Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 107

Chapter 107: At last, some fun
Trace finally got a chance to dance with Anaisa. He’d listened to many conversations and mingled with the crowd and lingered at the edges looking for the mysterious man in yellow and green. He hadn’t seen such a man yet.

Anaisa’s question was at the forefront of his mind for the moment, and she claimed all his attention. He gave her a half smile.

“Jealous? I wouldn’t consider myself a jealous man.” He paused to watch her reaction–a slight twitch in her eyes.

“But is one’s self perception always accurate, I wonder,” She made a show of a quizzical expression.

“Perhaps not,” He smiled.

“I won’t do you the disservice of repeating my question, since you seem intent on avoiding a direct answer,” Anaisa’s mouth tilted into a teasing simper. “But I am curious about it nonetheless.”

“I would be lying if I claimed it didn’t drive me mad to see you in everyone else’s arms but mine,” Trace turned a little more serious, “and it would wound me deeply if you claimed to enjoy their embraces just as much.”

He winced. The teasing, the flirtation, had he gone too far? Said too much?

Anaisa’s mouth dropped open slightly. “That does put things into perspective.”

The reply was not what he was hoping for, but it could have been much worse.

“Does that shock you so greatly?” Trace wasn’t sure he really wanted an answer, but he pressed for it anyway.

“You’re a puzzle,” Anaisa swallowed, fixing her eyes on the collar of his coat.

“Am I?” His brow scrunched together in confusion. “How so?”

“You’re open, and readable, and say exactly what you’re thinking, so far as I can tell,” Anaisa paused, “but still, you have secrets, and I cannot discover them. Do you know how frustrating that is?”

“Tell me, if you will.” He invited.

“Very frustrating! I cannot figure you out,” She narrowed her eyes at him and lowered her voice. “I think I know you, and then I discover something earth-shattering about who you are. And I think to myself, that must be all there is! That must be the greatest, deepest secret he harbors, and now I can make out a more complete picture of his character–”

Trace winced at the well-deserved verbal barrage, but it continued unabated.

“But then you admit to harboring even more secrets that you won’t reveal. If what I discovered was the worst–most important–secret, surely you would have simply told me all the rest easily. Since you steadfastly refuse to let me deeper into your confidence, they must be worse, and where does that leave me? With a completely incomplete, useless view of who you are.”

Trace looked down towards his feet, desperately trying to keep the anger off of his face. If Oakdown’s commands hadn’t stood in his way, he would have told Anaisa everything. Would have revealed the depths of his secrets and asked to be let into her heart. Because of the nefarious Count, his wife might forever be wary of him.

If she decided to remain his wife at all.

“I can see how you would see it that way,” He whispered. “I’m sorry for all the pain I’ve caused you.”

“Don’t give me more apologies,” Anaisa shook her head at him and changed the subject. “We… probably have work to do before the end of this song.”

“Have you seen anything I need to know about? Anyone dangerous?” He asked softly while the gathered crowd tittered gossip behind fans and fingers, probably at how closely he was dancing with the ‘princess.’

“Not so far,” She whispered back. “Anything you want to tell me?”

“About what’s been happening since the ball began? Not really.” He shrugged, looking into her eyes. “About other things? There is much I would like to tell you.”

How beautiful she was. How brave. How her kindness to the insufferable princess had changed the slightly younger woman into a tolerable human being. How much he admired her tenacity. Loved everything about her. How he didn’t want to keep any secrets from her anymore, but was magically prohibited from doing so.

The wording of Oakdown’s command echoed in his mind. He couldn’t attempt to alert anyone to the Count’s orders, meaning, as hard as he tried, the words wouldn’t leave his lips to inform Anaisa of what was really happening.

His stomach clenched as he watched the emotions play across what he could see of her face. She blinked, absorbing his words before her eyes met his again.

“What is one thing you would like most to tell me?” Anaisa pursed her lips as she tilted her head. It seemed she would still give him the opportunity to speak to her, even if she did find his secrets extremely frustrating.

He spun her around as the dance formations continued to weave them through the ballroom and considered his answer.

“That your dreams are my favorite place in all the world, and I miss visiting them.” He swallowed, uncertain how she would take the reminder of his uninvited invasion of her mind.

Anaisa’s lips pressed together, and her eyes searched the room, possibly to check on whether anyone was nearby. When she spoke again, her words were soft.

“I… wouldn’t mind if you came back,” Her cheeks tinged pink under the makeup, as she refused to look at him. His heartbeat took off like a stampede.

“You wouldn’t?” He repeated, almost desperately, trying to catch her gaze.

“I have nightmares now,” She explained, her eyes flickering to his before fleeing once more.

But that was enough. He saw a flash of what was in them, and it renewed his hope.

“Ah, I see.” He nodded seriously, but with a lightness in his heart that he hadn’t felt in too long. “I thought you might want to push me off a cliff or into a fountain again.”

“I never threw you off a cliff,” Her eyes snapped to his. “That was an empty threat.”

A smile cracked his pensive facade, and her ruby lips twitched in amusement.

Before he could respond, the song came to its end, leaving Trace reluctant to release his hold on his wife. Their eyes held for a moment until another man cleared his throat and offered his hand to the faux princess.

He was dressed ornately in yellow and green.