Page 73 of Once Upon a Crown
The heat from the fireplace was warm against my back as I watched the prince saunter in with his father. His eyes met mine as they passed, and I quickly looked away.
I had always sensed he was trouble in one way or another, but I did not know better than to avoid it.
Lance didn’t show much interest in spending time with Cai or Thatcher, or even with his father and the royal council. It was as if he’d been forced to tag along on this trip and he’d rather be anywhere else instead. Until the day he’d caught me dancing alone in the ballroom.
My dance teacher had left an hour before, but I had yet to get the steps right and I refused to stop until I did so.
I turned about the room until my eye suddenly caught a figure standing by the door.
Mid-step, with my arms still up in the air, I stopped to take in the unwelcome viewer.
“Can I help you?” He was a mere guest at the palace while I practically lived there. If anyone was intruding, it most definitely was him.
“What are you doing?” he asked curiously.
“What does it look like I’m doing, I’m practising my dancing.” My intention wasn’t to be rude to the Prince of Everness, but I’d felt quite embarrassed at being caught dancing alone. Besides, he’d made no effort to be polite to anyone here at court.
“You’re doing it wrong.”
“Well, if I could do it right, I wouldn’t need to practise now, would I?” Did he intend to leave or just keep standing there and invading my privacy?
To my disappointment, he stepped into the ballroom.
“You do know who I am, don’t you?”
“Of course,” I scoffed. “You’re the future king of Everness.”
“And did they not teach you that people of my birth rank should be addressed by their titles?” What an entitled jerk. He clearly got most of his traits from his father.
“They did,” I responded. “But if you insist on me using your title, then I must insist you do the same.” And then I added, “Your Highness.”
“Which is?”
I realised that instead of chasing him away, I was aiding him to continue our conversation.
“You may call me Lady Gwen.” I gave a small curtsy only because I had to. “My father is a close friend of the King.”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance then, Lady Gwen.” He’d drawn out my name.
“Well then, I’d better be getting back to my practice.”
“I could show you how to do it, if you’d like?”
The idea of suddenly dancing alone with the prince unnerved me. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I replied, “Well, I can hardly say no to the future king.”
Prince Lance had stepped in front of me. His arm wrapped around my waist while his free hand took mine.
My dancing practice was to prepare me for when I would come out to society, and I’d never actually danced with a boy before. I had to look up to meet his eyes. They were the lightest shade of blue I’d ever seen.
“So first, you’re going to step back with your right foot.”
“I know that.”
He looked down at me with amusement and something in my stomach fluttered.
Lance started to count the steps. One back, one right, two front, two left.
Then came a turn, and this was the part where I usually messed up the number of steps I had to take.
