Letters To Edmund |book 1|

Chapter 45. Hands

It was not as warm as she expected it to be, it was completely ice cold to the touch. Her entire body shivered from the closeness. The hand led her further away from the crowd, onto the dance floor. When she turned around to face the owner of the hand, she was surprised to see Nicolas. His hand was usually warm like fire, but this time something changed in Nicolas, even his eyes reflected ice. It seemed as if he made a deal with winter itself.

"I apologize if I have frightened you, but it is your birthday, and a woman like you deserves a dance. Not one of those wild Narnian dances, but a proper dance." He smiled weakly.

Angelina made a small bow and followed him to the center of the dance floor. Her curiosity wanted to find out what was going on with Nicolas, for she did notice a difference in him. However, she didn't want to be around him at the moment, especially on her birthday.

"You know, it's not too late to change your mind," he whispered, being so close to her.

"About what?" She dared not show any sign of interest in him. However, she was a little intrigued, even she was surprised as to why.

Nicolas let out a laugh, "about being the queen of Telmar. We could marry right now, all you have to do is agree."

She somehow felt weaker around him, or maybe it was just weakness in general, "I don't feel very well." She stopped dancing. Another man talking about marriage. What was it with this place?

"Perhaps it is because your heart is trying to show you the right way," Nicolas said and still wouldn't let go of her hand.

Angelina looked at him sternly and then searched the room until her eyes landed on Edmund who was laughing at something with his brother, "my heart is showing me something, and it is surely not you." She pulled her hand out of his, bowed down, and started walking the opposite way. She'd rather marry Edmund right there and then, at least he would not be Nicholas.

"What a pity, keeper of light," he whispered to himself and smirked as she walked away.

She wished that he would disappear, go back to Telmar, but there was a purpose for him; good or evil. The whole ballroom seemed tiring, the people continued dancing and others eating and talking. The décor was fit for a king or a queen, but Angelina did not feel like one herself. Even the white walls seemed too fancy for her, even though she was a royal guest. The whole room was lit up with chandeliers and candles on every table. Her hands reached out for the column which was her only support as she felt weak to her knees and almost fell. The entire room started spinning and she wondered if it was something she ate or drank. Her head did spin in big crowds, but this crowd wasn't that big.

Knowing that falling on the floor would be most inappropriate and she would attract attention, Angelina continued clenching to the column to the side of the ballroom and hoping that her vision would stop blurring. She blinked a couple of times in an attempt to help herself but, no luck. She felt helpless and frozen, as if she was standing naked in a snowy blizzard.

When she was almost about to give up and fall onto the floor not caring if anyone would jump to her side, a hand quickly helped her up.

"Are you alright, love?" Someone's kind voice spoke, someone who spread warmth to her being, someone who seemed to chase away the cold.

Angelina quickly straightened her back and stood up to look him in the eyes, "I felt a bit dizzy."

"A bit?" Edmund raised his eyebrow, "you were about to fall on the floor, are you sure you feel alright? If I was being completely honest, you don't look so good."

"I'm fine, well now I am anyway. What brings you to this side of the room?" She tried to be her sarcastic self to prove to him that she was feeling better by his side.