One Day More - a Sartorias-deles fanfic

Chapter 6

At least the tailor had removed the awful ruffles at his neck, but the new collar was even itchier than the last one. Raec was unsure whether he less preferred the coarseness or the fabric irritatingly blowing into his mouth any time he moved. Constantly pushing it from his face with the sound of a trumpet was certainly not princely.  Although...the unflattering noise could deter the wide-eyed women standing around the dance floor.  Their eyes followed him with desire, stalking him as though he were their prey.  Whether he were alive or dead hardly seemed to matter, as they hovered around him like flies on a corpse.  It was more suffocating than the garish collar around his throat.

The collar and brazen stares did nothing to distract him from the fact his feet were also hurting.  The dress shoes pinched his toes together, serving as a painful reminder he should have broken in the cursed boots prior to the event this evening.  Raec refused to acknowledge how the night's festivities were in his honor, perhaps futilely hoping by ignoring that little fact, it might make the night end faster.  He had been dreading tonight for months.  Bren and Enda had laughed at him—not with him but actually at him—just yesterday when he would not stop complaining and scheming about the ways he could possibly escape the inevitable future.  His idea of disguising himself as a servant was immediately struck down, as Raec was too well known.  Too noticeable.  No simple change of clothes would ever hide who he was.

Too well known, except the woman at the inn had not recognized him.  Would she be here tonight?  Was it bad of him to hope she was?  He did not who she was or whether she was a noble, but speaking with her—if only briefly—made him feel like more of a man and less of a prince.  Like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.  He wished he could have sat with her longer.

Raec was not one to shirk his duties.  He knew he had to do them, and he would perform them well—his father had trained him, after all—but that did not require him to enjoy them all that much.  He did not enjoy parties, dances, or balls, particularly when every eye in the room was usually focused on him.  The crown prince had little to no privacy during these sorts of affairs, and it was exhausting.  He constantly had to focus on his words, his facial expressions, everything, to ensure he was giving off just the right image to each person, including the giggly blond with whom he danced.

His parents knew this was hard for him; as Meliara never hesitated to remind Alaraec, he had too much of her in him.  Their sympathy made the whole situation a little easier.  Raec did not miss Vidanric's encouraging nod and surreptitious wink he gave when father and son had a moment of eye contact.  It bolstered his courage and gave him the energy he needed to flash the girl a dazzling smile and disengage from her with a graceful bow as soon as the music ended.  One dance closer to the conclusion of the evening, he thought.  Appearances had to be kept, Raec knew.  It was not just his name day but the one that signaled he was of age to truly begin stepping into his role as heir...and of course, since one of his duties was to find a suitable heiress, it seemed that every eligible noble lady in all of Remalna—and even beyond—was in attendance tonight.

He desperately needed air.  Beyond anyone could nudge another woman into his arms, Raec pushed through the crowds to reach the outer perimeter of the room.  Any time anyone gave him a hopeful glance, Raec would point at his throat and give an apologetic shrug.  Finally able to breathe, he managed to catch the eye of a wandering server.  It only took a few seconds to swallow down two glasses of iced punch for himself.  After his second serving, he noticed from the corner of his eye he was not the only one seeking refuge from the dance floor.  He could only see a hint of her profile, but something about the young woman on the outskirts of the room drew him.  She was draped in a blue dress the color of a summer sky, and she was among the crowd but clearly looked as though she would rather be anywhere else.  You and me both, he thought before deciding to approach.  Raec picked up a full glass from the servant's tray and started walking.  If he looked like was doing what he was supposed to do—chatting up young women and having a good time—then hopefully that would be enough for everyone to let him have a few moments of peace.