~Chapter Seven~
We were having dinner in the mess hall when Iain entered. Everyone stopped talking immediately; it was strange to see him in our eating hall.
“Good evening, everyone,” he said loudly. “I trust you’ve been hard at work with your studies.”
We all blinked up at him, but no one answered.
“I’ve come to announce to you all that in two days’ time, we will be holding a celebration called the Knight Ball, to bring in the new term and wish luck to you all. Everyone is expected to have partners and it is compulsory to attend.”
He left, and everyone began talking at a million miles an hour. I turned back to my table, and we all stared at each other blankly.
“This ought to be fun,” Yasmin said, but her voice was strained as she looked at me.
The next two days passed a lot more quickly than I would’ve liked and I grew more and more frustrated with my poor attempts at trotting. I’d given up trying to complete homework; once we’d had riding lessons, I was too sore to sit down to study.
On the day of the ball, I scrambled up to my room before Dena or Theresa could ask me who I was going with. I entered my room, surprising Larni in the act of laying a dress bag out on my bed. I closed the door behind me and she looked up.
“Your dress for tonight, miss.” She said, lowering her gaze.
“Thanks,” I said, slinging my school bag to the floor. “But I’m not going.”
Larni looked up, curiosity sparking in her eyes for just a second.
“But everyone else is going,” she said. “And it’s compulsory.”
I flopped down onto my bed, avoiding the dress bag.
“So? I‘d rather do detention again if it meant I didn’t have to see him with her.”
“Who?” Larni asked curiously.
“Phoenix,” I said, and my stomach flipped over.
“Are you having troubles with him?”
I looked at her. She looked back at me, genuinely curious.
“Yes. He doesn’t speak to me at all, or even acknowledge that I exist unless I force him to speak to me.”
“Ah, I’m sure it’ll work out in time, miss,” Larni said, suspiciously happy about it all. “So who is this ‘her’?”
“Eleanora.”
“The one that you got into the fight with?”
Larni knew more than I’d been telling her, but I suspected the servants knew more about the Academy and its inhabitants than they let on.
“Yeah. Her.” I said heavily.
She patted my hand.
“It’ll all work out,” she repeated and began to head for the door. “I still think you should go, miss.”
She left, leaving me with a heavy heart and a dress bag.
Night fell, and I could hear the other girls heading down to the Main Hall. I didn’t answer the door when Dena knocked, even when she called out for me.
I was plonked at my table, finishing a report for Professor Watt when someone else knocked at my door. I looked up curiously; all of the other girls had gone down already. I opened the door cautiously
“Oh… Hi, Dustin.” I said, surprised to see him, considering my cold dismissal at the river.
He frowned at me.
“You’re not going?”
I looked down at my uniform, noticing for the first time that he was wearing a pale yellow lace-up tunic over a white shirt with black pants and black leather boots. He looked quite nice.
“Didn’t have a date,” I said, smiling sadly. “I thought I might catch up on my homework, though I can’t sit down.”
I clamped my lips together hoping he didn’t notice the last bit.
“Well coincidence just so happens that I don’t have one either. You might’ve guessed that Phoenix and Eleanora are together, so when you didn’t show up at the start of the night, I thought I’d come and find you.” He smiled nervously.
“Did you now?” I asked, quite pleased.
He nodded.
“Will you come down with me?” He asked and held out his arm.
I mulled it over. He obviously hadn’t noticed me talking about my sore butt.
“Give me five.” I said quickly, closing the door.
I untied the dress bag Larni had laid out and lifted a long green dress reverently from its depths. I stripped down and stepped into it, somehow managing to do up the back. It was strapless and fell to the floor, the chiffon waves falling from an empress waistline. I brushed my hand over the spectacular embroidery that embossed the waistline, unable to believe that I was wearing such a beautiful garment. I pulled my hair up into a bun, quickly plaiting a section that wrapped around the bun. I couldn’t find any make up in my room – not that I’d have any idea how to use it -, but I did find a pair of long green earrings that lightly brushed my shoulders. I found green heels with a little strap that went around my ankle in my dresser and put them on.
Satisfied that I was done, I opened the door again, half expecting to see Dustin gone. He wasn’t however, and smiled when he saw me in my dress.
“Don’t say anything.” I said warningly.
“I was just going to say that you look beautiful,” he said, something in his eyes making me turn a deep red.
He offered me his arm again and I took it. We descended the stairs and headed for the Main Hall, talking avidly about classes, people, Phoenix and Eleanora. I neglected to tell him about the fact that Phoenix had only spoken about a dozen words to me in two weeks.
We entered the hall, and stood at the top of a large flight of stairs that descended onto a dance floor. Tables lined the walls, draped in white linen and rose petals. Tall branches of candles lit the hall with a soft golden light and a band occupied a raised dais at the opposite end of the hall. I frowned; I didn’t recall either the stairs or the dais being here. It wasn’t until I spied Iain at the back of the hall, chatting to Professor Alena, that I realised he’d created the stairs; all the better for a dramatic entrance, I supposed.
A hush spread throughout the crowd below us as Dustin and I began to make our way down. I could see Eleanora glaring at us, and I lifted my chin higher. Out of the corner of my eye I spied Phoenix standing close to her. I quickly averted my eyes.
I saw Dena and Theresa sitting with the rest of my group, gaping at my dance partner. I couldn’t hold back the huge grin that I beamed at them, though I winced as I realised everyone was still staring when we got to the floor. Music filtered through the air, and eventually everyone began to talk and dance again. Dustin and I avoided Eleanora and Phoenix, and headed towards Dena and everyone.
“Nice dress, Sky.” Petre said laughing.
I glared at him, but then laughed as he pretended to be frightened of me. I introduced Dustin to the others and they welcomed him eagerly, Petre and Ispin especially; I think they’d been feeling a little overwhelmed by women.
As the night wore on, Dustin and I danced many times and I decided I was quite enjoying myself. The rest of the time I sat with my group at our table, joking and laughing with them. Right next to us was an enormous vat of mead that was slowly being consumed. I danced with everyone, including Petre, Ispin and the red headed guy who’d been struck by lightning on our first day of classes.
The music ended around one in the morning, and Dustin towed me back to my room; I was dizzy from too much mead. As we were walking down the darkened hallway, I realised two people were standing at the bottom of the stairs, dimly illuminated by the low burning torches.
My heart plummeted as I realised it was Phoenix and Eleanora. His arms were around her and it took me a second to realise they were kissing.
I felt like I was going to be sick. They broke apart and looked around at us, Phoenix avoiding my gaze.
“Dustin!” Eleanora said, and I could tell she was embarrassed. “Uh, we were just-“
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“Yeah, we saw.” Dustin said coldly.
He took my arm and led me past them. I felt like my heart was breaking, and tears began to fill my eyes.
When we reached my door, he stood looking at me for a second.
“Tonight was fun,” I told him, trying to hide how upset I was and swaying slightly. “Thank you for taking me.”
“It was my pleasure,” he replied honestly. “Thank you for coming with me. It’s every man’s dream to take a beautiful woman to a dance.”
“Maybe in this world it is,” I said, laughing in spite of myself. And then, quietly, “You think I’m beautiful?”
“Of course I do,” he said softly. “Ever since I saw you in the Entrance Hall when we first arrived. I was just too nervous to speak to you.”
“You should’ve,” I said, looking up at him. “I’m sorry for how I treated you when you saved me the other day.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he replied, tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear.
He took a deep breath as though steeling himself and then leant down to kiss me. His lips brushed mine, and I closed my eyes, letting him take me into his arms.
Ok, here’s the truth. I’d never been kissed before.
I could smell his aftershave, and his upper lip was rough with stubble. He had one hand on my neck, his thumb caressing my jaw line.
When we broke apart, I desperately wanted to continue. But then I thought about Phoenix and something made me step back.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Dustin said, and took my hand in his. He brushed my knuckles with his lips. “Goodnight, beautiful woman.”
“Night,” I said softly.