Lady Of Lake And Arrow |A Swan Lake Retelling|: Book One

Chapter 33

Ruelle - Secrets and Lies

Can you hear them singing?

Can you see them dancing?

The laughter, then the weeping?

The wayward children who have lost their way?

(The wayward children forever gone.)

Can you hear them singing?

Can you see them dancing?

(It's the loss, the life, the wayward children.)

- Song of the Wayward Children -

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Jessa turned and faced him. "Hello, Your Highness," she crooned. But her heart was racing fast.

"Would you care for a dance?" Casrian offered his hand out to her.

By the look in his eyes–so much like Ryland's, but colder. More calculating–she could tell it wasn't a request.

Bowing low, she said, "It would be my honor, Your Highness." She made sure to put the emphasis on "honor" clear, although he showed no sign of being fazed by it.

Without a word, the Prince took her by the hand and led her to the center of the dance floor. Jessa could feel hundreds of eyes following them–following her. Curious, intrigued, hungry. To escape without anyone in here knowing would be near impossible.

And yet, still no sign of Ryland.

As the musicians played some kind of slow song piece, she and Casrian started to move in sync, with their right hands clasped, his left hand on her waist and hers on his shoulder.

"I remember," he finally began in a low voice, "a deal in which you stay in the Keep."

Even though he wasn't wearing a mask, he hid his emotions well. He obviously didn't know that Ryland had let her go, but she had no intention of telling him that.

"And I don't remember a signed contract or anything solid to seal the deal." For a moment, she followed the other dancing pair's lead, and released herself from him to spin once in a circle before going back to the same position. "You're a terrible bargainer, Highness," she added as he dipped her low to the ground.

Jessa swore she saw a ghost of a smile. "Then that is, truly, an honest mistake," Casrian said.

Narrowing her eyes ever so slightly in suspicion, thoughts ran through her head. He remembered her, but didn't seem angry that she'd broken their deal. Why did he ask her to dance? What else did he want with her?

Or maybe he was just waiting out her punishment, knowing it would make her feel uncomfortable and think too much.

Whatever it was, she did not like it.

He was just lucky the phantoms weren't with her for now.

Neither said a word for a while as they danced, both tense and constantly scrutinizing one another.

"Funny," Jessa couldn't help but note, attempting to break the unnerving silence between them. "I've thought you would choose someone else more . . . your age." It'd be hard to assume her age with the mask and hair framing her face, but still.

Casrian frowned. "This isn't for me," he responded. "If it were, I would've talked to you more about your prison reports. Your identity."

"Oh?" She hoped he couldn't see her expression easily behind her mask.