The Mark of Arella(Book One of the Dragonfly Chronicles)

Chapter Ten

Lilly sat next to Jarron and Sorcha nibbling on her plate of food.  The great hall was packed with fae of all types.  Nobles, townspeople, woodsmen, soldiers.  The whole province must have been invited she decided.  Jarron saw her staring at the room and said, "Everyone has come to see you Lilly.  They wanted to see for themselves if the rumors of your return were true."  Sorcha added, "plus I'm sure some of them are interested in courting you." Lilly coughed and stared at Sorcha.  "Court me?" Jarron said, "It is an old tradition that we haven't followed in centuries, but you are a Princess to one of the four Kingdoms of Fannon and a marriage between you and another noble house could help to bring stability to the realm." He looked over at Prince Elias and back to her.  "For example, if you were to marry the future King of Dorstrum three of our four Kingdoms would be brought together."  "But, I don't think of him that way, you don't think father would make me marry him?  That's barbaric." Lilly said. Jarron went on to say. "The Prince brought his steward Alistair with him.  Alistair has been meeting with father every day since they arrived to help build a stronger alliance between the four Kingdoms.  I wouldn't be surprised if one of the suggested ways to build that alliance was to marry you to Elias.  I know he is very taken with you."

Lilly suddenly felt very nervous.  Had this been why Prince Elias came here?  Was that man in the hallway his steward and the necklace a token of his intentions?  She thought back to their interactions.  He was always very kind to her, constantly kissing her hand and complimenting her.  Did he invite her to visit him as a way to talk her into staying and marrying him?  She was getting nauseous.  She had thought Eli was handsome and kind, but she never considered him more than a friend. And to be forced into marrying someone she didn't love. Would her father do that? There was no way she would consent to that. They could send her back to the human realm if they had to. She looked at Jarron and tried to look past her father to where Rhylan sat, but she couldn't see him.  Then her gaze shifted back to below the dais where Eli sat, staring at her.  When he caught her looking at him he smiled warmly.  Music started playing in the hall and people started to move to the dance floor.  Sorcha grabbed Lilly's hand pulling her out of her thoughts and said, "Oh I love this dance, come on Lilly lets go join it."  "I don't know this dance Sorcha".  Sorcha said back confidently, "That's why we had master Aeron spell your shoes to know all the dances.  Once you get to the dance floor, your feet will guide you."  Lilly giggled and said, "Well this should be fun, I'm skeptical, but let's test it out."

Lilly and Sorcha moved around the dance floor twirling in between other partners and Lilly was surprised that in fact, her shoes did know what to do.  She knew every dance and every step as though she had been doing it her whole life.  They were laughing and having a great time when Lilly twirled to find Eli moving up to her.  "May I have this dance my lady?"  Lilly smiled back at him, trying to hide her fears that he might want more from her.  "Well yes Prince Elias, I suppose I did promise you one" He took her in his arms and they twirled around the dance floor.  He was right when he told her he had been trained well.  His movements were fluid and she started to enjoy herself.  "You are doing quite well for someone who can't dance" Eli said to her and smiled sheepishly.  "It's all about the shoes," she said back to him and smiled. A new song started and it was a dance of rotating partners.  She moved down the line from partner to partner and as each new male had a chance to dance with her some got very shy, some got very bold, and one even asked her if she would like to take a walk with him in the gardens.  She was starting to get tired and was trying to figure out a way to get out of the great hall just to take a breath when she felt a warm hand grab her own. 

Rhylan was sitting on the dais next to King Marlin watching the people in the great hall.  He couldn't get the vision of Lilly walking down the aisle, her eyes locked on his, as she approached the dais.  She was so lovely and his heart fluttered with how it made him feel when she looked at him and smiled.  Once she found his eyes, she didn't look away.  It was if they were tethered together and it was just the two of them in that moment. He got pulled out of his thoughts when he glimpsed her walk down the steps of the dais with Sorcha and they walked towards the dance floor. He watched her dance for a while. Mesmerized by her beauty and her smile was exquisite he thought. He realized she was having fun, and it might have been the first time he saw her enjoy herself since he saved her all those weeks ago. He could sit here and watch her all night he thought.  But he also couldn't help but feel a tug to go to her.  To hold her in his arms.  He got up and moved towards the dance floor and found his way to her. He grabbed her hand and when she turned to see who it was, a warm smile spread across her face.