An impertinent affair

10. Dancing Havoc

Thomas knew he was going to regret asking the damn chit for the first dance. He had imagined this havoc the moment his padre had commanded him to ask Lady Elizabeth for the first dance.

But to actually live the moment...it was another thing altogether.

The bottom line was-the chit didn't know to dance. Her clumsy steps, her not so subtle stamps on his feet, her unnecessary fidgeting, it all reflected that dancing wasn't an instilled quality in the said lady. 

Unskilled, unpolished, untamed-that's what the chit was. 

And that did put the not-so-lady's legitimacy in question, because a Duke's daughter certainly did not trip thrice over her high shoes during a waltz. Imagining having the chit for a quadrille alone sent shivers down his spine.

Thud, and Thomas struggled to suppress a groan for the umpteenth time that evening. He looked down at the offending object, and unsurprisingly found the chit's golden heels crushing his poor feet. He fought a grimace threatening to conquer over his ever-serene face.

Too many battles this evening. I wonder just how many more are left to suffer through.

They were spiralling through the ballroom, when another attack landed on him. This time, he didn't wait before looking down at the chit, annoyance clearly written on his face. And what he saw was alarming.

Disturbing. Infuriating.

The woman was smirking. Bloody smirking!

She was enjoying the torture she was inflicting on him. It was a subtle emotion, but anybody with eyes could see the glitter of satisfaction on her face. The inference was even more shocking. She was having the time of her life seeing him in pain.

But...for what? If anything, then he should be furious with the damned chit for snatching away his only way to freedom. And not the other way round!

A wince escaped his mouth, much to his utter, utter embarrassment and his nemesis' delight. She looked up, her stark blue eyes paling everything else in sight. They had a distinct aura to them, a captivating power that rendered Thomas speechless. They had a certain shine to them-or was that a twinkle of satisfaction?

Thomas landed back on earth at that thought, irritation not sparing a moment before consuming him.

"Is there a problem, Your Highness?" She spoke for the first time in all evening.

He cleared his throat. It was his utmost wish to answer the damn chit back, but he held back his words. Instead, he looked straight ahead, a stoic passiveness masking his emotions.

After what seemed like ages, the orchestra struck the last note and the first waltz of the evening reached to an end.

First waltz of the evening...the thought was alarming. Had it been just the first dance? It had felt ages to him.

He bowed to the chit as she dropped into a curtsey, and with that he was about to turn on his heels when a thought struck him. A mischievous one. He straightened, and taking her hand from where it lay motionless on her side, he laid a lingering kiss on her wrist.

And the good thing-she wasn't wearing gloves.

He could feel the chit squirm slightly as he held onto her hand, his lips on her wrist. After the long minutes of total torture, revenge was due. He smothered her with a smirk of his own, and turned around from the flaring chit to meet the swarm of debutantes awaiting his arrival.

But one look at the royal dais was enough for him to regret his actions. Terribly. His padre looked smug, and very satisfied. And that was a lot to say. His father was rarely happy with anything, especially because of another person.

It was a dangerous sight. The king sitting atop his golden, jewel-decked throne, with his queen at his side, and the crowns adorned on their heads-it was ultimate power. Power that could crush everything.

Even their own prince. Their own child.

He was foolish to not have thought his actions through. It wasn't about a silly revenge game with a godforsaken chit. It was something else. Something bigger-and far more dangerous.

Thomas suddenly felt cautious of his surroundings. He looked around himself, locating the most important pieces of the Warnia's aristocracy's chessboard. He could spot his bothersome brother near the refreshments table, him entertaining the flock of ladies with his charismatic attitude. A subterfuge...a mask. But his dear brother didn't seem interested in him at the moment, so he looked for the other one-the puppet-and soon enough, in the darkest corners of the room, he found Lord Nargots. Alone.

And that spoke a lot. A lot. He had been watching. Even the little stunt of his-everything was under supervision. It was all being watched. Lord Nargots, with his glass of wine in hand, was currently watching something. Or rather someone.

And he did not need to know who.

It had just been a small action, kissing a lady's wrist-could even pass for a social custom-but such customs didn't exist in Warnia.

A worm of guilt made its way into his heart. He has caused the chit's doom. Because believe it or not, the chit's not safe now.

And all because of him. The chit's clearly naïve, it's a game for her, but not for him. Not for the onlookers. Not in Warnia. It was a sign-a sign he had initiated.

He looked around to locate the chit, but he didn't have to look for long. She was standing near the refreshment table, a plate heaped with sweets in her hands, listening carefully to the girl standing in front of her.

Hagan was on the other end of the table. They were so close, Hagan could notice her anytime.

But he let that thought go. Because he needed to think. Needed to figure out just how he could save the chit from being taken up by the tides of Warnian politics, how he could make his own choice for a wife, and just how he could get away with all this without the king meddling in.

It was an impossible task, but he had to make it happen.

Yes, he was actually thinking of saving the chit. She wasn't important, she wasn't affecting him in any way-but she had plopped herself in his life the moment she had accepted his hand during the first dance, or was it when she had decided to come to Warnia?

That didn't matter. Because he knew what would happen in the end. She would be a casualty of war. A political war.

And the most dangerous thing was-nobody knew there was an ongoing war. It was all hidden. All safely guarded. All dirtily played.

The girl had been destined to be puppet at the hands of Warnian politics.

A destiny he was about to change.

---------------------------------------