To Break a Curse

Chapter 10 Part 2

Will's first impression was of an ice palace. The tables that were around the edge of the room had silvery tablecloths on and white candles burning in silver holders in the centre. In the corner of the ballroom was the 40-piece orchestra, which was tuning up, with their instruments and silver music stands covered in fake snowflakes.

Torrent guided them to a table near the orchestra where they would have a good view of everything.

'What happens now?' Rose asked Torrent, staring at everything and everyone admiration.

'The king and queen start with an opening dance then everyone joins in and it starts properly. The orchestra should start in a moment or two, ah, there we go,' Torrent and the others watched the king and queen start to dance to a slow waltz.

As the king and queen rotated around the floor, Rose saw the queen catch sight of them. After a second, she realised that the queen was staring at Tom in particular. Rose stopped breathing as she realised what she was seeing – everything fell into place and made sense:

The expression on the queen's face when they had walked into the hall when they first arrived... The queen going pale when Tom had introduced himself... Margaret saying that the queen was sure she would always recognise her son if he ever came back ... Gaius saying that they knew the answer to the poem already... Tom's enthusiasm about being in Camelot and interest in it before they had even arrived...

Tom was the son of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere.

Rose made herself breathe normally again. She would tell the others after the Winter Ball; now was not the time for a major family reunion. In truth, she wasn't that surprised, she had had an inkling for a few days, but she had just seen the proof she needed.

Torrent stood up as the orchestra began to play. 'Excuse me, I promised the first dance someone.' He hurried to another table and offered his hand to a girl who smiled and took his offered hand.

A boy about Rose's age came up to Rose and bowed to her, 'may I have this dance?'

Tom watched Rose being led onto the dance floor and wondered if he should go and ask a girl to dance with him. Nobody would reconise him under his mask; but even so...what if she said no?

Oliver tried to spot Cara and thought he saw someone who looked like her.

He grinned at Will, 'let's see if Torrent's lessons have paid off! I'm going to dance.'

The walk around the edge of the dance floor seemed a long way for Oliver, for all his bravado with Will. What if she said no? What if she reconised him? Oliver reached the table she was sitting at with her friends and bowed to her, 'may I have the honour?'

Cara smiled at him flirtatiously and stood up, 'but of course.'

Oliver let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding and offered his arm the way Torrent had shown him.

That left Will and Tom sitting at the table. They looked at each other.

'Last one without a dance partner has to ask that old lady there to dance!' said Tom quickly, spotting a likely partner the other side of the room.

'You're on!' Will grinned.

***

'You all enjoying it?' Torrent asked about an hour later.

'Yeah, better than we thought it might be.' Tom allowed.

In truth, Oliver wanted to ask Rose to dance, but couldn't pluck up the courage. Cara had been nice when he'd danced with her, but the giggling attitude all the girls had was getting to him. Rose (and Storm, he supposed) were the only ones he'd seen who were acting normally.

Rose came back to the table as the dance finished and sat down, the scent of roses wafting over to Oliver, making his stomach flip. A new dance started up. Oliver plucked up his courage and bowed to Rose, grinning to hide his nerves, 'may I have this dance?'

Rose smiled and nodded at him, feeling happier than she had ever done.

As Oliver led Rose around the dance floor, he noticed Cara staring at him jealously.

'What is it?' Rose watched his expression change.

Oliver shook his head, 'nothing.' Anything he had felt for Cara had been banished since, well, since he had first seen Rose in her dress, if he was honest. It was nothing, he assured himself. Rose was just a friend. Yes, she looked nice, well, more than nice tonight; but tomorrow everything would be back to normal. Well, probably.

Rose tried to stop the colour she knew was rising in her cheeks. Oliver was one of her best friends: and that was the point – he was a friend. If anything changed about that it would spoil that friendship. The suit looked good on him though, she had to admit, but tomorrow everything would be back to normal. Well, probably.

Both slightly breathless after the dance, they went back to their table to find a long table piled high with all sorts of food being carried in by a dozen kitchen staff.

'Wow,' Tom stared at it, open-mouthed.

'Good, isn't it?' Torrent stood up. 'Come on – we'll be their first whilst everyone else is still dancing.'

Tom agreed enthusiastically and followed Torrent over to the table.

'How long does the Ball go on for?' Will asked when they had all sat down again.

Torrent swallowed his mouthful, 'until midnight, although nobody is in any fit state for dancing by then.'

'Why?'

'Because as soon as everyone's eaten, the after dinner wines and spirits come out, and so-'

Torrents last few words were drowned out by the chord the orchestra played to let everyone know the dance was starting again. It was one where everyone changed partners throughout the dance and so got a chance to dance with everybody.

'Come on.' Torrent led them into the circle and they positioned themselves at equal distances around the circle.

The dance was a lively one; almost like a jig or a reel. The dancers whirled around each other, changing every so often.

Oliver found himself dancing with a beautiful girl with flushed cheeks and shining eyes. It was only when he caught the scent of rose petals that he realised with a shock who he was dancing with.

He swallowed, now was the time to tell her, 'you look beautiful.'

Rose laughed, 'thank you.'

Oliver felt relief course through him. She hadn't reconised him. Before he could say anything else they changed partners.

It was a few minutes before Rose suddenly gasped as she realised who had been speaking to her. Oliver! He had said... Did he know it was her or not? A warm feeling flooded her as she recalled what he had said.

Rose wondered what would happen tomorrow; there was the curse to lift, after all...

***

A/N Hello! This was an extra long chapter for you all - and quite a busy one as there were quite a lot of revelations in it... Once again, let me know in the comments what you think! (And vote as well please...)