Summoned

Chapter 31

The next afternoon before our final dance practice I was in the library. I gave my usual greeting to the new asian lady sitting at the desk before making my way to the fiction section.

I spotted the book I needed. The final book in the Legend series, Champion. Unfortunately, it was inconveniently out of my reach. I stretched my hand as far as it could go, but I barely grazed the bottom of the shelf it was on.

I grabbed a nearby chair and placed it near the shelf. I took off my heels to prevent a possible repeat of my first night here. I stood carefully in the chair before reaching out to the book. It was plucked from the shelf before I could grab it.

"Aaron?" I questioned hopefully. I turned around slowly to see a man I'd never seen before.

"No, I'm sorry, Lady Elisa, but I'm not Prince Aaron," he said. "I'm sorry to disappoint."

"It's not a problem," I laughed. He offered a hand to help me down the chair, which I graciously accepted. I latched the buckle on my shoes as I put them on and stood back up.

I got a good look at the man. He was around Aaron's and mine's age with dark brown hair, even darker than mine, and golden colored eyes. His irises were saturated with honey tinted hues. He was handsome, and had on a black T-Shirt and black jeans. I wondered who he was.

"Can I have your name? Are you a guard?" I inquired.

"No, I'm not a guard yet," he chuckled.

"Well, what about your name?"

"You'll know soon enough," he winked. Before I could say another word, he turned around and left the library, leaving me alone with my book.

I put the chair back where it belonged and exited the library, closing its massive doors behind me. I walked quickly to the ballroom so that I could make it on time. Since this wasn't a required practice, there were a few girls absent. Danielle's absence actually made this a lot more pleasant.

"Ok, ladies, get with your partners!" Brenda called.

Jeremy Leger found me over the crowd and took my hand. "Hey, Jeremy," I greeted. His dark hair was swept into his eyes.

"Hey, Elisa. How has your day been? I haven't seen you in a while," he commented.

The music started and I began the Foxtrot. "It's been good so far. I've been a bit under the weather, unfortunately. I'm feeling a lot better now. How has your day been?" I asked before he spun me out, letting me go with his hand. I spun back to him and our arms wrapped around each other's waists as we circled.

"Pretty fair," he started. We went back to our normal stance with my hand on his arm and his hand under my arm. "I like dancing. I do it with my mom sometimes when she isn't tired after work."

"What does she do?"

"She's a maid. She's always worked hard, her entire life. She was the Queen's maid when she came for her selection," he said.

"That's incredible," I said honestly. "What's your dad like?"

"He's tough. He used to be a guard back in the day, but he got an honorable discharge after receiving an injury. He walks with a cane now. He was close to the Queen, apparently, so he's a general that designs attacks and defenses."

"Oh my god," I gasped. "What are their names?"

"Aspen and Lucy Leger," he replied after the song ended. We continued doing basic steps to a waltz, but the rest of the practice began to wind down.

"Ok, ladies. That will be all. Now the Royal family is going to perform the Illèan waltz," Brenda said loudly. The guards left to go back to their posts except for one, who would dance with Marlee.

"Lady Elisa knows this dance," a voice called above the noise. My blood ran cold and I looked to see who said it. It was Lilly, and I should've known. She gave a sly smile and wink.

"She does?" Brenda questioned. "The Illèan waltz is a very intense dance, are you sure she's that capable? I know her skills are great but-"

"It's true," said another voice. Leila's soft voice rang out above all the others. "We've seen her do it," she added. The girls around her nodded and murmured in agreement.

My face was blood red by now. I had set my gaze on the floor. "I'll just sit this one out," Olivia said as she removed her hands from Aaron's. "I never knew this one well anyway," she said before smiling at me.

Leila and Lilly gave me a gentle nudge before I got out to the floor. "Go prance, unicorn. Impress us with your magic and wonder," Lilly said sarcastically.

Aaron held his hand out for me to take, and I hesitantly slipped my small, pale hand in his. I took a deep breath before exhaling nervously. I looked up into Aaron's deep eyes and gleaming smile.

"You're going to be wonderful," Aaron said before the music began.

We went at an impeccably fast tempo, and I could tell Marlee and her partner were having trouble keeping up. We were moving so quickly, and I felt like I was barely walking. I was lightly tapping the floor with my feet as Aaron and I danced throughout the ballroom.

There were several series of turns that I did, and I even did a double pirouette at one point. The dips were shallow, the turns were full, and our hands were connected tightly. The music began to close to an end and I separated myself for a curtsy, which was so deep my nose touched my knee as it was pointed in front of me.

I stood back up when the thunderous clapping began. It all seemed like white noise when I saw Aaron smile. I wiped the sweat beaded across my forehead, and he wrapped an arm around my waist. That was when the noises came into full effect.

"You were beautiful," Aaron whispered in my ear, making me acquire a pink tint.

"I wasn't that good; I could've done much better," I denied.

He turned to where he was facing me and took both of my hands. I looked around, and the only people who remained in the ballroom were Lilly, Leila, Pepper, Brenda, Maxon, America, Jeremy, Olivia, and Marlee. Aaron turned my chin to look back at him.

"Don't put yourself down like that," he said softly. "You were so amazing, and I'd be honored if you would dance the Illèan waltz with me tomorrow night."

"Won't there be people watching?" I asked with a furrowed brow. "And cameras recording it, too?"

"It doesn't matter to me. If I want to dance with a woman I like, I will. I don't care who sees. You're amazing to me, and everyone should see it."

"Are you sure?" I inquired softer.

"Let all of Illèa stare," he said gazing into my eyes. "Let them see what I see."

Hey y'all. Happy Easter to those of you reading this on Easter, and happy-late-Easter to those of you who aren't. I've missed updating, and especially writing, but I've had a lot of stuff going on.

This weekend is my town's local festival, and there's going to be a carnival and a bunch of other stuff there. So, I'm probably going to be hanging out with my friends. My church is also having a parking lot fundraiser, so I'll also be busy with that. I'll update when I can, and I hope you all have a great week.

Love and appreciate your comments! I read every single one of them!

-ET