Princess Charming

Chapter 7: Elliot

She was even more beautiful than he remembered, right down to the scowl that creased her face at his infuriating answers. He had always been able to get under her skin. Her next question hit too close to home though, and he could see that she knew it.

"Well, if that's the only name you're prepared to give me, I suppose I shall have to call you Cin. It's that or 'Der', but people might think I'm an idiot if I spend the rest of the evening saying that."

"The rest of the evening?" Elliot had been hoping to watch her from afar, maybe stand within a few feet of her if he could come up with a good enough excuse. To be speaking to her again was incredible beyond belief, to think that it might continue...

"Well, until you bore me."

Charmaine's interest was lost as quickly as it was caught. He was going to have to work hard if he wanted to remain by her side. Luckily, years of childhood friendship gave him an advantage the other men in the room could only dream of.

"And what should I do if you bore me?"

Her face lit up. "Smile politely and tell me how riveting I am, of course. I'm a Princess."

"And I am a lowly pauper, peddling for smiles. Perhaps I could save us both the difficulty of trying to remain interesting by asking you to dance?" He held out a hand, which she took without hesitation.

"That sounds perfectly agreeable."

Elliot led Charmaine onto the dance floor to the obvious interest of everyone else in the room. He could hear the whispers that followed them, wondering who he was, where he came from and how - the most intriguing question of all - he had charmed their princess so quickly.

As Elliot twirled Charmaine across the dance floor, he quickly spotted the faces of his step-family among the crowd. Disgust and envy marred their features, but not recognition. Whatever his fairy godfather had done to conceal his identity, it was working.

If he was honest with himself, he was a little disappointed that Charmaine hadn't recognised him. It was silly. Childish. Hopelessly romantic. True love didn't exist to see through fairy magic and reunite childhood friends. True love didn't exist at all. Charmaine had made that painfully, acutely clear all those years ago.

"So what brings you to our castle this evening?" Charmaine asked, breaking the silence as their dance came to an end.

"A night off," Elliot answered casually. "Good food. The opportunity to dance."

"So you have no desire to win the heart of your princess, and all the wealth, power and glory that comes with it?"

That was Charmaine; blunt as ever. Elliot pitied anyone who had come here expecting to win her heart. It was a fool's errand. So why was he still stood beside her, as dancers took to the floor once more?

"Your highness?" A brave suitor had approached them. Charmaine gave him a withering stare, which he took as permission to continue. "I wondered if you might do me the honour of joining me on the floor for the next dance?"

Charmaine sighed. Elliot considered leaving the poor boy to his fate; once lost, he might not regain Charmaine's interest. But his conscious got the better of him. It was funny how easy it was to fall back into old habits. Before Charmaine could part her lips to tear the young noble to shreds, Elliot stepped in.

"Thank you, Princess, for the honour of your first dance. I will now leave you to your party and your other guests." He offered Charmaine a deep bowing, backing away before she could protest.

He spun to face the crowd, only to find himself nose to nose with his step-father. For an instant, Lord Lebroski's expression was alarmingly similar to the one he usually adopted when he beheld his stepson. However, he quickly schooled it into a menacing smile Elliot found even more unsettling.