Page 15 of Night's Fall
It was awkward.Itwas frightening due to having to balance all my weight on a slender heel in an unnatural way that made me worryI’dfall face first into the table in front of the prince.Itwas terrifying consideringIknewIhad attention, and that always made me uncomfortable, but the factIhad everyone’s was excruciating.
And last, it was humiliating.
“Rise and then you can sit to his highness’s right side,” the human ordered.
I rose and moved to sit as told, doing this stiltedly, and that had nothing to do with the ache in my feet.Isat primly in the curve to his side, not close to him, thighs, knees and calves pressed together, andItucked my handbag in my lap with the fingers of both hands curled tightly around it.
“Drink, madam?” the human asked.
My eyes jolted to him, andItold him something he knew, butIdid it with a purpose.
I wasn’t “madam.”
I lived in the real world.
I wasLaura.
“My name isLaura.”
His head bowed, but his attention shifted to the prince, so mine did too.
Almost imperceptibly, his face still in shadow, the prince nodded.
“MayIbring you a drink,MistressLaura?” the human queried.
MistressLaurawas even worse.
I opened my mouth.
“Champagne,” the prince drawled.
I closed my mouth.
Ah, so it was all coming clear.
I was summoned and expected to appear…now.Ididn’t get to sit without genuflecting.Ididn’t get an introduction, even ifIknew who he was, he didn’t know whoIwas, and truly, neither of us knew each other at all outside of names.AndIdidn’t get to order my own drink.
I liked champagne (who didn’t?).
ButIliked more ordering the beverageIwould myself be consuming.
SinceIcould string two thoughts together as a wee child,I’dthoughtPrinceAlekseiwas everything a boy, then a man, then a prince who would be king should be.
He was exquisitely beautiful even when he was far younger, and it only grew bolder with age.Hedidn’t court the limelight.Hedidn’t do stupid stuff (like both his younger brothers did, and on occasion, his baby sister).
Sure, when he came of age, he was often seen out with a very beautiful female on his arm, and they had an alarming tendency to cycle in and out of that position frequently.
But it was known widely he had a head for business, and he spent a goodly amount of time amassing a vast fortune to coincide with the colossal fortune theStarknightDynastyalready owned.Itwas also known he gave freely to charitable endeavors.However, in doing so, he didn’t put himself front and center.Hejust gave funds that they were so grateful to have, they were vocal about him giving them.
He wasn’t picced on a horse playing polo or participating in a laser joust (likeTimothee).Hewasn’t snapped frolicking on a sky yacht, or a sea one either (likeTimothee…andErrol).Hewasn’t caught on digital drunkenly lurching out of an ice casino inSky’sEdgeafter losing a veritable mint at a gaming table (again, likeErrol).
In fact,Ididn’t know what he did as hobbies or in his downtime, outside date gorgeous females and any private activities my active imagination speculated might come with that.
I had built him up in my mind as being so unattainable, and so extraordinary,I’dnever even bothered to dream about what meeting him might be like.
However, ifIhad, this would not be it.
Further to this not being it,I’dhad all these many thoughts, sitting stiffly in his presence, his whatever that human was to him off to get me a drink, and he’d not said a word.Noteven hello.AndIdidn’t know ifIwas allowed to do so without his permission.
