I finished updating all of the chapters! Enjoy :)
Ariadne's POV
He looked around with his mouth open. "Doesn't... doesn't ring a bell? Everyone's heard of me! How could you not have?"
I grinned. "It does sound familiar, I'll give you that."
"Here, let me trigger your memory," he put his arm on my shoulder. "Picture this: two kids run into each other in the middle of the market, both were running away from their parents because they couldn't have something they wanted. They start talking and become instant friends-"
"That's only because I offered to buy you a pie!"
"That is beside the point, your highness. They are still friends today and I'm pretty sure they would be, with or without the pie."
I smiled and pushed his arm off my shoulder. "You think so?"
"I do," he said nodding honestly.
All of a sudden the ground seemed a lot easier to look at than the intense look in Peter's eyes. Only he had the ability to make me feel comfortable one minute and nervous the next. "How's your family doing?"
He rolled with my subject change easily. "They're fine. My parents are trying to insist they make it on their own, but they never argue too much when I help them out. But Julie has fallen ill, or else she would be here as well. But the doctor said she will be better within the month," Peter hurriedly explained, as he saw my reaction to the news.
"Oh good! I always loved Julie. I thought that maybe she snuck away from you and was already off dancing the night away."
"You know Julie alright. She told me to send you her best wishes," he said.
"Well, I hope she makes a full recovery. And be sure to send Julie my best wishes as well!"
He nodded. "Well, I'll leave you to your ball then," he said bowing.
"Wait," I said, then wondered what I was doing. "Promise you'll save at least one dance for me?"
He grinned. "I will, even if I have to break a few hearts doing it."
Then music then got louder and I saw Lord Tweedle making his way through the crowd towards me. I tried to find Peter, to look for an excuse to leave, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"My lady," a breathless Lord Tweedle called out. "Could I have the honor-"
"Princess, may I have this dance?" Lord Milford asked taking my hand.
"Of course," I said gratefully as he led me to the dance floor, passed a red Lord Tweedle.
It was a light dance, but still required a lot of concentration if you hadn't done it many times. I knew Lord Milford had danced this more than a few times because he was the one who had taught me. He was an excellent dancer but a quiet one as well; only responding with one or two words to my questions until I gave up trying to have a conversation entirely.
The next three dances were just as boring, some of my dance partners said something occasionally, and one of them kept stepping on my right foot during one of the faster songs. Afterward, the orchestra started playing a very fast paced song and I pulled myself away from the throng of men begging to dance with me and walked over to the refreshments table. I filled my glass with water then sat by a very beautiful and large plant so I could watch the dance.
"Ardeen?" A small voice whispered.
I jumped and then saw two small beautiful brown eyes looking at me from inside the bush. "What are you doing in there Iris?"
The 6-year-old giggled, "I just wanted some food. Sometimes it's gone by the end."
I sighed, "What would you like?"
"My favorite cookies."
"I will be right back, don't move." I hurried over to the refreshments, grabbed a handful of cookies and turned around to hurry back before anyone noticed me.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" A very handsome man with a silver suit and blue sash said.
"I was just going to sit down and rest for a second," I stammered.
"I'll go with you," he said and we walked back towards the seats by the bush. "A beautiful girl such as yourself must have a lovely name."
"I am Princess Ariadne," I said and curtsied, trying to remember if we had been introduced earlier. I hadn't heard any others announced while I was dancing.
"Oh! I apologize, your highness! I didn't know-"
"It's quite alright," I said realizing that we must not have been introduced, or he at least would have remembered me.
"I am Prince Wilson Mears Worthington II of Credarus in the 8th Realm," he said with a bow.
Hello, again!
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