Wildfire

Seven

"Rayne...You need not be so nervous..." The Prince's voice is gentle as he whispers in my ear, the shudders rolling themselves down my body as he leads our bodies carefully through the elegant movements of the slow dance he had lured me into... Having now had the chance to look the man in the face he looks much less aggressive than the volume of his call had suggested, his handsome face kept soft as he gazes down at me with a firey fondness that makes my very nerves stand on end. 

I've not ever had the chance to see the paintings of his highness for there are few, but now that I've laid eyes on him I do not believe that any canvas could ever capture the cunning in his sharp hazel eyes or true midnight tone of his long hair as it flows down his back, the top half pulled back away from his face and held in a braid tied off with a ribbon just as opulent as his black and gold robes. 

How can I not be nervous when the target on my back just got so much bigger, the hands around my waist nearly plastering my body against his own, the heat radiating from his broad chest dehydrating enough to make me feel faint. My movements are struggling to be anywhere near as elegant as Prince Emrys's as we make our slow twists and turns around the dance floor. Surely he must know that having me be his companion for his first turn around the floor would border on scandalous since I should not be here in the first place... And yet here we are, a quiet, "I-I'm sorry, Your Highness..." Slipping from my lips. 

...

Emrys

...

As lovely as he had been from afar, I must say that Rayne is even more stunning up close, his hair glittering under the thousands of candles melting away in the light fixtures hanging above us, his eyes misty as he clings to me ever so pliable being moved by my hands and the feel of my body against his own...

Hold him even in this capacity feels... Good... My inner beast pleased at what he finds when he peers through my eyes and glimpses the stunning image that is Rayne's flushed pearlescent skin, his tones all gold and silver as he shivers in time to the music... Its as though the two of us have found a jewel, and the urge to pull him closer and never let him know another moment apart from me grows stronger and stronger with each timid meeting of our eyes. He's so shy in his mannerism... In the way, he holds himself to me without letting himself completely lean into my embrace... The way the gold in his eyes flare to life with an eery glow every time he feels my fingers flex themselves into his sides... His temperament is every bit as calm as I had hoped it was, and he seems well-mannered... Ever gentle as he determinedly keeps track of his feet so as not to step on mine in our entanglement.

"What plagues you so that you cannot let yourself relax with me? I'd very much like to get to know you but fear you may be too tense to enjoy the conversation." Not that it isn't an endearing trait, his nerves causing the flush built up in his cheeks to deepen even more before he answers me.

"I...Your Majesty... I'm fearful that the other guests may take offense to this... To you insinuating yourself to be my suitor when this morning it was thought I wouldn't be allowed here to begin with..."To us dancing... His answer is just as stiff as his shoulders become when the song starts to morph into the next tune and I still keep my hands around his delicate waist. 

...

Rayne

...

At first, the loss of one of Prince Emrys's hands around my waist comes as a relief, my mind immediately hoping that he's intent on releasing me only to find our feet scrolling to a stop so that he might cup my cheek and pull my face and gaze upwards, his next words stunning me more than his actions. 

"Rayne... I've not been able to look away from you since you entered the room... I do not think anyone here could fault me for listening to my instincts when they so loudly drive me towards you." The words cause my already anxiety weakened knees to give out entirely, the arm around my waist growing ever tighter as he catches me and holds me upright by pulling me in close against himself with a whispered, "Careful..."

"You cannot mean that..." He cannot in all seriousness expect me to think that he would welcome me after he and his family had denied my very existence for so long... They had made me feel like less than I am... They had been personally responsible for the crafting of the odd estrangement blossoming between my parents and I as they struggle to accept that even though they think of me as their son the rest of the world would prefer it if they left me to live in the shadows of their home as a nameless faceless guest and nothing more.

"I was going to wait to approach you on the matter until we had all retired for the evening, but I'm finding myself too drawn to you to find a reason for the delay, Rayne... The one I want to be my bride is in my arms and I would prefer that he stay there for the rest of the evening."

...

Emrys

...

It seems as though Rayne's trembling only grows harder as he stares up at me seemingly mystified at the very suggestion that his presence here would be taken just as seriously as all of the other bachelors and bachelorettes in attendance at tonight's ball. I cannot resist the urge to draw my hand down his beautiful face until my thumb can stroke his plump bottom lip while I enjoy the feel of him clinging to me for support.

"Prince Emrys!", The disbelief on his face could almost be taken as an offense, though I know it is likely his own timidness that leads him to the conclusions he's come to in his head... The way his hands flutter in front of my chest enchanting me in the feel of him all over again, the truth in my words making it even more enjoyable, "I... I need some air I think... M-My head is swimming and I cannot talk of this when so close t-to fainting...Please, would you mind so terribly if I excused myself to the garden for a moment?"

The words are whimpered, his body language broadcasting that just as mine had been, his words are also true, his body sagging even more in my hold as he starts to go limp against me.