Dance of Ciprahn

Chapter Ten

An announcer goes up to the stage and starts saying something but she isn't listening. She has her own problems to deal with. She twiddles her ring in her fingers absentmindedly gazing into the void. People are gathering and there is some scattered clapping. She hears the last bit " ...please welcome the crown prince of Ciprahn!" What? Oh my God there's a prince here? This really was a proper high-end party. She cranes her neck to see the crown prince. She thought princes and princesses only existed in fairy tales. She never thought she would be actually able to see one! Wow, she IS excited and starting to enjoy the evening again. Cass scans the room. He comes in fashionably late walking in relaxed confident strides. Something about him seems oddly familiar Wait. Then her brain short circuits. Black hair. Green eyes. White mask.

 T! Her jaw drops and her arm spasms knocking over a bottle of wine on the patron sitting next to her. Her mind is blank as the gears are grinding and trying to process this most improbable truth. Suddenly she feels very shy and she doesn't want him to see her. She is talking with a foreign prince and she didn't even know it! He was so kind, dashing and handsome — and he had comforted her; he cradled her like a baby while she bawled her eyes out. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! She buries her hands in her temples and stares at the floor. This night was bananas. The announcer continues "Now at the close of the festivities it is customary for the crown prince to pick one lucky lady to bestow his favor and have the last dance." The girls are beaming with anticipation and competition. They gaze at the prince, preening and showing off — hoping to catch his attention. 

"He's gotta have a princess or movie star girlfriend or something around here. Or a billionaire heiress." Cass looks around looking for Princess Charming. The Prince looks about in good nature as if he is thinking long and hard about who he would choose to bestow his favor — cognizant of not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings. What a man! Cass searches sadly to see who the Prince would choose. "There are so many beauties here tonight it is impossible to choose! Icarus would have a better shot flying to the sun with his wax wings than for I to be burdened with this impossible choice." The girls smile in appreciation. "But for the sake of tradition I must choose one. Though I would wish to choose you all, veritable goddesses and aphrodites." He scans the room slowly and every girl holds her breath. You could hear the ceiling fans whir it was so quiet....