Fate II

CCIX

All eyes had turned to the center of the room soon after Wu Kong  arrived. With the light of the chandeliers reflecting a soft glow on the  ballroom, the guests stood on the ballroom floor but most stood to the  side for at the center, there was one royal couple who had attracted the  attention of many. At the center of the room, their auras were the  strongest and their presence the brightest as the light shone down upon them. With an otherworldly  appearance and a beauty that captivated all those around them, Lucy  picked up her gown slightly as she and Sinbad bowed to each other.

"My King."

"My Queen."

She placed her hand in his and he held it, bowing to her and kissing  the back of it, a small, alluring smirk settled upon his lips.

The other guests blushed and awed at the gesture of  affection, envious of Lucy who was showered with Sinbad's affection, and  Sinbad, who possessed Lucy's heart. There was no King who loved his  Queen as much as Sinbad. There have been Kings who loved only their  Queen in the past such as the First Emperor of the Reim Empire and the  First Emperor of the Kou Empire and thinking about it, perhaps it was  always the first King of a nation that treated their Queens with the  dignity and respect that they deserved.

With a hand by her waist and the other holding her hand, Lucy placed her hand on his shoulder as the two danced gracefully and elegantly. Their steps were light as a feather and their bodies turned naturally to the rhythm of the classical instruments that swept throughout the banquet hall. Sinbad's cape and Lucy's gown fluttered with each step, each and every one of their movements synchronized in perfection that the others could only awe for the two were indeed a perfect match. They watched with longing and envy as the two danced, captivated by the beauty of it all and even more so, their love for each other. Not once did their gazes leave the other. Even as they turned, their eyes were only focused on the other, their eyes softening with affection.

"How beautiful," one of the audience remarked, her voice but a bare whisper.

The others could only agree.

Never had they seen a waltz done so perfectly and beautifully. Not a single movement was unnecessary and exaggerate. There was a reason why the two were known for their talents for though they were well-versed and well-known for their intelligence and ingeniousness, they were just as talented in the arts. There was not a single skill they lacked from having diligently trained themselves at a young age and there was no one who could look down upon them. They smiled lovingly at each other and it was clear that they were engaging in small talk as they waltzed along, the guests who were watching on continuing to marvel at their effortless dancing, a skill that had been ingrained deep within their bodies.

"Her dancing is still as beautiful and elegant as I remember it," Kouha remarked, his eyes focused only on Lucy as they shimmered under the chandelier lights. "How long has it been since I last saw her waltz?"

The remark was obviously directed at Kouen who gripped his glass tightly between his fingers. The reason why they all marveled was because they had forgotten just how graceful and elegant Lucy's waltz was as a result of her absence from such events even prior to her coronation as Queen of Sindria. Since she became the Imperial Noble Consort, Kouen had not given her such freedom as the role of an Emperor's consort was simply to stand by his side as a mere decoration. There was not a single thing that Lucy lacked and yet, she was treated as but an object in the eyes of the Emperor but also the nation. They had all forgotten that she was the Head of the Heartfilia Household and they paid the price for treating her so at the hands of Tei Yuushun, Li Kouyuu, and Sun Wu Kong who currently managed the affairs of the Heartfilia Conglomerate with Lucy.