

She struggled to keep her expression neutral. This wasn't the same boy she had met in the gardens. He seemed cultured and intelligent, like someone who could enjoy a book rather than simply toss it hand to hand. So she would act as if she had never seen him before.

Kathryn stood and took a deep breath. She gave a polite little smile and a curtsy, saying, "Prince William of Dwolle, a pleasure to meet you."

He smirked when she said his name. Self-righteous prat. He probably assumed that she was infatuated with him.

"I don't recall introducing myself," William said, giving her a coy smile. She was a beautiful lady, most likely the ward or daughter of a high ranking noble. Her simple evergreen dress accentuated her figure perfectly. Like every other noble lady, she would probably be begging for a dance in a minute.