Just One Dance

Chapter 2 - A Stupid Decision

Kate's POV

"I'm Wilfred Spencer, the crown prince of Phillip."

My heart stopped in my chest. How could I have not recognized this man? His voice was soft yet distinct. Like velvet. Even as he spoke, I could feel an underlying question in his voice: why are you here?

"Forgive me, your highness," I stood from my seat and curtsied. Dear God in heaven, I must look a complete fool. "I didn't recognize you."

"There's no need to curtsy." He mumbled.

"I apologize, sire," I spoke softly as I took my seat once more. "Thank you for asking me to dance, but it seems you would be better suited to finding someone else to dance with." A barely audible scraping sound is heard as the chair beside me is pulled out.

"May I sit with you?"

"You may, although I think you would find more pleasure in dancing with any of the other ladies present this evening."

He sat down as he asked, "would you rather I not sit and speak with you?"

"It isn't that. I just thought you wouldn't want to stay a moment longer with me considering... the circumstances." I took in a deep breath. It was as if he was trying to make me uncomfortable. What could this man possibly gain from talking with me? We sat in silence for some time.

"I do admit to an ulterior motive to sitting with you." He says at last.

"Oh? And what would that be your highness?"

"If I sit here with you, I can avoid an overcrowded dance floor and the several crown-chasers that only want to be seen dancing with me." He added in a whisper, "and maybe you will tell me why you didn't want to marry me."

There it was. The reason he really wanted to speak with me. I was torn. Do I confess my secret? Do I talk of the accident? Or do I tell him off? Or maybe I should just ignore him.

"Prince Wilfred, I hate to tell you this, but if you're looking for an apology, you should seek it elsewhere. It wasn't my decision to break off the betrothal; it was my parents' idea." I know I sounded harsh, but I can't tell him what he wants to hear. "If that's the only reason you sat here, I would leave."

He didn't speak. Didn't move. Maybe I offended him. Or so I thought.

"If it was your parents' decision, then may I assume I did not cause any offense?" His voice was so quiet and soft, I wasn't sure I heard him correctly at first.

"No," I shook my head, "I've never been offended by you."

He sighed in relief. "For all these years...I thought I had done something to make you hate me. I just didn't know what to think." He paused for a moment. "Could we perhaps start again? I never would have guessed I'd see you here of all places."

"Start again?" I asked.

"Yes," he answered. "I imagine that you don't see me in the best of lights right now. Maybe we could start again. I am not some selfish, arrogant prince obsessed with having every woman fawn over me. I would like to change your perception of me."

I hesitated. What would this accomplish? Was he trying to get me to apologize? Its not like I left him at the alter or anything. We weren't even officially engaged, just betrothed. Maybe this was his way of apologizing for asking about the whole thing earlier.

"I should like to, but I doubt you'll be seeing me again after tonight."

"May I ask why?"

"Certainly," I turned away from the dance floor to once again feel the breeze on my face from just outside the window. "I wasn't allowed to come here tonight. You could say that my father is rather...opposed to me attending public functions. It isn't for any drastic reason. It's because my father is protective."

"I see." He seemed to contemplate this new information. "Would you care-"

"Wills!" An excited young man came running over in excitement.

"We thought we lost you," another man with a harsher voice added.

"Roberto and Keith," Wilfred sighed under his breath.

"Hello lovely lady!" Roberto grinned as he addressed me.

I turned to him. "Hello," I gave a slight smile. "I'm sorry for stealing Prince Wilfred away from you tonight."

"Oh, it's no trouble, Miss..."

"Morgan. Katelyn Morgan," I introduced myself. I tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, a quiet signal to a friend of mine who was waiting in the shadows.

"It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Prince Roberto, but you can call me Robbie!" The prince began rambling. I honestly don't remember what he said, because I was waiting. Footsteps approached, and the chatter ceased.

"Lady Katelyn," a deep voice with a Russian accent softly called my name.

"Sasha," I smiled as I stood, offering my hand. The tall Russian man took my hand and politely kissed the back of it.

"It is time to go now," Sasha said. His voice is deep and soft. For as long as I've known him, he has never needed to raise his voice to intimidate people. He sounds threatening without trying.

"I understand." I turn to the princes who have gone silent. "Thank you for a pleasant evening." I curtsy and take Sasha's arm. Without another word, he leads me from the ballroom and out to the waiting limo.

We sat in silence for twenty minutes. I've never felt so uncomfortable in my life than when the prince sat next to me and started talking. Why didn't he just walk away after finding out who I was?

"You were fool tonight," Sasha said, interrupting my thoughts.

"I know." I agreed. "But it felt so good to sit in the ball room and not have a single person act as if I were diseased. No one treated me with pity. You don't know how long I've craved normal interactions."

Sasha grunted. "Why use secret signal then?"

"Did you see the first man who approached me? The one who sat down across from me?"

"Ja."

"That was...Prince Wilfred Spencer."

Sasha was silent. He knew about the prince. He knew about the broken betrothal. It must have been a shock to him that the prince had spoken to me.

"Did he know who you were?"

"Yes, I introduced myself before I realized who I was speaking to." I sighed. "He tried asking about everything, so I told him that my parents called off the betrothal."

"Is foolish." He sighed. "Leaving home to party is bad idea. No more."

As much as I hate to admit it, he's right. Sneaking out to go to this ball was a bad idea. I should have listened to father, but it was so nice up until the prince interrupted my solace.

Sasha didn't say another word until we got home. He escorted me to my room and then left me alone. Even as I lay in bed, I did nothing but toss and turn. It wasn't that I regretted my decision to disobey my father or the fact that I gave a lie of omission to the prince that kept me awake. It was the thoughts of my accident from five years ago. Maybe things would have been different had I not been in the car that night. Would Wilfred and I have liked each other if we had still been betrothed? Would we be engaged now? The whole matter was quite unsettling.

The next day, I found out just how stupid my decision to go to the ball at Noble Michael really was.

Thanks for reading!