To Court a Lady

Chapter Nine

We walk down the corridors quietly until we stop at the entrance of the ball room. Harper embraces me before taking a breath and walking down the stairs, us closely following her. A warm applause fills the big room as we descend, eyes of every colour staring at our faces and dresses as if that is all that we are.

After two other debutantes and their ladies walk down, music fills the room and people converse, everyone knowing that the dances only start when the royal family is seated by the thrones. People walk around and converse, finding new friends and old ones.

"Ms. Willow. You look beautiful, your dress compliments you wonderfully."

I smile at one of the other ladies in waiting,
"Thank you, Ms. Gwen. As do you."

She rouges and walks away, flirtatiously prowling the ball room. The doors suddenly open at the top of the staircase and trumpets alert the presence of the royals. The same way as this morning the family walks down, everyone bowing or curtsying as they walk passed. When the sit on their throne, music starts and the first dance prepares itself to commence.

I watch a circle form around the dance floor and the debutantes walk to it, which makes it easier for the Crown Prince to find them. They do a full curtsey, which means sinking to the ground and bowing their heads. I stare at the six women, there is my sister, then Lady Carmen Sparrow, Lady Ashley Spencer, Lady Gwyneth Concord, Lady Zara Bouseur and Lady Espere Fleur.

The Prince takes the hand of Lady Spencer, lifting her from the ground. The other debutantes rise and are paired with other Lords as the music starts. A gentleman walks up to me,

"Will you do me the honours?"

I smile softly and put my slightly shaking hand in his extended one,
"I would love to."

As the music crescendos everyone takes their places. Bowing and curtsying before starting to dance the routines that are ingrained into our minds before birth.

When we rise at the end of the dance and I leave the dance floor, I look around and see Bash with a crown on his head.

I freeze, things happening around me as I stare at Bash, his worried eyes never leaving mine as he keeps walking to the royals -no- his parents thrones. Are his eyes worried? Or are they guilty, or shocked? I can't tell, panic settling over me. As I struggle to breathe I run to leave the suddenly too crowded, too hot, too noisy ballroom.

I struggle to move with my shoes and take them off. I search around and try to find a library to hide in.

How could I not know? I should have known. Or he should have told me. Or I should have gone to morning meals and dinner, I would have seen him. I rush to the secret door that I found on one of my midnight adventures but stop when I hear Bash's voice,

"Willow?"

I turn around and see him in the doorway, I curtsy and with a shaky voice speak up,
"Good evening, Your Royal Highness. I was just about to retire to my room."

I walk to the tapestry and pull it away, I stretch my hand out to open the door when I feel a warm hand around my cold one.

"Stay."

I turn and see him close to me, the door closed behind him.

"I am so sorry. I must have disrespected you so mu-"

"-No, you didn't, you treated me like a human. And I appreciate that very much, so very much. I just wish you didn't find out this way."

A negative thought travelled through my mind and spat out of my mouth before I could stop it,

"You mean you wish I didn't find out."

My eyes widen and I attempt to open the door again, this time with my other hand, but he grabs that hand as well,

"You're right. I wanted it to stay the way it was. I wanted you to never find out but truth always catches up to you and I should have told you, I really should have."

I let the tapestry fall over the door and look up at him,
"I don't know if I should forgive you. It sounds so cruel not to,"

Bash's eyes glaze over with tears as my tears start to spill. I feel Bash wrap his arms around me and I don't fight, finding comfort in the warmth that he seems to always emanate.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry to have kept that a secret, that wasn't fair of me. Forgive me?"

The worry and hope in his voice makes my heart break, because I want that too,

"Yes. But I don't know when."

He nods his head and pulls us apart, his eyes meeting mine,
"At least it is when and not if,"

After a few moments of silence, I smile ever so slightly,
"So when I asked you if you ever met Prince Sebastian before, you lied?"

Still in Bash's arms, I feel as his heart begins to beat a tiny bit faster,
"I didn't lie, I don't know who Prince Sebastian is, it is for the public to decide. I do know who Bash is and I know who Willow is and that is all I need to know in this world. The prince in me builds up walls, blocking out everyone. Bash never existed till you came. You came like a breath of fresh air and blew away my walls as soon as our eyes met."

I smile fully, sadness leaving as we start to return to normal.

"Thank you for forgiving me, Willow. I don't know what I would do without your friendship."

"That's why I forgave you, you'd be lost without me."

He laughs with me and I pull away from the embrace before placing a hand on his heart,

"No, but honestly, Bash, I don't know what I would do without our friendship either."