Cinderellion (bxb)

Chapter 5: Stories and Constellations

The hallways of the palace were eerily empty, the only noise the muffled sounds of the ballroom. The occasional servant that passed us bowed their head at the Prince.

"Where are we going?" I whispered.

Prince Henri smiled over his shoulder. "I don't know, where do you feel like going?" He answered in a normal tone that made me feel like a vazey for whispering.

"I don't know, where can we go?"

He counted off his fingers as he listed. "Library, Game room, wine cellar, Music Room, Blue Parlour, Green Parlour, and we even have a White Parlour if you absolutely despise colour. We can even go to the kitchen, maybe they made something other than hors d'oeuvres that we can eat. The last time I had a decent meal was lunch."

I hadn't eaten since that morning, but I didn't say that. My attention caught on something else he'd said. "You have a music room?"

His eyes lit up, he poked out his tongue and bit down on it inadvertently. The corners of his mouth turned up as well. It was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. "Of course I do, this is a palace. I think there might be a theatre somewhere, if you want to go searching for it."

I smiled. "No, the music room will be fine."

He took my wrist again and quickened our pace. His hand was warm, even through both our gloves. He pulled me down a few hallways and up a short set of stairs before opening an arched double door into a round room that is probably the most beautiful place I'd stepped foot in. The floor was white and grey marble, the walls were a baby blue with white panelling halfway up the wall. There was a chandelier hanging in the center of the room. But that wasn't even the most beautiful part. No, that ranking had been set aside for the white grand piano beneath the chandelier and the dozens of various instruments hung on the walls.

I only realized I was smiling when I looked back at the Prince and found him watching me with his own. "You like music."

"Yes, I like music." I looked back to the piano, my smile widening as I walk closer. "Gods, it's been so long since I played." I ran my hand over the smooth lid.

"Why is that?"

I sat down on the plush velvet bench and grazed the keys with my fingertips. "My stepfather got rid of ours, he said I played it way too often, and the horrible racket made it hard for him to work." Playing piano and singing had been my one sense of peace after my mother had passed. One of the only things I remembered about her was the endless piano and singing lessons she put me through. I had loved it.

"He sounds like a dick." I barked out a laugh at the major understatement. The prince gestured at the piano. "You can play if you want." He gave me a smile. "I'd love to hear it."

I smiled and tugged off my gloves, folding them onto the lid of the piano before rolling my shoulders and positioning my hands over the keys. I started playing, though it takes me a few seconds to get into the rhythm since I hadn't played in at least seven years. Soon I was taken into the current of the music, my eyes closed, and I hummed for a bit before mumbling the words. It was one of my favourite songs, even though it was sad. I barely felt as the bench shifted beneath me.

When the song ended, I opened my eyes, looking left I found Prince Henri sitting next to me, facing the other way but looking at me with a smirk and his tongue between his teeth. I smiled back. "You're very good," he said, "your voice, and your fingers moved really fast." He grinned. "Can you play something happy, though?"

I smiled. "I suppose I can." I started a happier song with a much quicker tempo and watched as Prince Henri stood and began to dance. It was not the uniformed, sophisticated dancing that was happening in the ballroom; there was a lot of weird foot movement and spinning. He danced in a circle