by s. Behr
The dinner conversation was something I had been dreading, but between, Lily, Siri, Kai, and Penelope, I was lucky to get in the obligatory yes or nod as they described the wonders of both Amera and the Hg-1.
I couldn’t help but notice that Leo was the quietest of the group, eating his food with precision, smiling and nodding when he was supposed to.
After weeks of water, coffee, and ration bars, the first few meals since I returned home were blissful. But with each function I had to host, I was so nervous I hardly tasted a thing. Now, with Hailey in my pocket and Lily by my side, I felt as if I finally had some real friends with me.
I took Lily’s advice and allowed myself a little joy. I planned to savor each course as it was served, and I swallowed my drink as if still trapped in the entry of the hall of the Ark.
After I finished that first glass, I stared at the full one being handed to me by the Phoenix Prince himself. “Thank you,” I said to Leo.
“You’re welcome.” That was the first thing he had ever said to me. My lips formed a crooked smile as I took the glass from his hand. Then, the parade of dishes began. Starting with mushroom and onion consommé, then rice crisps topped with delicate smoked salmon and crème fraiche and scallions, followed by thin slices of avocado topped with sprinkles of bacon and a blend of smoked cheeses. With each dish, Prince Leo replaced my glass with a new one. An exchange of “thank yous” and “you’re welcomes” had become our entire conversation.
When a mountainous plate of whipped potatoes sitting beneath equally whipped lemon and garlic butter, topped with slivers of seared beef was set in front of me, I felt my mouth water. I forgot where I was and who sat next to me. I attempted an ambitious portion on my fork, but I had pushed the potato limit of my silverware beyond its max, and it tipped over inches from my lips, falling straight at my dress. A miracle napkin appeared, and the bite that nearly ruined Ameli’s entire day was caught by the Phoenix Prince.
“Th–thank you,” I said again, my cheeks flaming. I glanced at everyone else around us and saw they were tangled in laughter and their own conversations.
“You’re welcome,” he said with a gentle smile.
I was beginning to feel like he could see the future. Of all the things the Phoenicians had been accused of that was not one of them. I chuckled at my own ridiculousness.
“Share what is so funny, Princess Violet,” Kai said.
My cheeks flamed again, and I scrambled for an explanation. “I think the berry wine is just starting to get to me.” I tried to wave it off like it was nothing. But was it? An image of little Raya flashed in my mind, and I wondered. I glanced over at Leo, who was now engaged in a conversation with the Canaian Princess. Her easy laugh and closeness to him sent heat up my spine.
It’s just paranoia, I said to myself. With everything I had been through recently, I was surprised I had made it this far through dinner. And still, with everything on my mind, I couldn’t help but continue to steal glances Prince Leo’s way, watching as he charismatically spoke to everyone just enough to elude suspicion, but not enough to let anyone behind the veneer his title and rank afforded him. Despite his best efforts, I knew there was far more to him than a charming smile.
Kai, however, was my greatest curiosity. Throughout the night, I expected him or his sister to mention the twin brother missing from this function. But they were flawless, and no hint of anyone named Lance was given in any story the pair of humans told. It was as if I was the only one who knew he existed.
“Is it true?” Penelope asked. “Is it true the things they say you can do?”
The Amerans at the table grew still, but it was Kai, who came to his sister’s rescue. “Penelope, we talked about this, remember? Here in Amera, asking about one’s abilities would be like asking someone’s age or financial status back home. It is impolite.” He pinched her cheek, as she exhaled, clearly worried she had ruined dinner.
To everyone’s surprise, Leo spoke up. “If everyone spent their time trying to prove who was the most gifted, there are some who would get nothing done.” He eyed his brother. Smiling back at Penelope, he continued. “Amera is a beautiful place, and to miss out on it because we chose to waste our days on such silly things would be a shame, don’t you agree?”
Penelope’s smile returned, and another cask of wine was poured for those of us old enough to drink. Calling it wine was misleading, it was really juice that had begun the fermentation process, and if you drank gallons or weighed twenty pounds, you might get tipsy. However, you were more likely to go into a sugar coma first. This batch was from the first harvest of the year, and it was the best of its kind.
Despite being the weaker cousin to the wine being served at the adult tables, it was enough to alleviate most social anxiety, which I was painfully reminded was necessary when dinner concluded. I looked across the ballroom and noticed the tables being cleared. Many of them began to lower into the floor, with panels sliding across the empty space and forming a dance floor.
Internally, I sagged. I had forgotten. I couldn’t believe after everything I had been through over the last weeks that there wasn’t some way I could have managed to save myself from this. My chest wound tight as the lights dimmed, and the crowd cheered as a spotlight illuminated the famous Crest Ryans.
“That’s right, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is that time of the night! It’s time to open the dance floor!”
Even as the crowd cheered, I sighed into the back of my hand. “I’m doomed.”
Aristotle once wrote, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” I grimaced. This was going to be a disastrous display of my worst habit.
Crest waited for the applause to die down. When it did, he beamed and said, “Welcome honored guests from across the globe. I would like you all to give a special welcome to the High King and Queen Asher. Your Majesties, welcome, and thank you for joining us tonight here on this historic evening.
“I haven’t seen this many courts in one ballroom in ages. This is a truly remarkable night. Any chance to bring the nine realms together is a reason to celebrate! Wouldn’t you agree?” he exclaimed with a huge smile, throwing his hands in the air as the crowd cheered in agreement.
“Now it is a tradition here in Amera that we open the evening’s entertainment with a special dance. The grace and beauty of the waltz once captivated ballrooms across the globe, and once again has found its way across Amera. Wouldn’t you agree, Ladies and Gentlemen?” He paused dramatically letting the audience’s cheers linger a little longer. Satisfied, he continued.
“As many of you know, and for our honored guests, my favorite part of this tradition is that the royal children of the hosting courts begin the evening’s dance with a guest of their choosing.” The audience went silent hanging on Crest’s every word. “But Princess Violet, one of the loveliest of young ladies, who I am proud to call my princess…” A small smattering of applause interrupted him, as he bowed for me. “Our Princess is an only child of a rare joint house, and while I mean no offense, Your Majesties, we are at the mercy of who we love, and love is unconcerned with the politics of this day or any other!”
He beamed a smile as he winked at my parents and the crowd cheered. “Even though we know our princess is more than just a delicate flower, I believe it would be unfair of us to put so much pressure on such a lovely young lady, don’t you agree?” He waved to the crowd as they applauded even louder. I didn’t know if it was because they were relieved to not have to watch me make a fool of myself or if they knew they were in for one of Crest’s trademark moves.
“So, how would you feel if we broke the rules just this once?” Whistles and cheers roared through the room. Shaking his head, Crest Ryans gazed around the ballroom with an air of disappointment. “I am not sure you all are ready for this much excitement. Perhaps we should bring the tables back for a second round of dessert.” He feigned a frown at the crowd’s response.
The chatter and applause roared even lou
der, and Crest boomed, “Could we please have the Phoenician court’s Prince Leo and Prince Siri join our dear Princess Violet in the task of opening the dance this evening?”
Chants of Leo and Siri’s name echoed throughout the hopefuls that they would be chosen by the fair-haired brothers. I even saw Aspen and Nyssa wave their hands before they got a jab or a teasing grin from their brothers that returned them to the perfect princess pose.
The spotlights found us instantly, and my back straightened as the two princes stood. Leo turned and offered his hand to Princess Camelia, and Siri in perfect form chose Penelope, her ear to ear grin displaying her ecstatic joy at being chosen.
Meanwhile, having been to so few formal balls, I felt the heat rise up my spine. I was unsure if I was to wait to be chosen, or if I was supposed to choose my partner. I hadn’t even bothered to stand up yet.
Only seconds ticked by when Kai offered his hand to me. I silently thanked him for saving me as he pulled me from my chair and toward the dance floor. As I passed Lily, her face was a mix of disappointment that neither of the Asher Princes had chosen her and a fervent giddiness seeing me with Kai. I stifled a laugh as she winked at me.
The lights followed us as we made our way onto the dance floor. Kai, in all his grace, made certain I didn’t fall over the yards of fabric that was this dress. When we reached the center of the dance floor, all three couples bowed and curtsied, as they would have thousands of years ago.
The waltz itself was argued to be one of the most elegant dances in the history of dance. I was the farthest thing from elegant, however, it was exactly the kind of dance you could pull off just by turning and swinging your dress at the appropriate times, appearing to have some skill.
“This comes easy for you,” Kai whispered to me as he began to spin me around the room.
I smiled. “I think you are suffering from forced perspective. You’re standing so close you can’t see the flaws.”
He laughed. “That might be true, but you have had more than one day to practice, and so far, compared to Penelope, my toes prefer you as my partner.”
My gaze found Siri and the young Penelope across the dance floor. To his credit, the younger Asher Prince showed no signs of distress each time she stepped on his foot, even lifting her into a twirl that showed off the masterful Hg-1 fashions, as well as saving his feet.
“Is dancing popular where you’re from?” I asked as I spun and turned, the spin of my skirt obscuring his face for a moment.
“No, I wouldn’t say that our people really have time for things like this,” he said, looking around.
“Well, don’t judge us by tonight. Evenings like this are rare. My people spend most of their days in the fields working the land, attending to the food needs of a nation,” my chin raised proudly.
Looking genuinely impressed, the Ambassador’s son swirled me about so quickly that I lifted off the ground, forgetting myself as a genuine laugh escaped.
“So, she does laugh,” he said with a sly grin. “You should have that pleasure more often.”
I glanced away, feeling a rush of heat in my cheeks. “I don’t get to dance often.”
He winked. “I find that hard to believe.”
I had to give him credit; he knew exactly what to say and when to say it. My gaze focused on a button on his shirt. I didn’t know what to do with all this flattery.
With another turn, Kai pried a little more. “What does a princess from Neyr do for fun? Where would you rather be than here?”
“I think I prefer training with Rall to a night of ballroom dancing,” I said dryly, meaning it with every fiber of my being.
“A feisty princess. I approve. Rall, he is Captain of the King’s Guard, isn’t he?”
I nodded. “Rall has been with my father since before he was king. They grew up together.” I smiled, thinking about a young Rall and my father playing pranks on each other.
“And he trains you as well?” he asked.
“I don’t know how he finds the time, but yes,” I said thoughtfully.
“A warrior. I can appreciate that. Strong women are coveted where I come from.” He smiled, pulling me to him, eliminating all space between us.
Being this close to Kai, I saw he was identical to his brother in almost every way, just as I thought when I first studied him. But after getting over the shock of realizing they were twins, their appearance was where the similarities seemed to end. Kai was easy going and buoyant. The Lance I’d seen at the Ark was the real him when he thought no one was watching. I wondered if this was Kai’s true nature, or if it was all a facade commanded by his father, as I had been commanded by my own parents. Kai’s charm was so disarming that I could easily forget he was one half of a set of twins, and the mystery behind why they were keeping it a secret made my smile fade. I was here to get information for my realm, and for myself. I tried to focus on all the strategies that Hailey and I had worked on.
“Have you ever wanted a brother?”
He looked at me for a second, revealing a crack in his perfect demeanor, but the mask of the carefree boy returned. “Who wouldn’t want a brother? Don’t get me wrong; having a sister is great. Penelope is the light of our family. She even has her own special set of rules. But having someone that truly understood, that would be special.”
He was good.
“You have been an only child all this time, haven’t you?” he asked.
“Yes, I have. But happily not for much longer—the twins were a great surprise.”
Since learning my parents were expecting, I had truly been happy at the thought of finally having a sibling, let alone two. A united monarchy was unusual, but what made ours even more unique was that both my father and I had been only children. That was all about to change. I remembered how excited I had been to learn about the twins, but now I swallowed the sickening bile trying to escape my gut and pushed back at the fury.
I needed to work my way into the Hg-1’s circle, and I couldn’t let my emotions ruin this. I forced a smile until I thought my lips might crack, but Kai didn’t seem to notice.
“Twins are a special thing, wouldn’t you say?” I questioned.
Kai stared at me, his eyes narrowed just the slightest degree. The music ended, and he bowed, escaping the question.
He kissed my fingers. “Thank you, Your Highness. I hope this was just the first of many.” Kai gave me a wicked grin and released my hand.
I blew it. Deflated, I went in search of Lily as the dance floor opened to all. Suddenly swamped with guests eager to get close to the royals that they admired from afar, I was separated from Kai with so many dance partners clamoring to be by his side, eager to say they had danced with a human, and a beautiful one at that.
I took a deep breath and tried to sneak away, but as I approached the edge of the dance floor, a hand took mine and gently spun me around.
For a moment, the dizziness of the spin made me think I was seeing things. As he drew me closer, even with curls on top of my head, I barely reached the top of his shoulder, but there was no denying I was in the arms of the Phoenix Prince, Leo Asher.
It took a moment to be sure I wasn’t hallucinating, dreaming, or letting my imagination run wild. As we twirled around the dance floor, it became clear I was, in fact, dancing with the tall, solid, and perfectly real Prince Leo. I had no idea what to say and “thank you” didn’t seem to apply in this situation.
Focusing on the steps of the dance and praying I would make it to the end without tripping over my feet or my mouth, I noticed Nyssa and Aspen in the crowd. I could practically feel the daggers disguised as smiles headed right for me.
As we completed our first turn around the room, I knew it wasn’t the people watching or how handsome he was that made me so anxious.
One, two, three, turn. One, two, three, turn. I felt the tug of my dress under my feet. Blooms, I’m going down.
But before I could fall, I was lifted into a spin that swept my feet off the ground. A gasp of laught
er escaped me, surprising me despite how nervous I was at being this close to him.
“That is a beautiful sound,” he said in a coarse whisper.
“Yes, the music is lovely. I believe it was discovered in 288 A.R. somewhere in Exa,” I recovered, although awkwardly.
“I meant your laugh.” His mouth settled into a soft grin as he stared at me with his impossibly blue eyes.
“I’m sure that you say that to all the girls,” I deflected, glancing at the ground and hoping he didn’t see the color burning my cheeks. Our first conversation had not gone as I had imagined, but this one was even more unimaginable.
“No, I don’t,” he answered without hesitation. “It’s not often I hear a sincere laugh.”
The conversation sounded familiar, but with this one, despite all the hidden things stacked against it, and unlike my earlier talk with Kai, I didn’t feel the need to search for clues. In Leo’s arms, as we swirled around the dance floor, I should have felt self-conscious, even guilty for what I did to him. But at this moment I couldn’t muster either emotion. The closer our bodies edged toward each other, a stronger a strange yet familiar calm swept through me. It reminded me of when his father spoke to me at the end of the tribunal. I wondered if it was a family trait or if emotions were something Phoenicians could control.
This man could probably know everything about me in a blink of a synapse if he wanted, but I wasn’t afraid, and I didn’t know why. For a moment, I let myself wonder what it would be like to have someone in my life I had nothing to hide from. The idea that someone could know the real me, and not just the princess they painted in the press.
To be who I was and not be afraid. I had never been free to be myself with anyone, not even my parents. For whatever reason, this prince from the Phoenix Realm made me feel as if I could dare to dream.
But as soon as the thought tried to grow roots in my mind, reality grounded it back into the dirt. I knew that would never happen for me, especially not with a person like Leo Asher. If someone knew even half the damage I carried, they would run for the Wild Steel Mountains.
