by K. E. Drake
Samuel laughed softly and pushed off of the doorframe. “Do you like your dress?”
Ruby bit her lip, nodding. “Yes, it’s lovely. Thank you.”
“I brought you something else.” Samuel brought his arm from behind his back to reveal a pair of high-heeled, glass shoes that he held from two fingers. The slippers were a sparkling shade of silver-blue, and a single, fully-bloomed rose with individually crafted glass petals was mounted on the rounded tip of each shoe.
Ruby gaped at the slippers with wide eyes. “Glass?” she squeaked.
Samuel laughed again, his eyes sparkling in amusement as he nodded. He indicated to the shoes and then to her feet. “May I?”
Ruby found she could only nod.
Kneeling down, Samuel set the slippers on the floor and gently lifted her right foot. He slipped off the white shoe she wore and slid the glass one on in its place. He did the same with her left and then stood. “I’m sorry I had to leave you this afternoon,” Samuel apologized as he stood. “Even after being gone for such a short time, there’s always so much to attend to. Did you enjoy spending the day with my mother?”
“I did. She’s lovely. She took me on a tour of the palace, and we had tea in the gardens.” Ruby reminisced happily as she set the white shoes aside in her room and then shut the door behind her.
“Good,” Samuel said. He took her hand and placed a warm, lingering kiss on the back of it, his eyes never leaving hers.
She felt her cheeks grow warm once again. This has become a common occurrence for me when I’m around him. As he released her hand, she quickly looped her arms behind her back when goosebumps erupted over them.
Samuel grinned down at Ruby and held his arm out to her. She took it, and he led the way through the candlelit corridors of the palace.
Ruby looked down at the glass slippers as they started down a set of stairs. “These shoes fit perfectly.”
“I acquired them from a mage. He guaranteed they would fit. They’re infused with magic.”
“Magic? A mage?” Ruby eagerly asked as they turned a corner into another hall.
“Yes. I even invited him to the ball this evening.”
Samuel didn’t seem to see anything spectacular about mages and magical glass slippers. Perhaps that was how it was for someone who could change into a dragon at will. Ruby, on the other hand, was burning with intrigue.
However, she didn’t press any further. Her thoughts shifted as they walked, and she hesitated a moment before voicing the question she’d been asking herself since the night before. “How do your parents manage to throw a ball? They’re very costly.” She immediately bit her tongue. I hope he doesn’t think me presumptuous.
Samuel didn’t seem to mind. “Normally they would be, but my mother’s learned how to cut back on expenses without making it feel like less,” he said and then added, “The ballroom helps too.”
“The ballroom?”
“Just wait,” was all he said.
They entered the foyer at the front of the palace and stopped in front of the stunning pair of silver doors she had seen the night before.
Ruby stared at the dazzling doors in awe. Twisted, silver bars swirled up each of the doors, flaring out at the ends to create what resembled silver flower petals. In the center of each blooming flower was a bright, glittering sapphire.
The two doormen on each side of the entrance bowed to the prince and his companion and pushed open the doors.
Samuel thanked and nodded to each of the men.
“Your Highness,” they chorused and closed the doors lightly behind their prince and his companion as they walked through the entrance.
The castle suddenly came to life upon entering the ballroom. The room was filled with the melody of music created by the orchestra in the back of the room. The room was bathed in the silvery light of the night sky and with the warm firelight from the candles on the chandelier. The silver chandelier hung from the center of the vaulted, white ceiling and was decorated with snowflakes and flowers crafted from sparkling glass.
The light illuminated the pale-blue floors and walls, highlighting the sparkling swirls of rich azure and sapphire which decorated the surfaces. Rows of silver, ceiling high windows lined the right wall and allowed the cloudless sky to be seen as the moon made its way high in the sky and twinkling stars began making their appearance. A handful of guards were posted around the room along the walls, mostly hidden by the elegantly dressed men and women that filled the floor below.
“This is amazing!” Ruby tore her attention away from the view and back to the prince, beaming. “It looks like a palace of ice!”
“I thought you would like it,” Samuel chuckled as they started down the single set of blue and white stairs that stretched down to the crowded floor below. “My father made it for my mother just before they were married. Their wedding actually took place in this very room.”
“That’s so romantic,” Ruby wistfully sighed, drawing a glad grin from the prince.
They stepped off the last stair onto the ballroom floor and crossed the long room. There King Preston and Queen Ruth stood together near the back wall between two wide, open doorways leading to blue-walled corridors.
“Hello, dears,” Ruth greeted Samuel and Ruby with a shining smile when the young couple joined them.
The queen wore a simple but lovely dress of sparkling white with black and gold flowers embroidered upon it. The king wore similar colors to his wife’s, looking very handsome in a white shirt, golden coat, and black pants and shoes.
“Mom, you outdid yourself,” Samuel said, reviewing the banners and ornaments of silver and white decorating the room, the rows of food tables laid out with simple delicacies, and then the uniformed orchestra that was preparing to play another song. The prince turned back to his mother. “Everything looks great.”
“And why not?” the king chimed in with a laugh. “My beloved has only been planning every detail of this ball for nearly two months.”
Ruth tucked a loose curl from her elegant updo behind her ear, her brilliant, sapphire irises sparkling. “Thank you, Samuel,” she said, purposefully ignoring her husband.
Preston only chuckled. “What are you doing standing around here for? Go and dance,” he ordered good-naturedly the young couple as the band began playing a light, easy tune.
“That sounds like a great idea.” Samuel turned to Ruby and held his hand out to her. “Would you do me the honor of this dance?”
Ruby hesitated for a moment, but she then put her hand in the prince’s with a forced smile and allowed herself to be led to the center of the dance floor.
As Samuel lifted their joined hands, he laid his right one on her waist and Ruby’s heart rate sped up. “I have to tell you I don’t know how to dance,” she confessed in a whisper.
He quirked an eyebrow at her. “What did you expect to do then?”
“I’m not sure,” she admitted, face burning.
“I’ll take it slow. Just follow my lead.” Samuel assured and then led her in the easy dance.
True to his word, Samuel took the beginning slowly, allowing Ruby to learn the steps. In no time, they were moving happily together to the music, lost in each other’s smiles and the tune.
All too soon the dance ended and Samuel slowed them to a stop. The couples surrounding them pulled back from each other to bow or curtsy to their partners, but Samuel and Ruby were too lost in each other.
The band began playing a slow melody with the violins and harps.
When the dancers came back together, the men held the women close and a few of the women laid their heads on their partner’s shoulders. Samuel grinned down at Ruby and moved a step closer to her, bridging the small gap between them.
Ruby held still, finding it difficult to breath when Samuel’s hand that rested on her side slipped around her until his arm encircled her waist. He drew her against his warm chest and led them in the dance, moving in the same slow, circular pattern the rest of the couples
gently swayed to.
Ruby shifted her hand from Samuel’s upper arm to rest on shoulder and glanced around the crowd of men and women. She mimicked the other ladies with their partners and lightly rested her head on the young prince’s chest. Her ear lay against him and she could hear the steady beat of his heart.
I love him so. I wish this moment would never end, she wistfully thought. Contentment and happiness like she had never known before settled on her heart. She closed her eyes and decided to enjoy this moment while it lasted.
Samuel was pleasantly surprised by Ruby’s gesture. He found himself smiling when she, almost tentatively, nestled herself deeper into his arms. He spun them around in a slow circle, moving along with the harmony of the music. He pressed his cheek against her hair and spoke softly into her ear. “I’m happy here with you.”
He made her knees weak. If he hadn’t been holding her securely against him, Ruby might have crumpled helplessly right in the middle of the dance floor. She swallowed the lump in her throat and lifted her head from his shoulder, her breathing shaky.
Samuel’s smile grew and something reflected in his eyes as he gazed down at her. Happiness? Contentment? Love? She didn’t know. All she was sure of was that her heart was aching. Aching for him.
Maybe it didn’t need to. His statement. The shining look in his eyes… Could they mean he shared her feelings? Maybe he felt the same way for her as she did for him. It gave her hope, and she worked up the courage to finally confess that she loved him. It may only cause her embarrassment, but now that their quest was over, she would be leaving him soon, and she didn’t want to waste the chance while she still had it. She might regret it forever if she didn’t try.
“Samuel… Thank you. Thank you for giving me the adventure of my dreams. I loved every moment of it, and I... I lo...”
“Shhh...” he murmured gently and slowed them to a stop as the music began to fade. “We don’t need to do this here. Later,” he promised.
“Later?” Ruby repeated, turning her gaze down just slightly. She tried to swallow, but her throat was dry.
Samuel let go of her hand to slip a finger under her chin, and he tilted her head back up, bringing their faces only inches apart. He nodded and then lowered his face closer to hers, smiling as her sparkling, brown eyes drifted closed.
Ruby just felt the whisper of a touch as his lips brushed hers. He stilled and a soft growl rumbled in the back of his throat. She reluctantly opened her eyes and felt her lips shift between an elated smile and a disappointed frown as Samuel straightened, effectively pulling away from her.
He forced a polite expression onto his face and turned around. “Mage Grimm,” he formally greeted the interrupter.
Ruby turned to the newcomer in surprise. She had only ever seen mages and magic users at a distance, never up close.
The handsome mage looked to be just older than her. He was taller than her height but a few inches shorter than the prince. He had a slender face and build, and he wore all black, from his polished black shoes and pants to his fitted silk shirt. His eyes were a dazzling shade of silver, and his unique, silver hair was swept from the right side of his head to the left and fell in an uneven, jagged cut just past his left ear.
“Prince Samuel, thank you for your invitation this evening.” Mage Grimm said in a light, musical voice, offering a slight bow. “I came to ask if I might cut in for this dance.” He gestured to Ruby as a new song swept over the ballroom.
“That’s up to the lady,” Samuel informed, glancing to Ruby.
She nodded, sweetly giving him a small smile.
The prince tried and failed to return her smile. He stiffly turned and left them, moving through the crowd of gathered couples and off the dance floor.
Ruby watched him go, but then she turned back to the young magic user and placed her fingers lightly in his hand when he offered it. “I must apologize, sir. I’m only just learning how to dance.”
“That’s all right. This is an easy step,” he assured with a charming grin. “And my name is Grimm Night, but you, my lady, may call me Grimm.”
“Ruby,” she offered as they started the simple dance.
“I see you’re wearing the shoes,” Grimm said before stepping back and twirling Ruby under his arm.
“You’re the one who made them?”
“I am.” The mage led Ruby in the next move, but she tripped over the step with a yelp, and he caught her by grabbing her waist with both hands.
“Thank you,” Ruby gasped. She looked up at him and suddenly her cheeks grew warm. She took her hands from his chest and straightened up with a step back.
“You’re welcome.” Grimm returned them to the position, smoothly resuming the dance. He swirled them in a circle in tune with the music, and Ruby’s skirt elegantly flared out on the breeze the spin created.
They fell into the steady step of the dance, and Ruby was quiet. She kept her gaze down, her hand which rested on his arm fidgeted with the cloth of his sleeve.
Sensing her discomfort, Grimm decided to fill the silence between them. “Those slippers have magic in them.”
Ruby brought her attention back up at the mage and nodded. “Oh, yes. The prince told me they did, but he didn’t mention what kind.”
“I embedded a spell into them that would lead whoever had the slippers to their heart’s desire.”
Ruby thoughtfully glanced over toward the side of the room and met Samuel’s eyes. He stood gazing at her near the rows of windows, though he had edged closer to the dance floor when she had almost tripped. He took another step forward but was stopped by a young servant boy who hurried to him. The boy breathed heavily and spoke to the prince in a rush of words Ruby couldn’t make out.
Samuel’s features were marred with a troubled frown. He spoke a few words to the boy and then the servant scurried off in the direction he came from. Samuel turned to leave but he looked back to Ruby. He gave her a yearning look and then left through one of the doorways at the end of the room.
“I was born and raised in Glendower, though I spend most of my time traveling the kingdoms. Avon was my last stop before I was going to go back home to search for a special artifact,” Grimm commented, drawing the young lady’s attention back to him.
A wary smile turned the corners of Ruby’s lips upward. “I went to Glendower once. It didn’t go well.”
The mage quirked a silver eyebrow but didn’t seem to be expecting an explanation.
When the dance ended a minute later, Grimm stepped back and offered Ruby a bow. He brought her hand to his lips and brushed her fingers with a light, cool kiss. “It was a pleasure finally meeting you, Ruby.”
“Thank you, Mage Grimm,” she offered softly, curtsying to the silver-haired mage. She left the dance floor and went to wait for Samuel in the space between the orchestra and where the rows of food tables laid out along the wall.
Ruby looked over the crowd and saw the king and queen conversing with an older couple that had just come from the dance floor. She ran a hand over the first layer of her red skirt and her gaze traveled in the other direction. Her eyes swept over the crowd, and she just then realized how many young ladies there were present.
“Miss Ruby! My lady!”
A familiar, excited voice drew Ruby from her thoughts, and she saw Jenni politely make her way around a trio of haughty noble ladies in bejeweled ball gowns.
The young maid came to a sudden stop next to Ruby. “Thank you, my lady, thank you! None of this would have been possible without you. Thank you!” Jenni said in a rush, lifting a hand to her light brown hair to make sure that the elegant pile of curls atop her head was still in place.
She wore a pretty gown of chocolate-brown with cream colored stripes that ran up the full skirt to the fitted, brown bodice. It was the simplest of the dresses that Ruby had retrieved for Jenni earlier that day, but the one Jenni had chosen.
“What is it, Jenni?” Ruby asked the eager young lady.
Jenni Beamed. “I met
a man! He’s the kindest, sweetest man I have ever known, and it wouldn’t have happened if it was not for you.”
The girl’s excitement was infectious and Ruby found herself smiling as well. “Thank you, but I didn’t do anything.”
“Oh, but you did.” Jenni shook her head fiercely, her expression earnest. “If you hadn’t helped me come to the ball and given me the courage to do so, I would not have met Lord Rowell.”
Ruby’s smile faltered. “Lord Rowell?”
“Yes. Dominic is the eldest child of Duke Rowell’s five sons and daughter. There’s no need to worry. I told Dominic I was just a maid, and he said it didn’t matter. He likes me just the way I am!” Jenni wistfully sighed as the band began another song.
“I’m happy for you, Jenni,” Ruby warmly assured as the maid lifted the hem of her striped skirt.
“Thank you! I’m sorry, My Lady, but I told Dominic I would meet him for this dance.” Jenni excused herself, profusely apologizing to the pairs of nobles on the dance floor as she wove her way through the gathering crowd.
After the song was over and yet another song was nearly through and there was still no sign of Samuel, Ruby began to worry. She sighed not for the first time that evening as she scanned the bustling ballroom once more, searching for his familiar face.
The men on the dance floor picked up their partners by their waists and swung them up in the air, then set them down on their feet again to continue swirling around the floor.
Ruby bit her lip and pushed away from the wall she leaned against. She was just about to try to go find the missing prince when a woman approached her. Ruby paused, uncertain whether or not to stay and see what the woman wanted or to quickly duck into the throng of guests and go find the prince.
However, she lost her chance to skirt away when the newcomer stopped in front of her. The woman studied Ruby from her stunning ruby hair, down to her sparkling red dress, then to her feet. The stranger's eyes lingered on the delicate roses of her glass shoes.
Ruby slipped a slight step back under the woman’s close scrutiny, drawing her feet in an attempt to cover them beneath her skirt.