Dragon Blood

Six: Sore Feet

"Excuse me, but may I have a dance with the princess?" a familiar voice sounded from behind her. The older gentleman she dancing with her nodded courteously and released her hand after kissing her knuckles.

"Until later, my lady," he smiled and handed her over to Jonathan.

"Hello," he grinned as he kissed the back of her hand.

"Hello," she replied happily. For the first time in a few hours, her dragon was settled. A familiar person was all it had been looking for. She'd even settle for the object of Skylar's affection.

"I do believe I was supposed to get your second dance," he said casually as his large hand grasped her and his other hand found her hip. The feel of his hand on her body sent chills up her spine, and she unconsciously stepped closer to the handsome knight.

"Well, you missed that by about fifty dances."

"That would be my bad. I arrived late."

"Where were you?"

He shrugged. "Catching up on some things, doing what it is knights do. You would be bored."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm always interested when you tell me something," but she didn't push the subject. "You clean up nice," Skylar commented, taking in his blue tunic and black vest which was tucked into black leggings and black boots.

"Only for you, Princess," he smiled. "I don't know about you, but all of this dancing has me so thirsty. Would you mind if we took a break?" From the gleam in his eye, she knew he was teasing her. He had just started dancing with her only a minute before, but he knew she had been on her feet for hours.

She played along. "I suppose I could escort you to the refreshments."

"Why thank you, my lady," Jonathan bowed and offered her his elbow before he followed her off the floor. As they approached the table, Skylar overheard a man berating his son whom she had danced with a few dances ago.

"Why didn't you offer to give her a break! Of course she wanted a break! She's been dancing for hours! Fool," the nobleman scolded the anxious son, who was bright red. Skylar felt bad but said nothing. She wasn't supposed to have heard that, so she acted as though she hadn't. It wasn't his fault that her hearing was more sensitive because she was a dragon.

"My lady," Jonathan grabbed her attention and offered a glass of wine. He picked up his own and leaned back against the nearby wall. Skylar wished to sit, but knew that the only place she could do that would be a throne and she had no intention of sitting in either of her parents' thrones. "How has your evening been going thus far?"

She smiled and simply closed her eyes and she sipped her wine. "It's been what I expected. Sore feet and awkward young men."

"Awkward?"

"Everyone wishes to impress me, though admittedly some try harder than others, and it makes for difficult conversation," she said simply, glancing around the room. Her mother and father had finally taken the dance floor and everyone had cleared away for them. Both accomplished dancers, they floated across the dancefloor, focused on nothing but each other. Huge grins plastered on their faces and Skylar couldn't help but smile at them.

"They look happy," Jonathan noticed where she, and everyone else, was staring.

Skylar hoped that no one could overhear her next statement. "That's what I want, Jonathan. I want to marry someone I love, and who loves me back. I don't want to marry for alliance or for power. I want what Mother and Father have."

Jonathan sighed behind her. "You must be careful what you say in public, Princess."

"I know," she took a deep breath, which she let out slowly. "But I just needed to say it."