1
Lord Astor Faarskar was sitting next to his wife Annelle, who looked at the other noblemen. Music echoed through the main hall of their manor in Mantiz, where nobles had gathered for a ball. Elliott and Freya loved watching these events; they had been sneaking into them whenever they could since he was five. It was the music, as well as those nobles dancing to it. The way they looked, the way they danced, how a simple rhythm could make everyone follow it. It was magical.
“It’s happening!” Freya said as Astor stood from his chair. He turned toward Annelle with a grin on his face and extended his right hand.
No words were needed. The gorgeous noblewoman smiled back at him, taking his hand and standing up in a swift, graceful movement, making her gown wave softly as she got closer to him. She put her other hand on his shoulder, and together they danced their way toward the centre of the room. Some nobles moved to the side, making way for them to pass. Others simply watched as the couple spun elegantly, slowly approaching their destination.
Elliott watched the show quietly from upstairs, his eyes glimmering at the sight of such elegance. It truly was magical. His parents had gotten to the centre of the magnificent hall without ever breaking eye contact, giving the nobility an incredible show. Annelle took a wrong step, almost stepping over Astor, but he held her stronger and quickly helped her regain her equilibrium. Nobody except for Elliott seemed to have seen that, and the couple started laughing as they kept moving across the room. He looked to the side, where his sister sat completely dazed by the sight of her parents dancing together. She had always loved to dance, just like him. Maybe even more.
As the music stopped, Astor and Annelle closed their eyes for a moment, and the nobles around them started to applaud softly. Lord Faarskar waited for the noise to calm down before speaking.
“Thank you all again for coming today”, Astor said in a firm, yet kind tone. His voice filled the room, and the nobles quieted down to listen to his speech. Elliott, however, wasn’t interested in his words. He had come to see his father dancing. Now it was time to go back.
“Well,” he said, turning toward his sister. “Time to go”.
The girl looked at him, then back down to where their parents stood in the hall. “Do we have to go? Can’t we just stay here, watching for a moment? They’re going to dance again, I’m sure”.
“You know we shouldn’t be here. Come on, we can see them dance again in the next ball”. Truth was, he didn't want to leave either.
She lowered her eyes, the smile on her face disappearing. No, please, Elliott thought. She always looked like that when they had to go. He hated that sad look, and hated himself more for causing it. But father said…
The speech ended quickly, and music started again as the nobles clapped once again. Elliott looked down, and was surprised to see his parents walking back to their chairs, smiling. He turned to look at Freya, and -as he had expected- saw the disappointment in her face. No more dancing, at least for a moment.
“Ok”, she said softly. “Let’s go”.
Lord Ruler…
Elliott stood nervously and held his hand toward his sister. Freya looked at him, and he forced a grin, mimicking what his father had done just a moment ago. After a short moment, she smiled, took his hand, and stood up, placing her other hand on his shoulder.
None of the kids had ever danced before. Yes, Elliott used to practice a bit by himself when nobody else was looking, but he had never danced with somebody else. They tried to follow the rhythm, dancing clumsily alongside the railing. Their steps were far from perfect, but Elliott and Freya didn’t care. They just kept dancing with a smile on their faces, even when one of them stepped over the other.
As they spun, Elliott glanced down toward where his parents were sitting. He froze for a second, causing Freya to almost trip and fall, as he saw his father.
He was looking at him.
At first, Elliott thought he was going to get lectured for sneaking into a ball with his sister. However, Astor just smiled. The smile slowly became a full grin, and he nodded toward his son. Elliott stood there for what felt like an eternity, looking at the smile on his father, the light in his eyes, before focusing his attention on Freya once again and resuming their dance. He was sure of something. Music wasn’t magic.
It was so much more.
Edited by Daydam, 30 September 2018 - 10:14 PM.
