Chapter 6 Chapter 6

Kit seemed to be enjoying herself. Whether or not that made him happy, Eli wasn't sure, but he supposed it was better than watching her spend the entire night standing in a corner, shaking like a leaf, or cowering from her mother. The queen, on the other hand, had a heavy eye, and too often it bore down on him, despite the fact that he hadn't so much as approached the princess the entire duration of the dinner or the ball.

He had to admit, it was difficult for him to pull his eyes away from her, though. Part of it was because it was his duty to keep her safe, but mostly it was because she was so exquisite. Kit had always been lovely, delicate like a flower or the wings of a butterfly. Her porcelain skin was smooth as satin, and her dark hair and lashes shined in even the dimmest light. Her sparkling blue eyes had a way of making a person feel completely at ease, be it a friend or a stranger, and when they fell on him, he felt like the most important person in the world.

Hours into the ball, he could tell she was beginning to tire, and for the first time, she declined a dance, choosing instead to join her ladies-in-waiting, her cousins, on the side of the dance floor. She held a goblet in her hand, which she seemed to drain quite quickly. A servant girl, one Eli recognized, brought her another, and then the girl moved in his direction. Kit's eyes followed. When the princess saw him standing in the shadows, her countenance changed, a genuine smile spreading across her face.

"Can I bring you anything, Commander?" the young woman asked, batting her eyes at him.

"No, thank you, Blankka," he stammered, hardly glancing down at her. He did manage to pull his eyes away from Kit long enough to see if Queen Rona was watching and wasn't surprised at all to see that she was. Blankka made a small sound, sort of like a sheep bleating, and then walked away, but he paid her no mind.

Kit was gesturing in his direction, and soon Isla and Avinia were also gawking at him, and he realized it would be rude of him not to go over and greet the guest of honor. With a deep breath, he began to make his way around the outer edge of the dance floor, checking that his guardsmen were still in their appropriate positions as he went. They seemed to have everything under control, and when he came to a stop near the princess, all other thoughts faded away.

"There you are," Kit gushed. "I was wondering if you were in attendance. Wherever have you been hiding?" Her hand came to rest easily on his upper arm, and he questioned exactly what might be in her goblet.

"I've been hiding in the wall, with the rats and the cockroaches," he replied, a smirk on his face, "waiting for everyone to leave or pass out."

"So that you can feast on the leftovers?" Avinia chimed in from behind Kit's shoulder.

"Precisely." He glanced in her direction and then returned his attention to Kit who still looked stunning despite the long night.

"Don't be ridiculous. I've been wanting to dance with you, and I couldn't find you anywhere."

Out of habit, Eli turned and looked over his shoulder at the queen. Though her head was facing the other direction, he still felt her eyes. "I'm afraid I've been busy. Working. Keeping you safe."

"Oh, yes. There have been so many threats this evening. That boy over there," Kit gestured across the room at a large redhead, "assaulted me with the heel of his boot." She looked down at her foot, pulling her gown up out of the way so that her blue satin slipper was visible. "I thought I may never walk again."

"I'm terribly sorry to hear that. Should I dispatch him for you?" Eli wondered why she would ever choose to dance with such an unattractive man in the first place, but then he supposed she'd accepted just about every invitation offered to her. It wasn't like Kit to be impolite.

"No, that won't be necessary," she said, shaking her head so that a few loose curls danced around her face. "I will know better next time." She took another swig of her drink and handed the goblet to Isla. "You can make it up to me, though."

He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, intrigued. "And how is that?"

"Dance with me, Eliason. Better yet, ask me to dance with you."

"Princess, I'm afraid I can't do that," he teased, wanting to reach up and pull lightly on one of those curls.

"And why is that?" Her bottom lip protruded slightly, as if she might begin to pout at any moment.

"Because, you just refused that other gent over there, the tall one with the large teeth, and that means you must not dance with anyone else until this song is over."

Kit folded her arms and studied him. "Well, this song shall end momentarily, and then, I will be available once again."

"Katrinetta, you know I'm working." As much as he wanted to spin her around the dance floor, Rona watched them still.

"And you know that I will not give up until you ask me to dance." She glanced over his shoulder, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Unless, of course, you'd rather dance with that servant girl. What's her name? The blonde?"

He turned to see Blankka still had her eyes on him. "I'm not sure," he lied. "Why do you think I'd want to dance with her?"

"I don't know," Kit shrugged. "She's beautiful, don't you think?"

"I never noticed," he lied again. The musicians played the last few notes of the slow melody they'd been strumming, and knowing she would not go quietly into the night, he offered his hand. "Princess, would you care to dance?"

Kit's blue eyes twinkled. "I thought you'd never ask."