A Fairy Tale With Two

Chapter 3

      The decorations for the ballroom were shocking. The enormous room had always stunned her even when she had been little. The sleek tile, the diamond chandeliers, and the ornate golden hand rails for the double staircase had always dazzled her. But today made her twirl around in awe at the cleanliness of it all. The entire room sparkled with the dying rays of the sun that entered the many huge windows on the far side of the room.

     A stage had been set up between the twin staircases, where a band played a lively tune. The dancing had already begun, the room not yet crowded but filling up steadily.

      Rowan found herself drawn to the food tables that lined the wall to her right, the smell of delicious food overpowering. She slipped past people wearing their best clothes, weaving between dancers to get to the table. But her foot hooked on someone's boot and she fell forward.

      She tumbled halfway under the table with a gasp of surprise, her head beneath the long tablecloth.

      She heard a sharp inhale, and turned her head to see a man crouched beneath the table, a plate of food beside him. He was staring at her with a guilty look, as if he wasn't supposed to be there.

       His hair was neatly slicked back into a formal look, but she could tell the coal-black strands didn't normally fall back so neatly. His hair was shorter at the sides, longer on the top of his head and at the base to fall down the back of his neck. His eyes were sharp and intelligent, light blue in color like a pale sky or a frosty ocean. But they were warm, not icy. His jaw was strong, which gave him almost an intimidating look with his broad shoulders, but his eyes seemed bright and his mouth like he smiled often.

     His clothing was very fine, but he didn't seem to care for it with his wrinkled sleeves and loose collar. He was hunched beneath the table in a position not comfortable for a man with long legs such as himself, and his gaze was locked on her.

     Rowan pulled the rest of herself quickly under the table before someone would notice, and ducked her head so she wouldn't bump her head, "What are you doing?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, frowning slightly.

     "To tell the truth, I'm hiding," the man replied, "I didn't really want to come, you see. I was obligated."

     "Same," Rowan nodded, "Why under here, though?"

     "Who would look for me under here?" he replied pointedly, "Plus, it smells really good. Almost like chocolate and chicken, which sounds gross, but actually smells pretty good."

      "That's what drew me here," Rowan smiled, "Smells amazing. I wish we cooked like this all the time here."

      The man chuckled, "I suppose you'll need to return to your dance?"

      "Don't have a partner," she shrugged, "I'm not supposed to be here, my sister helped sneak me in. So I decided to stick with the food."

     He offered her the plate of food beside him, "Stay as long as you want. I'd enjoy the company."

      Rowan smiled at him, "Thanks," she accepted a pear from the plate, biting into it, "Wow, this is really good! If I knew we'd had these, I would've busted into the kitchens a long time ago!"

     The man smiled slightly at her, "So, you're here for your sister?"

     "Yeah, she wants me here for 'moral support' and all that. But she's probably covered in guys, and to be totally honest, I hate dressing up like this. I'd rather be riding horses or hunting any day."