Roaring 20s Royalty

Chapter 3- I'd Be Honoured

A new age of music had grown over the last year, and if I'm at all honest, I didn't much mind it.

Ever since someone over in a place far to the west developed an instrument known as the trumpet, music and nightlife has been revolutionised. Various brass instruments have been invented since, and now we get to enjoy a whole new era.

Jazz.

The second the music started, the whole ballroom came to life. People grabbed their partner, or should they not have one, they asked whichever person they'd had their eye on that night to accompany them for a dance.

"Oh, Darling!" My mother cried, clutching my father's arm, "It's time to dance!"

The next thing I knew they had disappeared into the middle of the room, to show off to our resident guests no doubt, thus leaving me alone with Mr and Mrs Murkyavich.

"Where is that boy?" Joseph muttered under his breath, then he approached me, "Princess Nova, if you wouldn't mind, I would appreciate it if you could perhaps share a dance with my son? Wherever the lazy fool has wandered off to, if I find him can I be assured that he will have your hand for the next song or two?" The Lord seemed eager, nearly begging but still swaying towards hopeful.

Great, was the only words my mind could muster, just great. As seen, I wished for all possibilities of as little interaction with people as I could. Yet with all my disdain, my uninterest, the words that came out of my mouth were, "Why of course, I'd be honored, Lord Murkyavich." Followed by a curtsey.

The Lord smiled like a happy dog and thanked me, promptly leaving to locate his son with haste.

"Princess." Jurgelda spoke from behind me, "If you are to dance, what would you like me to do with your dress?" She gestured to the long end she still held in her hands.

I sighed, "Perhaps the age of ballgowns is at an end." My eyes met hers, "Rip it, carefully please. What care is it of mine, my parents will and have paid for it. I feel getting it repaired will be far less costly than the embarrassment I will meet should I fall."

She gave an uncertain look but nonetheless knelt down to the fabric, searching for a suitable point to tear the dress to a shorter length around my ankles. The tear was clean, completely changing the aura the dress gave from royalty to party. I much preferred this, the horrid, drenching weight of the image I was meant to have carried was finally cut loose, easier and more enjoyable.

I shook my ankles to loosen them and fixed my hair. The brass jazz music burst loud and free from the band on the stage, their grey pinstripe suits and fedoras matching.

It was a Western style that was a rare sight here in the East. Really, the pictures I'd seen of grand parties, women in dazzling dresses with string-like bits hanging from their skirts and massive feather plumes coming from their headbands.

Men had suits of grey or black, though it was hard to tell from a black and white photo, with long tails coats and tall hats.

As I looked around at the energetic party now in almost full swing, I noticed the Lord returning my direction, a man about my age behind him, who I knew was his son.

"Princess Nova! Thank you for your patience. I managed to locate the little bug in the end." He shot his son a warning glance.

I could see that his son was indeed a handsome man, fashionable at the least and with well kept hair that slicked to the side, as was the trend. I couldn't help but leak a smile as I saw that he looked just as uninterested as I was in the whole ordeal.

I curtsied to him nonetheless as I had decided I may as well try and enjoy his company, "I am Princess Nova. As per your father's request, I would be honored to share a dance with you."

A smile cracked on his face and he bowed before me, "Henrique Murkyavich, Princess. I am the one who should be honored with such an experience." His voice was smooth and confident, not surprising of a Lord's son, but I have to admit I liked it.

He stood taller than me with a strong build. His suit fitted him well to show it.

"Well, let me leave you two to it. Thank you again, Princess." The Lord bowed and hastily left to find his wife, leaving us alone near the stage.

"Your name isn't from here, Murkyavich. How so?" I asked as he took my hand and brought us a suitable dancing space.

"My mother is from Frecha, and please, call me Henrique." He pulled me closer to his body and took my other hand, in position for the first steps of the dance, the Lindy Hop.

"Very well, Henrique, but then I expect you to do the same. To you, I am Nova." Saying it out loud somehow felt relieving, and however much I didn't want to admit it, the party wasn't seeming so bad with the music and dancing.

He didn't say anymore, but simply began to step to the dance. I moved my feet with his, spinning when he let me out to do so, swinging my arms and feet in time with the beat just as he did opposite me. He was a good dancer, clearly experienced. Adrenaline and excitement filled my body, and before I knew it we were moving to a whole new song and dance. We twisted and bounced fluidly together, then he grabbed my waist and hauled me up over his shoulder as the dance went. I swung around his neck and stepped off him to his side.

We laughed with happiness at this new style, music and way of life. This was what living meant and was.

It only felt like minutes when we found ourselves at the side of the room, yet it must have been only five or six dances. We were laughing and wheezing uncontrollably, I could hardly keep from spilling my drink I'd taken off the table. He had to hold me to stop me collapsing although he wasn't far from it himself.

"You're an energetic dancer, Henrique, I'll give you that." I said when I'd finally regained my breath.

"And you, I've never had so much fun with a dance, it's remarkable!"

I leaned against the wall, "You're such a charmer," I laughed, "You know this is only my third dance I've ever been to? At least, of this kind, and back then I didn't even have a half decent partner to learn off."

He took a sip of his cocktail, "I wouldn't have known it."

I rolled my eyes, "I've been to enough ballroom dances that I could recite over fifty routines with my eyes closed and switching partners midway through. By the lords I hope my parents never go back to them."

"Well, unfortunately it may be that here in the east the jazz era is actually dying out, believe it or not."

I turned to him with an intriqued expression, "That's hardly so, how can it be? We've only had it here for maybe two years, and it's been picking up."

"Yes, that's true but if you look around, there are half the number of shops remaining for garments and such since the beginning of the year. And why? Bankruptcy, mostly. On top of that, all the bands are moving west over to Missiplaton for business. I plan to follow them, for that lifestyle, and for motor racing."

I could hardly believe what I was hearing, "Missiplaton? That's where all those photos come from of the insane parties and the big cars. I've always wondered what it would be like to visit it."

"Then come with me." He said plainly, "I'm leaving over the next couple weeks in order to make the big race. It's the first semi-official race held by some ex-bootlegger company. While you're there we could go to all sorts of parties, ten times the size of this one."

He seemed so calm and collected about this all, but I could tell by his voice he yearned to go, "I'd love to go, but I couldn't possibly. Even if my parents let me, I couldn't leave everything I do here. My horse, the people, it's all too much. I'm almost trapped."

He sighed, and I followed his eyes to his father who was beckoning him across the floor, "Look, I'm leaving in five days, thursday, from the harbour in Jorki. If you want to come with me and experience a whole new life, be there at six thirty in the morning. Then we'll be free." He went to walk past me, and I could have sworn he squeezed my hand tightly for a moment as he left.