Beastly

Dance with me

"May I have this dance, milady."he asked as the dimple at the side of his left cheek deepened.

What did he just say?,they were already dancing for goodness sakes,then what was the need to ask if he had just forcefully torn her away from lord Raphael not that she cared about dancing with him but he could have shown a little more manners, it was so rude of her to have left him in the circle and it was all because of this...this man!,and now he suddenly decided to ask her for a dance when he had already taken it without her consent,no!,she was having none of this.

She let go of his hand and turned to leave to only have her hand held again before she could take more than a few steps away,he pulled her hand and her back crashed into his muscle hard chest ,his hand curled around her waist as a small gasp escaped her lips.

He couldn't begin to imagine the nerve of her to reject a dance from him.

"No?"he asked, his voice and breath fanned her ear, there was this chill to his voice that had goosebumps creep onto her skin but then his hands were so warm, she could feel it despite her gloves, if she wasn't aware of people's gaze on her since she stepped on the dance floor with Lord Raphael well now she was, it was very hard to ignore the way people looked at her,she took a deep breath sucking enough air into her lungs as it seemed like she was losing her breath and wits

"Yes."she said thinking that she would be released.

"Yes, it is."he said twirling her around to face him.

"What?" This is outrageous.

"No!,I meant no!"she said .

"You seem confused, what is your name?"he asked, his eyes staring into her's, it felt like he was staring into the depths of her soul and it also felt like he didn't understand English or maybe he was just choosing to ignore her.

"I don't want to dance with you."she said again, this time more clearly.

"Well that is one long name you have."he said ,his grey eyes sparkling in mirth.

Yes, he definitely was ignoring her words,she might as well complete the dance ,the sooner she answered his questions the sooner she would be free from this formidable man and back with her sisters,she looked round the huge room for a second Tina was dancing with yet another man at the far end of the room, she had her back turned to her,she couldn't see father, mother or Trice from her angle. The earlier the better she told her self again.

"Cathrianna."she said looking back at the man before her,had he been staring at her all the while?,his brows raised in question.

"Cathrianna.......?"he drew trying to get her answer and she could only give in.

"Winter."she answered.

He smiled ,"now why does that sound familiar."

"Because it's a season...?"she said seeing no other reasonable explanation, well of course it would sound familiar ,it's a bloody season!.

"I think not."he said and she wasn't really aiming for an argument so she said nothing further.

"Cathrianna winter."her name rolled on his tongue and it sounded quite lovely like something velvety which if she thought with her right senses ,it wasn't a good sign.

Then she felt that feeling of unease creep unto her sink.

Not again.she thought ,she needed air ,yes ,that was what she needed and she would definitely feel better, but that didn't seem like something she could do at this very moment,she looked down at his hands around her waist,he had a really firm grip and it didn't feel like he was ready to let go any minute and her uneasy was only growing by the minute and when the music finally came to an end she couldn't have been more gratefully about something in her entire life. He let go of her waist but not her hand then he bowed, bringing her hand closer he placed a kiss on it , a kiss that lingered more than necessary,a kiss that flamed through her body despite her gloves.

"It was a pleasure dancing with you,princess."he said standing erect as he met eye as wide as saucers and without another word,he left.

"what?"she whispered.

"But how did..."she trailed off

"I didn't even get his name ,no.. wait"she muttered ready to go after him when she felt someone grab her wrist, pulling her away from the dance floor , away from the ballroom, through the entrance of the palace.

"Mother , what's wrong?,are we going already?"she asked when she was finally out of her daze.

"There is no time Thrianna, I'll explain later."she said as they arrived in front of their carriage while the foot man opened it,weren't they supposed to meet the lord of Nightfalls here?

"Get in."she said as Thrianna stepped in still confused as to what was going on,she was even more confused watching the carriage door close.

"You're not coming?,what about father ,Trice ,Tina they are still in there." she said sticking her head out through the window.

"Take her back-"she said looking at the coach man with all seriousness "- to Gatrish"she said as Thrianna's eyes snapped from her mother to the Coachman then back to her mother again, surely she wasn't serious, was she?,she thought in doubt.

"Why?"

"Take some guards along with you,go now!"her mother said not bothering to answer her questions,she sighed rolling her eyes , it felt like everybody was ignoring her tonight and why did it feel like her mother was in panic,why was she even leaving?,and oh God!,she felt like she was going to throw up.

She eased back on the chair covering her nose and mouth with her palm as she closed her eyes.

Fredrick stepped out to find his wife staring at the space before her.

"I have been looking for you, did you come out here for some air?" He asked standing beside her.

"I told you she shouldn't have come,I told you to keep her out of this, she is younger and naive ,she hasn't been introduced to suitors yet,she doesn't know a thing about them but no, you wouldn't listen."she said as she turned to meet his gaze.

"Where is all this coming from?, where's Thrianna?"he asked her scanning the surroundings .

"I sent her away."