Fall for Me

seven

~ l e o r a

"YOU LOOK ABSOLUTELY stunning, Princess," Janne, who was the maid, positioned beside me gushed, setting down the hairbrush she held. 

From the back of the room, I had a full view of myself in the mirror. I wore a light pink satin gown with a thin piece of translucent grey fabric draped around the skirts from the waist. A line of pearls separated the skirts from the bodice, which was strapless and had a sweetheart neckline, which plunged slightly lower than I would have liked. The corset underneath crushed my lungs and I struggled to breathe with every movement. My heels were even higher than before and my feet already felt sore from just standing where I was, shameless admiring my reflection. A pearl necklace hung about my neck, the string seemingly invisible, as if the precious gemstones magically hovered over the tip of my chest. My hair had been curled and braided magnificently into a dutch braid. The end dangled a few inches above my hip.

"Thank you," I murmured, spinning on the spot a few times. 

The maids, including the one currently in the same room as me, had scrubbed me spotless. Even the ones back in Rheane didn't do as well when they were getting me ready for any events. The jagged points of my nails had been smoothed to near half-circles, manicured and polished. The maids even shaved my legs and arms, demolishing any sign of hair. I had squirmed through the whole thing, wondering how many times the other princesses had to endure this kind of treatment.

"What time is it?" I asked, twirling one last time, the skirts flying upward as I did so.

"Nearly ten past five, Princess," Janne glanced briefly at the clock perched on the bedside table. I gasped. The party was to start at five and I was already almost ten minutes late. 

I cursed under my breath and tripped over my heels as I hastily yanked open the doors. Janne steadied me, and I muttered a quick goodbye before throwing myself out into the hall and speeding past the empty rooms belonging to the other princesses without a look behind me, grimacing as my shoes dug into the soles of my feet painfully. Idriss, the woman who had received us when the princesses and I arrived at the palace, had each given us a map of the castle and told us to memorize the it so we could navigate our way through the endless halls with ease and effortlessly locate where each room was situated. I had run the way to the ballroom from my room through my head multiple times, ensuring I would not get lost in one of the many maze-like hallways.

Turning sharply, I ran smack into another person, and I would had stumbled backward and landed on my back, had he not caught me by the waist. My eyes flickered up and suddenly faced the noble I had seen walking past us. His amber eyes watched me intently, almost trying to figure out what I was thinking. We were only a hair's breadth apart and I shuffled back nervously, pulling out of his hold.

"Thank you, um..." I paused, expecting him to tell me his name.

"Mason Canterbury at you service." He bowed. He had a strong Aecho accent which meant he had spent quite a few years of his life here in this country. I jumped when he took my hand, startled at the contact, and he seemed amused, a small grin etched onto his face. 

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lord Canterbury." I couldn't stop myself from blushing furiously when he planted a kiss on the back of my hand torturously slowly. An electric current flowed up my arm, sending fireworks exploding in the pit of my stomach. 

"The pleasure is all mine, and please, call me Mason." He smiled against my skin. "I was just coming to fetch you, actually. My cousin can be terribly impatient sometimes." 

The only person he could be talking about was the prince. As I registered this, my mouth gaped open. 

"You're the prince's cousin?" I snapped my lips back together. He raised an expertly styled brow as if he were surprised that I had no knowledge of his relation to the prince. I hesitated and another thought battled itself into my head. "The prince sent for me?"

"Of course! What kind of man would you think he was if he started a party without a guest?" He looked taken aback, almost shocked at my question. Swiftly changing the subject, he said, "Come, let me escort you."

He offered an arm and I took it, inserting my own through the crook of his elbow. Voices arose from inside closed doors and a pair of guards were stationed outside, glaring unblinkingly at a tapestry opposite them. Unwaveringly, they swung open the doors as we approached, bowing deeply. I still wasn't used to the immense respect everyone showed me.

The ballroom was sumptuous, decorated exquisitely with ribbons of soft green and lavender. The grand chandelier sparkled resplendently, dispersing shards of light around the room, enchanting those who took one look at it. Tables filled the back, covered with an assortment of bowls and plates, which were packed tightly together. There were bottles and bottles of bubbling drinks, beckoning the guests over to use it to quench their thirst. Everyone was clothed from head-to-toe in dazzling coats, suits and gowns. I took a look at my own gown and instantly felt underdressed. My palms began to sweat, and my heart rate increased.

"Don't be nervous, it's just a party," Mason re-assured me, flashing me a bright grin. I forced a smile onto m face, scanning the room for any sign of the princesses. 

I spotted one of them greeting a woman with greying hair dressed in a massive gown of chartreuse. She held a goblet encrusted with rubies and other unique gems I failed to recognize. Taking a delicate sip, she set it down onto a silver tray and I lifted both of my eyebrows. 

Was she just going to leave it there for someone else?

As if answering my unspoken question, the elderly woman placed a hand into the princess's and, despite her age, sashayed away.

"Would you like something to eat?" Mason broke through my thoughts. Not waiting for a reply, he led me toward the snack bar, nudging me at the side for me to pick something. I hesitated.

Stacks of biscuits and shortbread overfilled the plates and muffins and cupcakes topped with multi-colored icing crowded the table. Golden and silver goblets glittering with precious gemstones surrounded half a dozen pitchers and bottles of wine, water and other beverages. All the the delicacies on this single table could feed my village for at most three days.

"Is something the matter, Princess?" Mason looked at me in concern, selecting a blueberry muffin from the a glass stand. I nodded quickly, randomly grabbing something from one of the various plates and bowls. It was a shortbread, decorated with edible silver pearls. 

"Everything's fine." I munched into the treat, savoring the way the bread melted on my tongue. It was delicious, finer than anything I had ever had from the local bakery in my village.

I must have done something incredibly embarrassing for Mason was smirking at me, his muffin half-way to his mouth. I chewed rapidly, my jawing aching with the effort, but before I could open my mouth and ask what I had done, a shadow loomed over me and Mason's face visibly darkened.

Whipping my head up, my forehead nearly collided with the shoulder of the crown prince. He wore an enigmatic expression, his lips tugged upward slightly, but his eyes gave away no sign of humor. He had an arm around the waist of a young woman with preposterously large breasts. She was clothed in a scarlet gown with a deeply troubling plunging neckline. Her brown hair hung in curls below her abdomen. She scrutinized me with narrowed eyes. My eyes flicked back to the prince.

Instinctively, I curtseyed, drooping my head. "Your Highness," I mumbled, wrestling with the effort it took to stay upright on my heels.

"Please, rise." The prince used his free hand to cup the base of my elbow, signaling for me to stand straight. I did as I was told. "I am pleased you decided to join us today, Lord Canterbury." He directed this at Mason, a cold, crooked smile playing on his lips.

"Of course, Your Highness. Why would I miss such a chance to welcome five beautiful ladies into the palace?" Mason returned the smile, bowing before doing so. The prince looked outraged.

"Your Highness, the music has started. Shall we go dance?" The woman snapped the prince out of his angry thoughts. 

Sure enough, the musicians who had arrived not moments ago had already set up their instruments and had begun to play. The prince's face softened ever so slightly as he nodded, shooting one last dagger-like glare in his cousin's direction. When he was out of earshot, I leaned toward Mason.

"What was that all about?" I furrowed my brows, gazing after the prince, my lips forming into a frown. Mason was quiet beside me and I knew he didn't want to talk about it. I was about to tell him I would leave him alone if he wanted when he turned to me, his eyes blazing with a kind of intensity that left my knees weak.

"Dance with me, Princess Leora," Mason said to me over the music. He stretched out a hand, silently begging me to take it. After a moment of uncertainty, I grasped it and, for the second time, I felt another electric current zap through me.

As Mason guided me toward the dance floor, I secretly ran through all the dance steps and positions my father and mother had taught me when I was only a little girl. They believed I had great potential and would one day need the skill. They were right.

Closing my hand around his, I rested the palm of my other hand onto his shoulder, the fabric of his suit rubbing against my skin. He pulled me against him unexpectedly and I slid forward, a small squeak of surprise escaping my lips. His arm snaked around my waist and I fidgeted uncomfortably, realizing how disturbingly close we were. Through the corner of my eye, I noticed the crown prince staring at us, gliding smoothly across the room with the brunette clinging onto him like her life depended on it. Invisible white flames licked furiously at the image of me reflected in his glimmering, silver eyes. 

Mason and I spun with the rhythm of the music, and I was always conscious of how my chest touched his. I wanted to pull away, but I knew I couldn't. It would be disrespectful to not only him but the royal family. Rejection was one of the most embarrassing and discourteous acts in the world.

A few minutes later, my feet began to thrum in pain and the insides of my gown were sweaty with the immense amount of work it took to keep up with Mason. He was exceptionally good at dancing, better than any I had seen before, but it was too wearying for me to keep going.

"I need some air," I panted, stopping by one of the tables to grab a glass of water. He watched me as I drank the whole thing in one gulp.

"Do you need me to come with you?" He asked, pouring himself a glass of Champagne. 

"I'm okay but thank you for the offer." I chose my words carefully, knowing that if I said the wrong thing, it would hurt him tremendously. It didn't end well the last time that happened.

I edged past the bodies of the guests and found myself facing the garden behind the palace. I strode through the doors and sighed as the cold air enfolded me in its arms. My bare arms prickled with the bitterness of the gust of wind that blew past, caressing my flushed skin. My eyes wandered toward the rows of hedges growing at the side of the vast garden, littered with the colorful buds of flowers. The bronze and pinkish tint in the sky spread on across the entire land, the gradually descending sun flaring with amber light.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" A low voice penetrated through my trance and I twisted around, meeting with the face of the crown prince. 

His delicate silver eyes blinked down at me, his survey of me causing me to redden. He loosened his cravat, letting it hang limply around his neck. The top button of the collar of his shirt was unfastened, allowing air to pass through his lungs more easily.

"It is," I replied, turning back around. I heard and felt him at the same time as he walked up to stand next to me, his hands shoved into the pocket of his pants.

"Are you not cold?" He gave me a once-over, shaking off his suit jacket. 

Before I could protest, he wrapped it around me, securing it around my figure by clasping the buttons closed. My arms were trapped underneath, and I suddenly felt exceedingly awkward. The prince rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and I saw the muscles in his arms bulge. I looked away immediately.

"What brings you out here?" He questioned, trying to start a conversation. 

"It felt too crowded, so I decided to get some air," I answered, inhaling sharply to express my point. He chuckled lightly. "What about you, Your Highness?"

I observed him curiously as he thought for a moment. "I guess I needed some space too," he responded after a second. He must've done this often for which prince didn't attend a party every day?

We stayed silent for some time, accompanying each other but not speaking. The faint outline of the moon could be seen through the thin clouds drifting along the sky, glittering with the lambency of the appearing stars. The halo of sunlight vanished behind the distant trees and mountains capped with white, the sky ornamented with swirling streaks of magenta and gold, like the thoughtfully and skillfully knitted lace on a royal gown.

The prince broke the silence. "I'd like you to call me Ashton. Only my friends call me that." He suddenly looked sorrowful. His silver-gray eyes seemed to contain all the sadness in the world.

"How many friends do you actually have, considering the fact that you are the crown prince of Aecho?" I tilted my head to the side to try and catch is eye. His lips parted.

"To tell you the truth, I don't have many. Not true ones, anyway," he whispered, loud enough for me to hear. I could hear the despair in his voice. "And there's no point if I do. None of them are in the palace."

I pondered over what he said for a few seconds. "I could be someone you could talk to. I'm a pretty good listener, if I may say so myself," I said shyly, tangling my fingers together.

"You would do that?" The prince gently took my chin in his hand looked me in the eye to see if I was lying or not. The soft pads of his fingers glided across my skin.

"Why not?" I shrugged. "But I will only be here for a several days. I'm returning to Rheane after you birthday, remember?"

"Oh, of course." His eyes gleaming as if he knew something others didn't

"And I guess for the meantime, you can call me Leora." I offered. "If you want to, I mean."

"I'd like that," he murmured. 

I could feel his eyes studying me as I breathed in the cool air and closed my eyes.

~*~

~ a s h t o n

April 17th, 2020, 10:47 pm

My dearest Leora,

I have only just met you and I believe I have fallen for you. I never thought love at first sight was real until today. Seeing you standing there with the other girls made my heart beat somewhat faster. It took me by surprise, and I felt I needed to know how you were doing it; how you were drawing me in, making me want you more and more every second.

The way you walked into the ballroom without a care in the world left me breathless.You make me want to lose all control over myself.

I enjoyed the night with you. I am glad I have you as a friend, though I would prefer if we were so much more. The way you looked at me and smiled so sweetly almost made me just want to hold you in my arms forever, and never let you go.

Yours truly,

Ashton