On strange trails

Chapter 6: The Dance

"Maybe we should go to sleep too", Cora said as she noticed how tired she actually was. Magenta nodded. "Good Night, lovely", Magenta said friendly and went to her room. "Good Night!", Cora said too. Magenta didn't know why but she loved Cora. Not in a romantic way but I a motherly like way. Even though she wasn't much older than Cora.

When Cora went to bed she somehow fell asleep immediately.

In the Morning Cora woke up by loud footsteps in the hall and the sun shining through her window. She yawned and slowly got out of bed. When she stood up, she saw clothes laying on a chair next to the bed. It was a black skirt and dark blue corset and also some fishnet pants. She took it on and it didn't reveal too much. Cora was happy about that.

She went to the door and saw some heels standing next to it. She thought that Riff Raff might have brought the clothes in while she was sleeping. She went out of the door and down the stairs.

She heard voices coming out of a room right next to the front door. She knocked and went inside. She saw Columbia and Rocky sitting on a long table. Frank was sitting at the top. She assumed that Magenta and Riff Raff were making breakfast.

Frank than saw her and she noticed his amazed and confused stare. But he quickly recovered. „Cora! Good morning. Please take a seat.", he said friendly. Cora smiled and set down next to Columbia.

They had a nice breakfast. When they had finished eating, Cora stood up and walked out of the dining room, telling Frank she needed to use the bathroom.

When she left the room and wanted to walk up the stairs, Riff Raff came in her way. "Oh hello Riff Raff", Cora said friendly. He didn't answer and didn't smile. He was staring at her a little disgusted. "You better get going. You don't fit in around here.", he said and touched her hair. "Little girl.", he than said in a very concerning tune.

Cora was frozen. She didn't know why but she was afraid of him. Suddenly she heard some steps behind her. "Riff Raff! Stop scaring our guest. Don't you have things to do?", Frank hissed at him. Riff Raff didn't answer, he just walked away.

"Sorry dear. He is like that sometimes. But there's no need to be scared of him", Frank said friendly. Cora nodded smiling. "Was my fear so obvious?", she laughed. "Oh sweety you were shivering", he laughed a bit as well. "Well thanks for 'saving me'", Cora said and went up the stairs.

She knew she needed to call her parents. They were surely worried as hell. But she didn't want to. Her parents didn't deserve to know where she was and what she was doing. And they also didn't need to know. She was 19 after all.

When she was done in the bathroom, she closed the door behind her and turned around to Columbia standing in front of her. Cora jerked. "Jeeze Columbia!", she said. "Just came here to tell ya we're going to have a lil dance this evening. If ya want I can help you picking an outfit.", she said in a rather monoton and uninterested voice. "Thank you Columbia. And yes I would like that very much", Cora said trying to be polite.

Cora spend the day exploring the castle and in the evening she and Columbia went to Cora's bedroom and tried one some outfits. While doing that they made their own little fashion show without even knowing. It seemed like Columbia finally warmed up to her a little.

They laughed a lot and Cora finally found something that really suited her. It was a short, red dress and some black heels. "Damn Cora you do be a hot one, don't ya?", Columbia said as she was just about to leave the room. "Never thought about it...", Cora said as she noticed that she actually never really thought about her looks.

"Well than better do it sometime! Trust me it's worth it", she said with a little wink and left the room. Cora looked at herself in the mirror. For the first time in her life she thought: "Hey look. That's me".

After she finished her makeup, she left her room and went downstairs. Cora could already hear the music coming from the room she entered yesterday. She went into the room and saw Magenta, Riff Raff, Rocky, Frank and Columbia already standing around the room.

She smiled and walked towards Magenta, who welcomed her with a hug. It seemed to be a rather private dance. Magenta and Riff Raff were both not wearing their usual clothes but a nice dress and suit. Frank was standing next to the throne, talking to Columbia. He was wearing his normal fishnets and heels but a more formal corset this time which fully covered his chest and arms even.

She danced some time with Magenta until Frank came towards them. "May I?", he asked and reached out his hand. Cora nodded smiling and Magenta went to dance with her brother. When Frank took her hand, he immediately led them into a nice little dance. Cora laughed as he twirled her around.

"Have I already said that you look absolutely stunning today, darling?", he asked with a cheeky grin. "Thanks. You look very nice too.", Cora said smiling friendly. Frank seemed very concentrated when the music went a little faster.

Cora than really looked at Frank for the first time ever. She never noticed his greenish blue eyes. Even though he maybe was really feminine and certainly very conceited, he also was a little bit of a gentleman and very charming. Cora didn't know why but she somehow had an affection towards him which she couldn't quite but a finger on it.

It wasn't anything sexual or romantic, well maybe not yet, but it was rather a deep understanding. They continued dancing like that for sometime until Cora suddenly hugged Frank. He was surprised but quickly hugged back.

"What was that for?", he asked laughing a bit. "Thank you.", Cora just said. "Thank you for saving me. You didn't just save me from the rain but from so much more", she said quietly. Frank than understood. "You're welcome", he whispered.

"The way Frank treats her. I've never seen him so calm with someone. And he hasn't tried to seduce her in any way. That's usually the first thing he does when it comes to meeting new people. Specially when they're as beautiful as Cora.", Columbia said to Magenta.

"Maybe it's because she's beautiful but she doesn't know it yet.", Magenta suggested. "No I don't think it's that.", Columbia than meant.

Suddenly they heared a loud knock at the front door.