Maid For You 3

Chapter 59

Clapping filled the ballroom. Princess Calista and her father walked down the stairs gracefully, and once they reached the bottom, King Collin held out his hand for a dance with his daughter, and everyone watched as the two danced for a minute or two. For some reason, the scene pricked tears in my own eyes—it made me think of my own dad back home. I saw Queen Klara on the ballroom floor as well, dabbing at her eyes with a white handkerchief as she stood next to her own father.

When their short dance was through, Prince Nikolas walked up to Princess Calista and honored her with a deep bow. I couldn't hear what was said from where I stood, but I presumed that Nikolas had asked Calista to dance, as was requested and planned by the Queen. King Collin, holding his daughter's hand, took it and placed it in Nikolas's outstretched hand, and the two took their position to prepare to dance.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the announcer cried. "Let the ball commence!" Music played, and people began turning around and asking others to dance.

"Well, Cassie?" Mercucio said. "Shall we dance? You'll find that there aren't too many people our age."

I glanced around the ballroom, trying to see where Luke had ran off to. Whatever, I thought. He didn't have to leave me.

"Sure," I said, smiling at him. I'd find Luke afterwards. However, shortly after my dance with Mercucio, another person approached me.

"Harry, good to see you," I said.

"Cassie," he bowed. "Might I have this next dance?"

I didn't know how to politely say no—besides, it was just a dance anyways, and my own boyfriend was AWOL.

"You may," I conceded. Harry pulled me into the dance.

"Was your boyfriend unable to make it to the ball?" he asked as we started.

"Oh, he's here," I said. "I'll have to introduce him later."

"If he's here, then why isn't he with you?"

"Oh well, he just went to get a drink of water," I explained. "He was thirsty."

Harry rose an eyebrow. "Must have been pretty thirsty to leave you alone while you look like this."

It took me a second to process what he said, and I suddenly felt myself blushing. "Oh, um, thanks," I mumbled. After our dance ended, I determined to go and find Luke already. As I made my way through the dance floor, I was momentarily sidetracked by the sight of Lysander François walking up to Princess Calista.

"Hello, your highness," he said politely with a bow.

"Lysander?" she asked, her eyes widening like saucers and a smile growing on her face. "You're so tall now."

He smiled bashfully. "Well, it's been a long time."

"It's so good to see you again."

"You too, Calista," he said. My heart felt warm and fuzzy from the scene of the two of them, and I was so drawn into the scene that I didn't notice Prince Coleman was standing next me until I was turning to leave again.

"Oh, Coleman!" I was taken aback. He wore his black military coat and his hair was neatly styled. It had grown out some from when he'd first cut it, though it wasn't as long as it had once been.

"Cassie," he nodded. "How are you enjoying yourself?"

"Oh, I'm fine," I said, realizing that I needed to get away from Coleman ASAP if I was to avoid another disaster of a fight with Luke. "Thank you," I added as I hurried away from him. I finally found Luke hovering in some corner of the ballroom.

"Luke!" I called. "Where did you go?"

"I told you," he said. "I went to get water."

"And you never came back?" I asked irritably.

"Well, I came back and saw you dancing with Lord Mercucio. I didn't want to interrupt anything," he said disdainfully.

I clenched my jaw. "Well, I wouldn't have had to dance with him if the guy I came with didn't ditch me."

"You're allowed to dance with whoever you want to," Luke said. "It's a ball, after all."

"If that's the case, you don't have to be so petty about it."

"I'm not being petty. You asked why I didn't come up to you immediately and it was because you were dancing with someone else."

"Only because you left!"

"I had to get water. Is that so awful?"

"That was just an excuse to get away."

"I really was thirsty," Luke shot back. "Besides, I had nothing to contribute to your conversation."

"Whatever," I muttered. "Look, I want to introduce you to some people I know. Is that alright?"

"I'd rather not," Luke said. "I already know a lot of these people, anyways. I am Prince Coleman's butler, after all."

"Well then now you can meet them as my boyfriend and not as his servant."

"Ah, yes. And that is so much better."

"Seriously?" I asked. "You won't even go talk to my friends?"

"I really don't want to," he said.

"Fine!" I snapped. "We can just stand in this lovely corner you've picked out, then."

"We can always dance, you know," he said. "Unless, you'd rather just dance with Lord Harrison again."

"Oh my gosh!" I cried, exasperated. "I was on my way to look for you, and I couldn't just say no."

"Really? It's that hard to say no?"

I rolled my eyes. This whole date of ours was a disaster—Luke was angry and thus was being petty and picking fights, and I didn't have any sort of patience with him. Begrudgingly, we danced the waltz together, though anyone looking too closely would have seen the irritation in our eyes. After half an hour or so of silently dancing and meandering to the refreshment table and pretending like we weren't upset with each other, we were standing around next to each other when someone started to walk up to us.

To my great displeasure, it was none-other than Marstella Allegro walking up to us, wearing a dark green dress that hugged her body and complimented her vivacious red hair that was pulled up in an elegant updo. Of course—the Allegros had been invited due to their numerous boys, but I now especially wished that she had been left off of the guest list.

Bippity boppity back off, I thought. Oh, I was mad at Luke, to be sure, but suddenly I felt the strong urge to cling onto his arm and beg that we walk away, but it was too late because Marstella had approached us.

"Luke," she said in a husky sort of whisper, standing in front of him with huge eyes and a penitent expression.

"Hi Marstella," I cut in. She glanced at me for only a moment with a small, polite smile, before turning back to Luke.

"It's been a long time since we've been able to really talk," she said to him. "Might I have this next dance?"