Ship in a Bottle

Prince and Princess (AU? One Shot?) Part II ~ Emma Swan

{Emma}
I stood abruptly, startling Killian out of whatever his mind rested upon. He leapt to his feet as well.
"Are you alright, my lady?" he asked anxiously, searching my complexion for any hint of discomfort. His strong desire to come to my aid was, although a bit surprising, rather adorable in my opinion. He behaved similarly to a wolf pup trying to earn the respect of his superiors. It then became more obvious to me the meaning of his mask. It was silver and gray with occasional strokes of white, formed to the shape of a wolf head. His  tailcoat was a matching gray, though underneath it he wore a striking red vest with narrow black buttons. The bottom half of his outfit consisted of ebony dress shoes and a darker shade of gray slacks.

"Would you care to dance?" I inquired, curtsying deeply. It was a refreshing change to be the one doing the asking.

"How could I decline such a polite offer," he replied, smiling broadly. I tugged my mask over my hair as Killian offered me his arm. Nodding gratefully, I took it and we walked to the dance floor. I could sense every eye upon us as we made our way to the center of the floor. The musicians began a new song as we set our position to dance. His strong hand grasped my waist firmly as my hand came to rest on his shoulder.

Swaying to the music, he twirled me around the floor. My gown fanned out in all directions as I danced, the embedded silver threads catching the light of the chandelier. The feathers on my mask ticked my brow as I focused intently on not tripping over myself. My feet rose off the floor as he lifted my by the waist. I pointed my toe as I set foot on the ground and spun into his arms. Somehow I could feel myself embodying the melody. My feet were now moving of their own accord. My heart hummed with the vibrations of the violin strings. Every step we made was perfectly placed. We became one form, working together to create a single synchronized motion. We whirled about the dance floor, forcing everyone around us to back up to the edges of the room. I could feel them watching, but I didn't care. All that mattered was Killian.

Sweat glistened on the parts of his forehead that were not covered by the mask. It was then that it occurred to me; I had never seen his face. The sudden realization caused me to stumble, but I regained my rhythm quickly. My heels clicked on the marble, in perfect  synchronization with the music. I don't know how long we danced. I wished it would go on for eternity. For those few precious moments, all my worries melted away. Marriage was a thing known only to romantics, and age was merely a number. For those few precious moments, I felt free of my responsibilities.

I had been avoiding them my whole life by dodging my mother's attempts to force afternoon tea with the dignitaries upon me. Instead I would go to the stables and visit my childhood horse, a majestic Appaloosa mare I called Argent. She had been a gift to me by my late grandmother, Ruth. I would take any excuse to be away from any sort of royal duties. Instead of art classes I would learn how to shoot and bow and arrow. Instead of embroidery I would choose carpentry.

As the song came to a close, the room echoed with applause. Killian and I bowed to one another and exited the floor. We approached the refreshments, laughing to each other.

"Where did you learn to dance like that, Swan?" he said lightly.

"My mother forced me to study with a renowned dance tutor," I replied, "I hated it with a passion, but I can see how it served me well."

"It was quite impressive," Killian smiled into his glass of champagne.

"Would you like to take a walk?" I inquired.

"Won't they miss you here?" I cast a glance around the room, inspecting each guest for the briefest moment.

"I very much doubt it. Shall we?" I offered my gloved hand.