Riley

 

Rory’s castle is an impressive sight even on normal days. Tonight, it’s a dream.

Big bows and intricate lanterns decorate the walls. They bear the colors of Phillip’s family crest—white, blue, and silver. Hundreds of candles illuminate my way as I stroll through the high entry hall and move to the east wing. The path is flanked by countless pink and white rose petals, suffusing the air with a wonderful scent.

I’ve never walked into a truer fairy tale than this.

As if carried by golden clouds, I gravitate to the strains of string music softly drifting to me. Another late couple flitters past me down the hallway. The woman’s marvelous midnight-blue dress sweeps across the floor as the heels of her attendant’s boots clack on the stone.

With a faint heart, I follow them and wonder if it’ll look strange for me to appear alone. On the other hand, that’s the whole point of me coming here, isn’t it? If I'm attached to the arm of a gentleman, no foreign prince will even think about approaching me. Better to communicate that I’m single straightaway.

The sweet music gets louder, the chatter of people mingling with it. A few steps ahead, the hallway ends at the top of a wide stairwell that leads directly down into the grand ballroom I’ve only ever seen empty.

What might it be like tonight, filled with hundreds of people from all corners of Fairyland? Will I even fit in?

My nerves tie themselves into a tight bundle. Playing princess in my house in a dress that doesn’t belong to me is one thing. But it’s a totally different matter to wear it in a palace full of born-and-bred royals as if I actually own the gown. They’ll out me as the girl from the woods straightaway. I’d better wait for a good moment when everyone is distracted and then quickly sneak downstairs.

My steps falter, and I grip the dark red floor-to-ceiling curtains that are drawn aside at the entrance. Frightfully hanging on to them, I struggle to rein in my erratic breathing. If only Jack was here to give me some courage now. Damn him for running out of town at the last minute. I start to wonder if it was an excuse, after all. Something he told me so he wouldn’t have to show up at the ball tonight.

My heart pounds in my throat. Perhaps he should have taken me with him.

A fold of the thick curtain still clasped tightly in my fist for support, I dare a step forward and sneak a glance into the ballroom. All I can see on this level, however, is a giant chandelier hanging from the high ceiling in the center of the room. The thousand crystal drops beautifully reflect light beams in all shades of the rainbow.

“May I help you, milady?” a raspy voice makes me snap back to the protection of the curtains. My hand flies to my pounding heart.

The young man in front of me is dressed in some sort of white uniform with silver embroidery on the front of his jacket and his light blue banded collar. A rapier attached to his left hip hangs down his leather-clad leg, making him look a lot like the guards outside. But a silver mask covering the top half of his face implies that he’s a guest in the castle, too.

A real prince. Oh, my Goodness! My eyes feel as if they’ve just gone glassy with panic.

It takes a moment for my voice to return. “Um…no, thank you. I was just—”

“Scared of walking down?”

Am I that easy to read? I should watch the feast from up here then.

“Yeah. Maybe a little.” Admitting it out loud actually eases some of my tremors, and I can breathe again. “It’s my first ball of this kind.”

He cocks his head in amusement, clasping his hands behind his back. “The masked kind?”

The kind where I pretend to be a princess and find a lover. But it’s probably better not to say that aloud. I just nod.

“You shouldn’t be scared.” His lips curve into a gentle smile. “You look amazing.”

The unexpected compliment brings a warm blush to my cheeks. I lower my face, squinting up at him through my lashes. “Thank you.”

Behind the mask, he blinks his incredibly blue eyes. They stand out in stark contrast to his white-powdered hair. “Would you like me to escort you down?”

I grimace. The heavy curtains at my back feel far safer than walking off with this royal right now. “That’s very kind of you. But I’m afraid I need another minute.”

He looks at me as if considering whether I want him to wait. In the end, he seems to understand that I’d rather be alone.

“Very well.” The young man nods politely, yet his intense gaze lingers another second. A gossamer tickle runs over the skin of my nape. “I hope I'm fortunate enough to catch a dance with you later.”

I swallow. When words obviously fail me, his lips twitch into a one-sided smile. He heads off into the ballroom, sliding a last glance in my direction before he disappears down the stairs.

My heart pounds like a kettledrum, wanting to follow him. But my feet grow roots into the stone floor. After he’s gone, I bite my lip and turn around to giggle into the curtains. What an enjoyable encounter. If I can go by this start, the night might turn out lovely, after all.

“Oh, there you are!”

With a little jump, I whirl back and find Snow-White and Bellina flitting toward me from the stairs. “We’ve been looking for you everywhere,” Bellina chimes out as they stop in front of me, each clasping one of my hands. The slim mask the Beauty wears over her eyes that matches her dress doesn’t conceal her identity. I just knew she wouldn’t be able to resist wearing purple tonight. “What are you doing up here? The feast is downstairs! You’re going to miss everything.”

Panicking, I back into the curtains again. “I was…getting prepared.”

Fists propped on the waist of her silver gown with lots and lots of black spots, Snow-White casts me a take-no-shit look. The cat ears headband she wears and the small, black kitty nose concealing her own, along with whiskers drawn across her cheeks, dash the grim expression a little. “Well then, I hope you’re ready because you’re coming with us.” She tugs at my hand. Because there are two of them—and Bellina is actually a lot stronger than her fragile stature implies—I don’t stand a chance.

Every step that brings me nearer to the light shining out from the ballroom makes my heart pound faster. I try to concentrate on the rainbow beams from the chandelier to calm myself, but totally lose the battle when we reach the landing, and my friends mercilessly drag me downstairs.

My gaze sweeps across the hall, and my breath hitches.

The room that is usually so cold and bare has been transformed into a real spring fairy tale tonight. Tendrils of pink roses wind up each of the twelve floor-to-ceiling marble columns around the room. Countless tables covered with platters of dreamy tarts, cakes, cupcakes, and bowls of pudding line the walls between them. On the pedestal near where the string quartet belts out a lovely song, a pyramid of champagne glasses, all filled with bubbly golden liquid, sits. Every so often, a passing guest takes one away from the top.

In the center of the room, a two-inch glass platform covers the diamond-shaped pool built into the stone surface that is obviously the dance floor. Even from where I stand, I can make out the countless goldfish weaving gracefully through the crystal-clear water. The space is still empty, the colorful sea of people moving around it as they chatter and laugh.

Pulled into the dreamy ambiance of the place, I stop dead halfway down the stairwell—and cause Bellina to slip and land on her bottom.

“Oh. I’m so sorry!” I rush the two steps down and help her up. “Are you all right?”

She rolls her eyes but laughs. “Fortunately, I already had my grand entrance with Dominic when we got here.” Getting to her feet, she rubs her behind. “Would have been quite the gossip tonight if this was how I arrived.”

Snow-White snickers. “It’ll make for some good gossip anyway.”

I track her gaze back to the feast and find three hundred pairs of eyes fixed on us. My cheeks grow so hot, I'm sure I’m raising the temperature in the room by several degrees—and it wasn’t even me that landed on my butt.

So much for sneaking in.

Head lowered and gaze focused on the stairs—making sure I don’t miss a step—I let the girls pull me all the way down, much slower than before. Relief washes over me when we make it to the bottom without another embarrassing incident, and I finally can hide in the crowd.

I don’t know where my friends are going and blindly follow, totally getting disoriented among so many people. Women have come in gorgeous gowns wearing masks as simple as mine and some without. A few wear masks shaped into animal faces or powdered wigs. Most men are clad in fine linen shirts and uniform jackets, revealing a hint of vest. White-haired wigs seem to be the norm, even among the male visitors. I guess this is the royal manner of dress when going to a ball.

I hurry after Snow-White and Bellina, struggling not to lose them in the chaos of people. Heck, where are they running to so fast? “Stormy!” I call out in panic as her silver and black dress flitters in and out of sight. But I don’t know if she even heard me because a bird suddenly stops my chase. Not a real bird, of course, but a young man in the disguise of a beautiful robin—one I totally knock into.

Where the hell did he flutter in from? He cups my elbows and balances me as I trip in Dorothy’s shoes. As I catch my breath, a hand to my chest, I look up. He wears a mask that is speckled with a myriad of multihued feathers, covering most of his face down to the sensual curve of his lips. From between two slits, dark eyes sparkle in the crystal light of the chandelier above us.

“Are you all right?” he drawls ever so slowly, making me forget the fast-moving world around us. It strangely makes my heart calm down.

“Mm-hmm.” I nod, my attention drawn to his dark hair with the lighter streaks of feathers worked into it. They match the color of his feathered cape. A deep orange linen shirt creates an enchanting contrast, marking my favorite animal. A truly beautiful masquerade.

I should apologize for nearly knocking him to the floor, but what actually issues past my lips shocks me. “I love robins.”

A long moment passes as he just looks at me. His fingers on my elbows start gliding down my forearms to my hands. He holds them gently and tilts his head. Beneath the small obtrusion that forms his beak, a small smile appears. “Do you?”

“Riley!” Snow-White’s upset voice cuts between us. “How did you get lost again? Hurry up now, everyone’s waiting.” She loops her hand around my upper arm and pulls me away, casting the robin an apologetic look that makes her cat nose wrinkle.

When Bellina pops up behind her and nabs my other arm, there’s no escaping the demand of my friends.

“Sorry, I have to go.” A regretful frown creasing my brow, I hope he can read how much I’d rather stay and talk about my favorite birds.

He nods, the smile still hidden in the secret place beneath his mask as the girls pull me away. “I hope to see you again…Riley.”

Dear me, I hope that, too.

Giggling, I hurry off with Snow-White and Bellina, who don’t let go of my arms again. Prince Dominic shocks me as he suddenly rushes at us from the side, sweeping his girlfriend away into a worried embrace. “Did you hurt yourself on the stairs, darling?” he demands, skimming a few loose curls free from her forehead.

“I'm fine,” she assures him with a smile. He doesn’t let go of her again. They follow us as Snow-White pulls me toward the cupcake table set up between two columns and finally slows down. But I don’t get a second to catch my breath because Princess Cinderella storms over to us, clad in a beautiful cornflower-blue dress with long, fingerless gloves. From the speed with which she comes at me, I know she’s going to crush me in an embrace.

“Girl! What took you so long?” she blares into my ear, knocking the air out of my lungs. “Did the Fairy Godmother find you? We feared she missed your house!” Then she holds me away from herself, hands tight on my shoulders. “Goodness!” Her eyes nearly pop out. “You’re beautiful! Is that my dress? It doesn’t look like it.”

I don’t know which of her questions to answer first. “Umm…”

“You have to tell me everything, in detail…later.” Her face splits into a grin. “Now, we have a surprise for you.”

“Oh. Really?” What could that be? A new arrow from Cupid’s tree so I can shoot someone with it tonight?

“Ta-da!” Cindy steps aside, proudly presenting a cheerful Briar-Rose balancing on crutches in a fitted turquoise dress that opens on one side. The slit in the glittery fabric frees her right leg, which is entirely wrapped in a cast.

My smile falls in shock. “Something’s clearly wrong with your humor, Cindy.”

“No, honey, you don’t understand.” Radiating excitement, she draws up beside me, drapes an arm around my shoulders, and holds me tightly against her as she cheers next to my face, “It means you’ll get a very special honor tonight.”

I narrow my eyes at her. “What honor? To be the first to sign Rory’s cast?” Still baffled, I carefully hug the invalid princess. “What in the world did you do to yourself?”

“I thought it would be fun to throw myself over a root in the garden last night.” Briar-Rose laughs as she sits down on an upholstered chair. Someone must have brought it in especially for her because I don’t see any other chairs around.

Her type of entertainment is not amusing. It’s terrible that she has to sit out her own ball. “I can imagine things way more fun than that.”

“Oh, don’t worry.” She waves a dismissive hand. “It’s not that bad. It’ll heal.”

After weeks, yeah. I know how long it took my broken wrist to heal. Wait until the itching begins. An entire leg…ugh. A shudder rakes over me at the thought.

I turn to Cindy and Snow-White. “So, what is the honor you spoke of?”

No one answers, their attention caught by a man in a dark cloak, hood drawn over his head, and one side of his face covered by a white mask. Only when he hands Briar-Rose a glass of champagne and kisses her on the temple, do I recognize the phantom as Phillip.

“Riley!” The one visible half of his mouth curves as he notices me. Then his appreciative gaze moves down and up my dress for a moment. He whistles through his teeth. “Look at you.”

Help! Another blush is on the rise. I grimace. “Yeah…it’s actually not mine.”

His eyes take on a humorous gleam as he leans in and whispers, “Are they ever?” Then he straightens again and turns an impish grin on Bellina next to me. “Awesome slip on the stairs, by the way.”

Laughing, she smacks him on the shoulder. “Shut up, you!”

He rubs the spot, certainly not in pain, but his attention skates back to me. “You had some people worried you wouldn’t show up tonight.”

I bet. “Getting dressed for a ball is harder than one might think.” My comment holds a lot of truth, which surely reflects in my tone as I cast a glance at Cindy, silently saying thanks for the fairy miracle earlier. Then I remember the real reason for the feast and step up to Phillip, breathing a kiss on his cheek. “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you.” He lightly wraps his arm around my waist and smirks. “I hear I’m going to open the first waltz with you tonight.”

“You are?” In shock, I lean back but can’t escape him.

“Oh, yes,” Cindy answers for him, and all my friends flash bright grins my way. “Surprise!”

A frightened little “huh?” escapes me.

“Someone has to stand in for me,” Rory says, pointing at her broken leg. “Because, obviously, I can’t dance.”

“And that someone is me?” My voice trembles, as do my lips. Fortunately, Phillip is still holding me, or I’d probably keel over, what with my knees turning into pudding and all. “Why not Cindy? Or Stormy?”

“Because this is the perfect opportunity to show you off to the many dukes and princes here,” Briar-Rose explains, waving her hands excitedly in the air from her chair. “When they see you dancing, and in this awesome dress, they’ll line up to dance with you.”

“Speaking of, we better get moving,” Phillip adds cheerfully, taking off the dark cloak and draping it over Rory’s chair. “Everyone’s already waiting.” Like most of the men in here, he’s wearing a uniform, the silver embroidery on the white fabric reminding me of the jacket the stranger upstairs wore. Only instead of a band collar, Phillip’s has a lapel in a much darker blue—the same color as his uniform pants. “No couple is going to dance tonight before the host does.” He pulls me away from the others, steering me across to the glass dance floor with the water underneath.

Anxious, I drag him to a halt as I carefully put one foot onto the glass, testing it first with half of my weight, then putting even more on it.

“It’ll hold. Promise.” He laughs but gives me a moment to adjust. “If eighty dancing couples can’t break it, you surely won’t.”

My nervous gaze moves to him. Phillip encourages me with a smile and holds out his elbow for me to grab on to. He escorts me to the very center of the platform and lifts his hand to draw attention. Amazing how the entire room goes instantly quiet. Even the music stops.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.” His voice carries loud and clear through the hall. “And welcome to our ball.”

Frightened, I look around because I still feel absolutely out of place, even attached to Phillip’s arm. This is Rory’s place, not mine. It’s also her privilege to perform the first dance of the evening with the prince. They shouldn’t have surprised me with this…nightmare.

“Because my sweet wife lost a fight with a root yesterday and broke her leg, the lovely Lady Riley has given me the honor of the first dance and will open the ball with me tonight.” He tilts his head at me and whispers, “Ready?”

“Uh-uh,” I utter with slight hysteria, eyes so wide that the light hurts as it seemingly tries to stab through to the back of my skull.

“You don’t need to be afraid.” Brushing off my panic with a warm smile, Phillip takes my hand in his and places the other at the small of my back. “Just follow my lead.”

After his quick nod to the musicians, they strike the first sweet chords of an enchanting, slow song, and Phillip begins to move with me.

He takes very small steps at first as if testing whether I know how to dance. I’ve certainly learned enough from my princess friends in the past to suffice, but with my nerves still in a tight knot, I appreciate him giving me time to adjust. It’s also quite a challenge to overcome the fear of falling through the glass and right into the water at every next step.

“Don’t look down. It’s easier that way.”

Wow, Phillip is quite observant. Or maybe he just remembers how he felt his first time dancing on this floor. I follow his advice and concentrate on his eyes instead. He was right. Much easier.

I take the moment that we have to ourselves—even if we have three hundred witnesses gathered around the dance floor—to ask Phillip what’s been on my mind. A subject I didn’t want to bring up in front of my friends. “Do you know where Jack went?”

The prince nods. “He dropped by this morning and said something about going to meet someone outside of town. He should be back soon.”

“Do you think perhaps it was an excuse so he didn’t have to come here with me tonight?”

Phillip chuckles, cutting a glance at the ceiling. “Mmmmaybe…”

I knew it!

When the prince’s gaze returns to me, it’s sober. “But he also said to tell you that you look amazing…if you did.” His face softens even more. “And you do look beautiful tonight.”

“Thank you.” This time, I don’t blush at his compliment. I don’t know what it is—the dress, the music, or perhaps because it really is an honor to get the first dance of a ball with the lord of the castle—but I feel my spine straighten all of a sudden. It’s much easier to keep my chin up and a confident expression on my face. “Also for offering your birthday party to help me.”

“Nah, don’t worry about that. The annual cruises to Treasure Island became boring many years ago. This is a nice change for once. I really hope you’re enjoying yourself here.”

My mouth kicks up into a smile. “I’m starting to.” It’s the truth, I really ease up. Phillip seems to notice it, too, because he acknowledges it with an approving nod. At the next crescendo of the song, his steps suddenly stretch, and he sweeps me in amazing, wide twirls across the glass dance floor.

For one short moment, he takes his hand off my waist and waves an invitation for the guests to join us. Jazzie and Aladdin, and Avalyn and Prince Sebastian are the first to step onto the transparent floor. They nod at us in greeting before they waltz away. Soon, the place fills up fast with more couples, and we’re swallowed by the crowd.

It’s a miracle that with so many people on the glass floor, we don’t knock into other dancers. Then again, it’s probably because Phillip is the host of the feast, and they all keep a respectful distance. There’s even enough space for him to twirl me away and pull me back into his arms. Head tilted back, I laugh out loud.

Holding me tightly, he looks into my eyes, a question lingering in his gaze. When he cocks an eyebrow, I know he’s asking me if he can do it again. And I nod. The next moment, he gives my waist a slight push to twirl me away from him, our hands still joined over the distance. Only this time, his grip eases at the end of my swirl, and suddenly, I’m in the arms of someone else.

A gasp escapes me, my head jerking around as I’m swept away. My new partner falls so easily into the rhythm that I never even have to break stride. In an acute panic, I scan over his shoulder to find Phillip. The prince came to a halt where I left him alone in the crowd, eyes fixed on us. When our gazes meet across the space, he gives a helpless shrug…right before his lips twitch into a smirk.

Other couples cut into the space between us and block him from my view. Slightly out of breath from shock, I finally shift my gaze to the face of my captor—and find myself staring into incredibly blue eyes framed by a silver mask.