The Artist & The Dancer

I

It was that particular time in late April when there was no longer any snow, but simply biting cold air and rain that seemed to fall in never ending sheets. The kingdom Daonnachta was suddenly plunged into what seemed like a completely empty atmosphere.
Dan Taylor was walking down the long castle corridors, his short, black silhouette cast a tall shadow upon the huge stone walls. It was an unusual sight that might have surprised a passerby, but there wouldn't be anyone out at this time of night. The artist slid his exposed hands into his sweatshirt pockets, hoping to retain some warmth. His footsteps echoed up and around the halls, only interrupted by the occasional rumble of thunder. Dan had time to think on this midnight walk, time to think about what had happened  over the past three months.
The events had played so many times over in his head that he could scarcely trust their accuracy. His brain could have easily rewritten how the events had unfolded. But, anyway he thought of it, one thing was for certain. His one and only love, Cadence, was gone.

**Flashback**

They said it was gruesome. Whispers of gossip alleged that her bone had just snapped like a piece of dry pasta, right in the middle of a dance. Dan never trusted the young maids and their tales of woe, but this one seemed pretty credible. Anyway, the kings first dancer was gone for good and someone was needed to fill her enormous shoes.
A decree was made to the entirety of Daonnachta to send their finest dancers to the castle.  Eager performers from all over the kingdom came to take her place as 'the royal dancer'. Each was more beautiful than the next, dressed in hand-tailored costumes that probably costed more than the whole castle itself. Dan had been quietly tacking up a piece of art in the throne room when the dancers were performing. He watched their innocent faces pass by, they obviously had no idea what kind of work they would be doing if they were chosen. It was like sending a lamb to slaughter, yet he could do nothing to stop it. The king wanted a new dancer and he was sure to get one.
As the number of dancers began to dwindle, the king's face became scrunched into a frustrated frown. Dan recognized that face, the king wasn't seeing anything he liked.
That was when he showed up.
A terrible thunderstorm had blown in around 12:00 in the afternoon.  It would have been quite  impolite to let the guests out in the rain, so the king himself announced that the girls would be staying the night at the castle.
Dan always seemed to find himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, it was an endearing quality that caused him much grief as he didn't like to bring any more attention to himself than he already did. As the screams and squeals of girls exploded in the huge room, Dan knew that this was another one of those times.
As if on que, the great doors of the front hall creaked open. A gust of cold, moist air flowed through the huge hallway and a hooded figure stepped in. No one had noticed except for Dan, who had looked up from his work to see the visitor and almost nailed his thumb into the wall.
"Wait sir!" called a voice that echoed through the giant stone corridor. The chaos happening in the throne room died away. A young man with strawberry blonde hair and piercing blue eyes appeared from under the hood of his rain coat. He was tall. At least six foot three. Even from far away you could tell he was a muscular fellow. He wasn't one bit wet from the rain, which was surprising because of how loud the raindrops were drumming against the huge windows.
"What is it boy? Do you have another dancer? Where is she?" asked the king who was standing up from his seat so he could get a good look.
"She's right here. And by the way, she's a he."
Gasps filled the room as the young man whipped off his raincoat and began to approach the center of the throne room. He kicked off his shoes, the sound of the faded and ripped sneakers against the wall echoed throughout the hushed room.  Every pair of eyes  watched him strut up to the floor like a proud peacock, wearing only a white shirt and black pants, nothing compared to the dancers before. Dan chuckled a little, watching him slowly make his way to the performance area with his bare feet slapping against the expensive tiled floor.
As the music started, the new dancer seemed shaky, unable to find the beat. His movements were loose and messy. Dancers and other castle staff who had gathered to see the surprise guest shook their head in disapproval.
The poor guy was doing something that no one had ever done before, it was something to be admired, Dan thought to himself. Dan smiled a little, watching the dancer intently, silently cheering him on.
It was as if a switch had been flipped because suddenly the dancer internalized the beat. He hit every jump and twist with perfection. He controlled the music, bending and shaping it with his body, it was magical. None of the girls had danced with such beauty and grace. Dan's mouth had hung open, as if all the tendons inside had simply given up. No one, not even the king, had ever seen anything so beautiful in their entire life. Even Dan, who takes beauty very seriously, was dumbfounded at the sight.
As the music began to slow and finally die away, the young dancer finished his performance with a quick bow.
Silence hung in the air for what seemed like an endless amount of time. No one had ever seen a ballet danced by a man before. It was simply unheard of. The king's eyes were wide with surprise and wonder. He jumped to his feet, almost knocking his huge throne over, and with his loud and bellowing voice he announced:
"This young man is to be our new royal ballet dancer!"
Everyone rose to their feet and applauded, including Dan. A huge smile crossed the young dancer's face. He relaxed from his pose and surveyed the room. His eyes met Dan's for just a moment. And that's when everything changed. When their eyes met, Dan's heart had begun to beat faster and he began to sweat rapidly. Those eyes, they were so beautifully blue. They were eyes you could get lost in. Dan had been frozen in place, pushing his fringe behind his ear, girly habit that he had taken on since he started cutting his own hair. The dancer started to make his way over. Good thing the king saved Dan from any kind of interaction, surely he would have projectile vomited on the young dancer because of how nervous he was.
"Wait dancer! What is your name?"
"Oh, um, Cadence! Cadence Tawflock!" The dancer whirled around and away from Dan.

**End of flashback**

As he remembered the moment, Dan huffed a sigh of relief, his breath forming a cloud of mist in front of his face. The castle had grown colder as the kingdom moved into the later hours of the night. The whole place had become almost pitch black except for the candles placed every so often in the corridors, casting an amber glow over the ancient stone bricks. Tears threatened to fall from Dan's hazel eyes as the memory came and faded. This would be the last time he would remember the dancer. He needed to move on. It had been too long and he wasn't coming back