The Harvest || h.s.

Chapter 6

VI. WALTZ

Harry

"Can I have your attention, please?" Harry called from the top of the marble stairs, catching the attention of every single Duke, Duchess, Princess, Queen and influential people from all over the world in the room.

The Ball was hosted at Harry's palace. He has invited every King and Queen, along with the Princesses and Princes from every big Kingdom from all around the world. He has introduced Lena to a few of them, and then explained that she had to cause a good first impression, as he had intentions of signing treaties and alliances with those particular leaders.

"I would like to take this opportunity to introduce to the world a very special person for me," Harry lied. Lena knew very well that he did not write the speech, specialists had written everything he said. "A very special person to my kingdom. She represents every single citizen, every single life that I have the responsibility to take care of, whose life I have in my hands. I would like to introduce you all to Lena Marrow." Harry smiled, signalling his hand toward Lena, who smiled as well as she walked up the marble steps and took Harry's hand.

The applause erupted from the crowd as Harry raised his glass of champagne. "To Lena." He toasted, as so did the crowd.

Lena

The moment she stepped down from the stair, a wave of people was waiting for her. She felt overwhelmed as she received lots of handshakes and kind compliments from everyone, as she tried to escape the suffocating crowd of people.

She was able to get through them, sighing in relief and walking to the bar to get a drink. Lena leaned on the bar as she sipped her champagne.

"Crazy, isn't it?" Someone said next to her. Lena looked at the direction the voice was coming from, and she saw a lady dressed in a black dress. Her brown hair had a mid updo adorned with a crown.

"I don't think we've been officially introduced. Princess Louise from Monaco. Call me Lou." The Princess shook Lena's hand. "Pleasure."

"The pleasure's all mine." Lena smiled.

"So my parents are over there, and if they see me, they'll make me talk to boring people and shit about their oh so precious kingdoms, please save me," Lou begged.

Lena laughed and nodded towards the exit. "Let's get out of here, shall we?"

The two girls were racing against each other, trying and failing to run with their long dresses and heels in hand through the vast mazes that the castle's gardens held. Their expensive dresses were getting caught in the bushes and splashed with mud only made them laugh harder as Lou reached the end of the maze before Lena did.

"HA! I told you I was faster." Lou smiled proudly as Lena gasped for air and tried to regain her posture so she could push Lou to a puddle of mud.

Lou shrieked and pulled Lena with her, splashing her hair with mud and ruining her perfect hair.

"Oh my God, Harry is going to kill me." Lena panicked, standing up right away and helping Lou up as well.

"Oh, don't worry. This always happens to me in my parent's balls. We just have to get cleaned up real quick. No one will notice us missing for a few minutes."

Lena and Lou sneaked to the laundry room, where Betty helped them get new dresses and clean up the mud from their bodies and hair. After they were fresh and clean again, the two girls rejoined the party.

"So what's it like?" Lena asked. "Being a Princess."

"Trust me; it is not as good as people think it is. All those fairy tales? Lies. It's full of responsibilities and restrictions. And now my parents are pushing me over the edge even harder. I can't seem to find a husband. They don't understand I'm not ready yet."

"You know Prince Niall, from Ireland?" Lena asked.

"The blonde hottie? Sure I do."

"Well, he's looking for a wife too."

"Except that our parents are like enemies or something." Lou laughed. "But you know what? I'm going to dance with him. Yeah. Just to piss off my parents." She smirked proudly.

The centre of the dance floor was cleared, people were surrounding it in a circle. Two lines were formed, one of the ladies and another of gentlemen.

Lena and Harry were facing each other, both at the beginning of each line. Everyone simultaneously started walking to the centre, stopping once they were face to face with their partners. The couples take their positions for the dance. They bow and curtsy to their respective partner.

The ladies put their right hand up and the gentlemen their left one, their hands almost touching, and they walk in the opposite direction of their partners, resulting in a circle-waltzing in place, never breaking eye contact.

Lena looked to her right to see Lou and Niall dancing. She smiled at how fearless and rebellious Lou was, admiring her character.

Harry stared deep into Lena's eyes, as she did the same. They switched positions on the dance, never breaking eye contact between them. Lena didn't even notice everyone's eyes on her and Harry.

The music died, and they bowed to their partners again as everyone clapped and cheered. Harry took Lena's hand, and they walked through the crowd of people for a while.

"That was amazing," Harry whispered in Lena's ear, referring to their dance. "Where did you learn that?"

"My dad and I used to dance all the time in the living room when I was a little girl."

"Do you miss him?" Harry wondered.

"Of course."

Harry frowned and furrowed his brows at Lena for a few seconds, but then another person interrupted him, getting his full attention.

Lena sneaked out of the conversation, looking for Lou, or Niall, or any familiar faces. She was not used to so many people in one room, the heavy air suffocating her and the mass of bodies overwhelming her.

Lena went upstairs to get some air. She roamed through the places Niall has shown her.

She stopped once she was in front of the marble steps on the third floor, the ones that lead to the forbidden floor. Lena couldn't stop her curiosity; she stepped on the first step. After a few seconds, she did the same on the second one, until she was on the fifth step.

Her mind and heart were racing at full speed, she took a deep breath before stepping on the sixth step, but a loud sound coming from the floor above stopped her, and she raced back to the third floor, the shock causing goosebumps to erupt on Lena's skin.

She breathed heavily and leant on a wall, slowly sliding down the floor and placing a hand on her chest, feeling her heart beating like it could explode any time soon.

She sat there for a few minutes, trying to regain her breath until she saw it under an elegant table.

The little white wooden toy train.

She picked it up, gently handling it as she closely examined it. Lena stood up, with the toy still in her hands, and she went to her room. She knelt down quickly checking under the bed before she placed the toy underneath.