Unmasked

Chapter 30

-unedited, might add on later-

Chapter 30:

The time that felt about right to go came. We changed and made our way, I didn't want to admit I was too afraid to go out in my dress.

But as soon as his hand touched mine I wasn't as afraid, we quietly made our way down the hall. The idea of one of the maids recognizing me in this dress and holding hands with the prince crept into my mind and stayed.

"Just relax," he tells me as he leads me down yet another hallway I've never seen, "everyone might seem important but they're just rich men."

Just rich men. I can't seem to imagine any rich man not being important, but the way he said it, as if he's has some bad history with them before.

"Have they ever done something?" Something to upset you?

"It's more of what they want to be done, they try to put things into my father's mind, sometimes they succeed," his hand tighten around mine as he explains, "it bothers me."

I decide to not push any further, not that I could push to begin with.

"But I know you get my mind off them," his voice turns soft, "you get my mind off a lot of things."

We finally stop at set medium sized gold doors, he turns and gives me a reassuring smile.

"Just think of it as the same dance we went to when we first met," he tells me.

"Except without the masks," I didn't mean to say out loud.

He squeezes my hand again but this time for comfort.

"Without the masks," he repeats, he sounds almost hopeful, like maybe it will be like the last time we danced together, except this time I can meet his eyes.

When he opens the door, I immediately notice the color of the dresses other women are wearing, the way they dance, how some of them just stand. I'm overwhelmed before I even step in.

"I'll be with you the entire time," he whispers to me, its immediately after that I notice that I'm the one squeezing his hand this time. I try to let go but he hold on, "it's okay."

I didn't know whether he meant me squeezing his hand or if he was just trying to calm me again, I would prefer the first one.

The room is just a much smaller ballroom compared the one we were in before, the wall across from us wasn't a wall but a window, a window to a view of what looked like a garden. It all seemed like the perfect size for small, private parties, but it still felt empty.

"Is it just rich men from this kingdom?" I ask, looking up at him as we make our way across the room, I notice that his eyes are look straight ahead, as if he were trying to avoid making eye contact with someone- maybe everyone.

"And some neighboring ones too," he answers, still only keeping his eyes straight.

I was about to ask him something else when a lady suddenly steps in front of him.

"Why look at who we have here!" The lady exclaims loudly, causing me to jump a little when she says so. She looks to be middle-aged wearing a large purple ball gown, there's a champaign glass in one of her hands

"The heir of Queen Victoria and King George and here I thought you'd disappeared," she smiles, her smile was too broad, almost wicked, "what happened?"

His face is hard, unreadable, I've never seen it like this before.

"I came back," he replies coldly.