Dragon Dust

Freedom

WARNING!

Side effects may include:

Projectile vomiting, massive depression, migraines, dizziness, swelling of the tongue, pink eye, hallucinations, temporary loss of soul, mood swings (this can lead to reckless abandonment and loneliness) and/or will therefore otherwise lead to PURE EVIL! Of course none of this is guaranteed... Except for the projectile vomiting.

Dorian re-entered the ballroom, fully recovered. He perused the crowd for Bianca and when he spotted her he made his way over. He stepped in between Tiernan and Nymphera. All his cousins looked at him in surprise. They immediately suspected something strange was going on. Demetrius subtly glanced over his shoulder at the window just to make sure that it was nighttime. It was the first time in so long that Dorian and Bianca were eye to eye.

"Your Highness," she said, breaking the silence. Dorian nervously cleared his throat.

"Please ... just Dorian ... we've known each other forever. We're practically family," he explained. Some girls nearby, listening in on the conversation giggled. Bianca straightened her spine, almost proudly.

"Well then ... Dorian. It's a pleasure to see you after so long," she said. Now Dorian threw back his shoulders and stood up tall.

"The pleasure is all mine," he replied. He took her hand and kissed her fingers. All of his cousins' jaws dropped. Then Dorian offered Bianca his arm and she accepted his invitation. Nymphera, in strong suspicions, tried to stop them. Tiernan took his sister by the wrist and pulled her back.

"Whatever this is, we need to be careful,"Tiernan warned her. Dorian led Bianca out to the quiet courtyard. She looked up at the sky and immediately went to the rail. Dorian came to her side like a moth to a flame. He put his arm around her wrist.

"Oh, Dorian! Look at the stars! Aren't they beautiful?" she gasped. He barely even glanced at the sky though. His focus was on her.

"Very," he whispered. His eyes laid gently upon her dark hair done up with curls.

"Whisper sweet nothings into her ear," a voice said that sounded like the wind itself. Dorian frowned and looked around for the source of the voice.

"What?" he said. Bianca looked to him. She was slightly confused and so was Dorian.

"The stars ... I asked you if they were beautiful," Bianca repeated. Dorian still looked around in distraction.

"No, I heard you, but that other voice. Didn't you hear it?" he asked. Bianca frowned when she couldn't understand what was going on.

"I didn't. What did it say?" she asked. Dorian's stomach dropped. He remembered what the voice said. It was embarrassing to tell her. He was caught underneath the spotlight.

"The chocolate can't save you now," the voice whispered with a chuckle. Then Dorian recognized it. The voice was coming from Demetrius. He was hiding somewhere eavesdropping. Dorian rolled his eyes.

"Ummm ... I'm-not exactly sure," he replied to Bianca. He looked up to the sky, then pointed.

"Draco the dragon. He's the largest constellation in the sky," he explained, changing the subject. Bianca looked at him in surprise.

"Dorian, how is it that you know so much about the stars?" she asked. Dorian smiled and began to blush.

"Aunt Meinwen," he said. Bianca nodded slowly. She smiled to herself.

"Of course. She used to always tell you about the stars," she said. There was another long pause between them. Dorian tried to think of what to say that wouldn't be too embarrassing in front of Demetrius, wherever he was.