Above the Clouds (On Hold Indefinitely)

5. (Pt 1). Dance with the Devil

"M'lady," a deep voice says from behind me. "May I have this dance?"

All the thoughts that were running through my head clear. The voice is mysterious and smooth, confident. Something in the air seems to change, drawing me towards it. All my worries start to dissipate like fog as the sun rises higher and higher into the sky.

Intrigued, I turn to face the source of the voice. A man dressed in black pants and a white coat is bowing, his arm outstretched to me. His coat is buttoned with what looks to be golden buttons, his pockets are lined with golden silk, and a golden sash crosses his body. His outfit is pure and simple compared to many of the others here with their furry coats and odd colors, making him stand out to me more. The color of his hair seems to match the gold of his buttons, a color that seems too bright and shiny to be natural, yet somehow it is. His skin is pale, making the pink of his lips stand out. His dark brown eyes peer at me through his golden mask that covers his nose to the middle of his forehead, cheek to cheek. Other than its bright gold color, his mask is simple as well. His mask makes it impossible to tell who he is, though I doubt I would've known him without it. He's a stranger, a strange one at that but compelling all the same.

Without realizing it, I place my hand gently in his outstretched one, accepting his proposal. His lips form a sly smile as he stands to his full height. He's taller than William, but not so tall that he's a giant. Skeptically, I ask, "And who might you be?"

We head back inside the ballroom, and he starts to lead me to the center of the it all. When the guests see me with this man, they strangely clear a path for us unlike earlier when William and I had to squeeze our way through the crowd. Some stare at the stranger with wonder in their eyes. It's off putting how they clear the way now, but wouldn't for William and I earlier, William who is royalty. I guess I can understand, though. For a man, he is quite beautiful. The mask hiding his identity only adds to his allure.

Smoothly and mysteriously, he answers, "Now what's the point of wearing a mask if I were to tell you that?"

"You know who I am. It's only fair I know who you are, don't you think?" I counter. The way he dodged answering my question makes me even more intrigued by him.

"Perhaps," he breathes, avoiding revealing his name. I stare at him expectantly as he places his hands on my waist. I place my hands on his shoulders, keeping space between us. He chuckles at me, gingerly saying, "I'll tell you who I am at the end of our dance. Happy, princess?"

"Perhaps," I say, mocking him in a way. "And I'm not a princess yet." I don't know him, yet my body is being quite defensive of him. He almost sounded like he was mocking me when he called me princess. Why would I trust a stranger, anyway? Especially since I hardly trust the people I do know.

He stares down at me in amusement, leading the dance as soon as the music starts. There's something about those dark eyes, something I can't place. We dance in silence for a few moments, him staring at me with a smile and me almost glaring at him. "So since you won't tell me your name, may I ask what you do?"

"You are quite inquisitive, aren't you?"

"And you like to dodge my questions, don't you?"

He nods a few times. Because of his mask, I can't see much expression other than the sky smile on his face, "Fair is fair, but I can't tell you what I do. That'll give me away."

I eye him narrowly. What kind of game is he playing? He continues, "I can tell you one thing, though: I do enjoy training horses in my spare time."