With Courage [King Caspian X OC]

Chapter 32

Caspian's toast marked the official start of the ball. A wave of guests flooded the dancefloor as the band took up an upbeat melody. They parted around the pair as if they were a rock in a stream, stronger than any force surrounding them, as he took her waist and began to dance.

"You're smirking." She squinted at him. "What are you thinking about?"

With his right hand clasped in her own and her arm pressed to his shoulder, he leaned in close and whispered. "I believe this is the first time I've seen you in women's clothing."

"How very dare you!" She barked out a laugh. "If we weren't surrounded by your subjects, I'd smack you for that."

The glimmer of mischief alight in his eye softened into something warmer, golden. "You look truly magnificent." He said earnestly.

"High praise."

"I can do better. Just give me some time to collect myself." The hand on her waist slid further across her back as if to illustrate his point, anchoring himself to the security of her.

She ducked her head shyly as heat crept up her neck. He was doing it again. Those easy compliments, that knowing smile. His thumb stroking the side of her own like it was enough, as if he didn't want to abandon the ball for somewhere secluded as much as she did.

She changed the subject, fearing for her composure. "I'm sorry I missed you after your meeting yesterday."

"Don't be. You've had an exceptionally long week, I can hardly blame you."

"I know, but I wanted to be nosy. We walked by and heard yelling."

"Wellin is... single-minded." She watched his jaw tick while he surreptitiously looked around them. "I wanted to update you earlier but with Maria hovering there was no time." He continued, speaking lower.

"Well, where could be better for a private conversation than a dance when you're the king with some interloper?"

"You're no interloper." He rebutted immediately, spinning them half a beat behind the rest of the dancers. "Besides, you're joking but you're exactly right. Everyone is too busy gossiping to pay any real attention to what we talk about."

She looked at those surrounding them. Dancers whirled by in their technicolour clothes, spurring the petals that lay at their feet, practically dripping in opulence. Many of them met her eye and quickly turned away, whispering eagerly to their partners. They looked to the hand wrapped around her waist, the noticeable lack of space between their bodies, her dress, his smile.

Nobody paid attention to their words.

She turned back to him. "Go on then, fill me in."

"He wants to marry me off to the princess of a neighbouring kingdom." He said quickly. Amber faltered and narrowly missed being stepped on. He raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Careful."

"Your foot was in the way. Carry on."

He obliged. "I said no. Repeatedly. It's all I've ever told him, but he is..."

"Single-minded."

"Exactly."

She sought out Wellin amongst the crowd and found, without surprise, that he was watching them with a frown. "What a diplomatic way to phrase it."

"Quite."

Her gaze continued to roam around the room, across all the finely dressed strangers she did not know but who – and she was still adjusting to this – all knew of her and remembered then Wellin's eagerness for the ball. "He mentioned neighbouring kingdoms yesterday, didn't he?"