Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 106

Chapter 106: First dance
Anaisa smiled and tried her best to give a glowing impression of a debutante princess. Sapphira would want the kingdom to like her, and as this was a case of first impressions, Anaisa needed to be as winsome and charming as possible.

It was exhausting.

The first dance, with His Majesty, had been both terrifying as all eyes were on her, and comforting, since she didn’t have to dance with a stranger immediately on her arrival. Her stomach rumbled, and she sought to snatch one of the snacks from a servant’s tray just after the song ended.

“I should have had them feed you ahead of time,” The king frowned slightly. “Though I don’t imagine you’ll have a difficult time finding someone to retrieve some food for you during all this. Good luck.”

“Good luck–?” Anaisa nearly choked. What words from a monarch! But he was right, and as soon as she’d stuffed the morsel into her mouth, she had three men bowing and asking for the next dance.

She glanced at the king, who just vaguely smirked. Anaisa honestly couldn’t tell who had been first to offer, but tried to guess based on their positioning, placing her hand in one of the palms outstretched towards her.

The man kissed it gently, and her face flamed. Was that appropriate? She glanced at the king again, but he had already turned away, making his path back towards the landing, where the queen sat looking down on the whole affair.

Anaisa was somewhat surprised the woman made an appearance, but she supposed she shouldn’t be. Women had gone through worse things in the course of history.

“It’s my life’s pleasure to meet you, Your Highness,” Her dance partner gushed as he pulled her into his arms.

“It will be a pleasure meeting so many people tonight,” Anaisa smiled, and the man’s eyes widened. “May I have the honor of knowing who my first dance partner of the evening is, or must I guess?”

She knew the names of many of the nobles from her father’s gossip, even if she couldn’t recognize a single one of them through these masks.

“Your Highness, have you been researching the nobility and memorizing all our names?” The man’s lips curled into a smile.

“Well I’ve hardly been sitting around the palace eating all day.” Anaisa blinked innocently, and the man sputtered.

“Why, no, of course not–” He glanced over her slim figure. “You look perfect. Just the way a princess should.”

“I’m sure that is courtesy of the dressmaker, the jeweler, and so many others who worked on my appearance today.” She looked away from his intense gaze. He appeared to be trying to study her through the mask. Probably most would this evening, trying to determine what the princess really looked like.

The irony was not lost on Anaisa.

“Don’t be so modest,” The man smiled genially. “Even the greatest artist must start with a good quality canvas to make something truly beautiful.”

“A canvas is exactly what I feel like,” The fake princess quipped with a smile as the song ended. “Thank you for the dance.”

She gave a polite slight curtsy as he bowed and took the hint that he was being dismissed. Even before the music struck up for the next song, several hands were offered to her.

This process went on for the better part of an hour. As another dance ended, she thanked her partner with a curtsy, and turned to a half dozen more offers for the next song.

Suppressing a sigh, she tried to give a pretty pout of indecision as she evaluated the options. She didn’t think she’d danced with any of these men yet.

“Your Highness,” A voice spoke from behind her, and she whirled, her dress brushing the shins of those suitors who had ventured closest. “May I have the honor of this dance?”

Before her stood a man in a blue ensemble that reminded her of a summer sky. His carefully styled brown hair was the perfect compliment to the embroidered mask he wore, but it was his eyes that captivated her attention.

She would know them anywhere.

She lifted her hand and placed it gently in his outstretched one. A current like a small strike of lightning ran through her fingers and up her arm, and she shivered despite the growing heat of the room.

Trace pulled her into his arms, and suddenly, she felt as if he were the only other person in the room. It was her first time being held by her husband. And in front of so many people, not that any of them knew the truth. Their faces were close, and she looked up into his eyes as he began to lead her through the opening steps of the new song.

“You seem to be having an excellent time, Your Highness,” Trace observed. “I trust the festivities meet with your approval?”

How could he be so calm? Act as if holding her was anything more than an everyday occurrence to him?

She wasn’t sure if his formal tone was for the benefit of anyone who might overhear–which was unlikely–or if he was teasing her. His face was not as readable, since it was half covered by the mask, and so she decided to have some fun for the first time this evening.

If he wanted to play this game, she would play it to the best of her ability.

“How could I not approve of such excellence? The food, the music, the dance partners,” She batted her eyelashes flirtatiously, and Trace missed the next step of the song.

“You find all the dancers equally excellent to be with?” His lips firmed, and she let her eyes rest on them for only a second, remembering their passionate kisses from her dream.

This was not helpful for her calm.

Lifting her eyes to his, she continued her game despite the heat on her face. How often did she get the chance to make him feel uncomfortable? His reactions were the most entertaining thing that had happened all evening.

Besides… the princess should appear to be flirting, shouldn’t she? And who better to practice on than Trace?

“Would you be terribly jealous if I said yes?” She looked up at him innocently.