Shall we dance? | Valentine's Day Oneshot

ACT I: MEETING

David took a deep breath to center himself amidst the din of the people around him. He couldn't believe he was actually here, where he had dreamed of being since he was five years old:

Disney World.

Specifically, inside Cinderella's Castle. The event known as Cinderella's Royal Table was in full swing, as people dined inside Cinderella's Castle and admired both the grandiose architecture and the wandering Princesses that greeted their guests.

David had with him his handy every-day-carry bag, today containing a gift bestowed to all at the Royal Table, either a plastic sword or a plastic magic wand. Usually, swords went to the boys and wands to the girls. David chose a wand.

It had all been a blur, stitched together in joy- even now David could only remember flashes of what the outside of the Castle looked like as he had finally approached it. Now he was here, finally in his element. He found that his surroundings were no less of a blur, as if in a dream, or a dream of a dream.

Suddenly, he wasn't sitting down at his table, but was walking about, admiring the Castle from the inside. There was enough cover between all the people and the wandering Princesses that David didn't feel uncomfortable or have too many eyes on him. In fact, he was finally beginning to feel more and more at home.

Then, panic stabbed his heart as he heard the unmistakable deep voice of none other than his own father- or who David used to consider his father, anyway.

David quickly turned around from the voice- thankfully his father didn't see him, he must've had his back to David- before nearly bumping into none other than Cinderella.

"Oh!" David exclaimed in a hushed tone, trying not to let his voice slip into his father's earshot, "Your Majesty! I am so sorry!"

"Well, it's perfectly alright, my dear," Cinderella replied. "You seem a bit turned around, would you like me to walk with you?"

"Yes," David forced out, swallowing in fear as he heard the additional unmistakable voices of his mother and siblings behind him, "let's, uh- go this way, if you would like?"

"Absolutely," the Princess sweetly replied, walking quickly with David out of the Royal Table Hall and turning the corner to be out of eyesight of his family. Of all the times they had to be coincidentally thrust upon him, it was now?! Here??

Cinderella smirked as she watched David gather his breath. "If it's any consolation, I know what it's like to not want to be seen at a Royal gathering."

David returned the smile, still calming his breathing. "Yeah, well...at least you had Fairy Godmother's enchantment to hide you from your stepmother and stepsisters at the Ball."

Cinderella put a finger to her chin in thought. "Do you happen to have the magic wand provided by the Royal Table?"

"Yes, uh... I do, actually," David replied, pulling out the plastic gift from his every-day-carry bag and promptly handing it to the Princess. "Here ya go."

As soon as the wand touched Cinderella's gentle grasp, David could see stardust flow from her fingertips into the wand, augmenting it to resemble Fairy Godmother's wand as David looked on in blushing awe.

"How did you-"

"Magic," Cinderella winked. "Fairy Godmother put in a little secret to these wands that she's trusted me with, and I've decided you are the person to test it on."

"Thanks, but- you don't even know my name!"

"Oh, what's your name?"

"Oh, it's David!"

"Hi, David!"

"Hi, Cinderella!"

Cinderella giggled happily. "Now...I should be able to cast that same enchantment that hid me from being recognized that night at the ball...Fairy Godmother really is quite a sweetheart."

"Says the sweetheart," David quipped, blushing.

"Are you ready?"

David nodded, smiling.

"Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!"

Cinderella flicked the wand and stardust showered upon David, who was as happy as he thought he could be.

"There! How do you feel?"

"Like I'm in the most wonderful dream I've ever recently had," David answered, his smile beaming.

Cinderella smiled, blushing, before she gazed to the approaching twilight outside her castle.

David blinked. Wasn't it just the middle of the day?

She looked to David and extended a beautifully-gloved hand.

"Then if you want, we can keep the dream going?"

David nodded and took the Princess' hand. "Come with me, David," she whispered sweetly. "I'll show you the very same garden I was shown at the Ball."