When Worlds Collide

Chapter 42

The balcony had a view that couldn't be described as anything less than breath taking. From where Juvia stood she could see the waves of the ocean has the rose and fell against the shore, the town of Magnolia all lit up by windows and lanterns, the ducks, geese, and swans coming out of the pond and settling into their nests in the reeds. But she thought the loveliest of all had to be the sky of stars that lay high above her. They twinkled and shimmered like a thousand pearls found in the depths of the ocean. She thought that surely nothing else could compare to such a sight.

Gray on the other hand thought that Juvia was ten times more lovely than any star. Not only was she lovely but so wonderfully different from any other girl he had met before. All those noble ladies Lahar set him up with were so prim, so boring, so vain, so full of pretenses. This girl on the other hand wasn't afraid to be herself. She was modest and fun, and he could tell that way she looked at him that she had a heart that expressed such an incredible amount of kindness.  He somehow knew that she had started dancing like that to distract everyone from laughing at his voice, that she understood how ashamed he was of his condition and instead of mocking him for it, she tried to help him however she could. Words couldn't even begin to describe how happy that made him.

"I want to thank you for that."

Juvia turned her attention from the view and looked at him confused.

"For making everyone forget about my lousy singing." He said. "You know where I come from music is a way of life and folks are judged on how well they can sing. But I can't sing at all. I don't know why, there's just something wrong with my throat. It cracks."

For a moment, he looked embarrassed and ashamed again. Juvia leaned forward and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder to comfort him. He smiled at her and the prince's smile astonished her more than his presence.

"But my mother once told me that music doesn't just come from your voice. It can also come from your feet."

Juvia looked at him confused, he responded by taking her hand into his.

"Do you like to dance?" He asked her.

She didn't know how to answer that for she had never danced before. But she had always dreamed about it.

"Do you know how to dance?"

She shook her head.

"Well don't worry, learning how to dance is easy. I'll show you."

He raised her hand up while still holding it and then slid his other arm around her waist. She gasped softly, surprised by the touch.

"Dancing is a special kind of song, one that you can't hear but you can see and feel."

Juvia was nervous, almost afraid to dance with him because she suspected that she may very well make a fool of herself again. But when she stared into those intense but gentle eyes of his, her fear was forgotten and she desired only to do as he pleased.

Soon music from the ballroom drifted into the night air and Gray led her into a waltz. He was the most perfect dancer she had ever seen. She could see his heart song in the way his legs and feet moved. She could see his melody, his lyrics, his harmony, and his rhythm. To her his dancing was better than anyone's ability to sing, especially when she felt the warmth of his arms around her.

At first she did trip and step on his foot a few times but he always kindly assured her that everyone makes those mistakes when the dance for the first time. Under his guidance, her feet started feel so light and when she stepped and twirled, it looked like they had never touched the floor. It was like she was floating on air. Her smile grew and her eyes shimmered with joy, she was actually dancing. Dancing under the moon and the stars with her prince. It was a dream come true.