Elise

“Start the music again,” Luca barked to the sound technician at the edge of the stage. Another melody came on, different from the last, but equally as slow. Luca took me in his arms and began to twirl me around the stage.

“What are you doing?” I hissed into his ear as quietly as I could so as not to pick it up on my microphone.

“I’m dancing. What does it look like?”

I wanted to tell him that it looked like he was desperate and jealous, but I didn’t want to anger him further, so we danced. Luca was a good dancer. Years of lessons with the leading dance teachers meant that he was much better than I was, but because of that, he was able to lead me well. I closed my eyes and tried to enjoy it. After all, I was dancing with the man I would soon be marrying. What was not to enjoy? And yet we both knew this was a charade. We were doing it because he was jealous and the people of the kingdom expected it. Because of that, my old fear of dancing in public was rearing its head again, and I became concerned that I was going to trip over and fall flat on my face.

To my relief, the music finally stopped. The ordeal was over. We’d satisfied the crowds and Marybelle, and any damage I’d caused between Luca and I could be fixed. However much I hated having to play out our romance through the media, and with it, the jealousy that this new chapter was bringing, I knew that Luca was a good guy who deserved better. In his position, wouldn’t I have acted out of jealousy too? Of course, I would. I thought back to the ball at his parent’s castle when he’d been dancing with that girl. I’d been jealous then. What if the media had put them together the way they had Cynder and me? I would have hated it.

I quickly sat down in my seat, glad that the nightmare was over.

The noise from the crowd was unbearable as they chanted the names of Cynder and Luca, each side trying to outdo the other.

“Wow,” said Marybelle, facing Luca. “You sure love your bride to be!”

“I really do,” he shouted back, trying to be heard over the noise of the crowd. They quietened down slightly as he spoke, eager to hear what he had to say. “I’ve never hidden my feelings with regards to Charmaine. I loved her from the first moment I saw her. When she picked me as one of the men to sit with at the ball, I honestly couldn’t believe my luck, and when one by one, the other men left, I tried not to get my hopes up. Yet as the days went by and I fell in love with her more and more, I thought I began to see a spark in her. I hoped she was beginning to fall in love with me. Did you know that of all the men, it was I she kissed first?”

“No,” replied Marybelle, sitting forward in her chair. “Tell us about it.”

“We were in the garden, and a paparazzo scaled the outer wall and took a photo of us. Her Majesty was so worried as she’d not officially picked me yet. I guess she couldn’t resist.”

I thought back to the day he was talking about. He’d kissed me, taking me by surprise. I’d not expected it, and yet, I’d fallen right into it. He was a great kisser. Afterwards, I’d been terrified that it would be on the front page of every newspaper until Jenny managed to keep it quiet. No one knew about it until now.

Marybelle nodded and turned to me. “Was this at the same time you were dancing with Cynder in the kitchen?”

“No. I didn’t see Cynder from the day of the ball to the day he rescued me from Luca’s castle when I was being shot at.”

I lied because I had to. I had seen Cynder on a number of occasions between those times. We’d even slept next to each other in his parent’s old apartment. Oh, how times had changed. Even then, I’d known it wasn’t innocent, although we did nothing beyond kissing. I’d wanted to, though, and if Cynder’s neighbor hadn’t come up to warn us that the police were looking for us, who knows where it might have led? I looked over at Cynder who was staring down at his feet. Luca wasn’t the only one that this was hard on. It had gone beyond pleasing the people and was now a real contest between the two men. A contest neither of them deserved to be in.

I stood up and walked to the front of the stage. I had to do something drastic to salvage this. I’d spoken to the people earlier, and, by some miracle, it had worked. As far as I could see, there had been no violence. Both sides had come together over a common, if opposing, goal. The Magi wanted me to pick Cynder, the non-Magi, Luca. Either way, both sides needed me to pick.

“Behind me are two men,” I began. “Two wonderful men who have put themselves before you at the people’s request. They’ve done it for the same reason I stand before you. To bring our land together, so that the Magi and non-Magi can be able to be together as you are today without the fear of getting hurt or being persecuted. Look at the people standing beside you. I see people in purple and people not wearing purple, but beyond the color of your clothing, it’s people I see. To me, you are all the same. No matter who I pick between Luca and Cynder, my love for you all and for everyone else in my kingdom will not change. I will pick the man I love the most, and my decision will rest solely on that. His magical ability or lack of it will not have any effect on my decision. Only love will.”

A roar went up in the crowd as they listened to my words. I felt someone take my left hand and then seconds later someone else took my right. Luca and Cynder stood on each side of me, supporting me equally. If it was difficult for me to be up there, I could only imagine how hard it was for both of them. I lifted my arms, taking theirs with me and the crowd went wild. Between us, we’d done it. We looked united. It was the best I could hope for. I knew I’d have to mend bridges with both of them later, but for now, we were a team, and we’d achieved everything we’d set out to do. I walked off stage, still hand in hand with both men, without giving Marybelle the chance to stop us. The people had been given enough of us today. They’d have to wait until next week after my first official date with Cynder to find out more. This week, my private life was going to be kept behind closed doors.

When I was sure we were out of view, I pulled off my microphone and stamped on it until it was crushed into a million pieces. It was childish, but I was emotionally spent and had had enough. The fight I expected to happen with Luca and the long talk with Cynder about his wife was in my immediate future, and I wasn’t sure I had the energy for it now.

To my surprise, Luca held out his hand to Cynder. Cynder took it and shook it warmly before patting Luca on the back. He kissed me swiftly on the cheek and turned away from us to make his way up the driveway back to the house.

Luca pulled me into a hug. What was going on? Why wasn’t he shouting at me? I’d seen the look he gave me after I danced with Cynder.

“I think we did a good job, don’t you?” he said.

“What are you talking about? It was a nightmare. At one point, I thought you were going to get up and punch Cynder in the face.”

“Oh, good!”

“Oh, good?” I repeated incredulously.

“Yeah, just before you got to the stage earlier, Cynder and I decided to act it up a little. You know, pretend we were enemies. We thought a little harmless rivalry wouldn’t hurt. If you thought we were serious, that means the people watching must have.”

I opened my mouth as if to speak, but no words came out.

“Come on!” He took me by the hand and led me up to the palace.

“Are you telling me the whole thing was an act? Your anger at me for not staying in the basement when the siren was going off, the dancing on stage?”

“I’m not happy that you ignored the siren, no. I was worried about you. I love you. I can’t cope when you keep running off into danger. We live in dangerous times as it is without you actively seeking it out, but I understand why you did it. You are a born leader whether you realize it or not, and it wouldn’t be my place to tell you what to do. I’m only mad at myself for not following you when you ran back up the stairs. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

I could barely believe what he was saying to me.

“What about the dancing?” I croaked.

“I didn’t enjoy it, but I have to admit it was a stroke of genius. When I watched you dancing with Cynder, I almost believed you were really in love with him.”

We’d reached the hallway of the palace, and Cynder was nowhere to be seen. Luca hugged me again.

“Go get ready for dinner. I’ll see you there.”

He left me in the middle of the entrance hall feeling more confused than ever. I’d ridden a rollercoaster of emotions from anger to confusion in the past few hours, and now I didn’t know how to feel at all. Instead of looking for Cynder as I probably should have done, I decided to go to my room and have a couple of hours to myself to try and work out how I was supposed to be feeling.

I’d only lain on my bed for a couple of minutes before there was a knock at the door. It opened, and Elise walked in. She shut the door behind her and sat on the end of my bed.

“Oh, sorry, were you sleeping?” she said when she realized I was lying down.

“I was just about to have a nap. What’s the matter?”

She seemed awfully quiet. Something was up. It was so unusual for her to not come bouncing into my room like an overexcited puppy. I’d not seen her at the interview either which was also strange. She’d made a point of coming to all the others. As I looked more closely, I noticed her eyes were red from crying.

She sat silently, playing with the hem of her shirt, a habit she’d undoubtedly picked up from me at some point.

I sat up and took her hand. She bit her lip as she spoke.

“I’m sorry!” The tears began to flow fully now. Whatever it was that was upsetting her was really bad. Elise didn’t get sad. It just wasn’t her nature.

“What is it?”

“I...”

Her tears came faster. I passed her a tissue but didn’t speak. If she needed time to tell me, then so be it.

“I’m pregnant,” she sniffed.

“Why are you crying? That’s wonderful news.” I sat up and took her hand.

“You aren’t mad?”

“Mad? Why should I be mad? Unless it’s Luca’s or Cynder’s, and then, you’ve got some serious explaining to do, young lady.” I tried to put on a silly voice. She giggled and the Elise I knew began to shine through again.

“No. It’s definitely Leo’s. I thought you’d be upset because I know the media will jump on it and I didn’t want to take the spotlight away from you. I know how much this all means to you. You are working so hard to get the Magi to come back.”

“Oh, honey,” I hugged her tightly. “Nothing would make me happier than you taking the spotlight away from me. I’ve had to deal with it for the best part of a year, and I need a break, especially after today’s fiasco.”

“What happened today? I’m sorry I didn’t come down. I was trying to work up the courage to tell you.”

I told her about the whole interview and about how angry I felt about being told what to do yet again. I told her how angry Luca had looked when I danced with Cynder and how the whole thing had been a setup between them both.

“Now, I’m not sure if I should be angry or relieved. Both men seem to be on the same side, and it’s me that’s the outsider.”

Elise began to laugh. “What a predicament. Two men publically fighting over you but in real life, they are only pretending. No wonder you don’t know whether to laugh or cry.”

I began to laugh along with her. When she put it that way, it was rather amusing.

“Come on. Let’s get ready for dinner. I’ll order extra champagne. We have to toast the baby!”

Speaking to Cynder was going to have to wait.