Castle of Lilies

Chapter 20

Lillia's PoV

The crowd are cheering but I'm not really paying attention to them. Instead I'm focusing on Soraya. She's stood at the edge of the room, in her dusky pink suit with her trousers just brushing her ankles showing her matching heels, her snow white hair pulled into a simple high ponytail, with a French braid down the centre. Her makeup is just a lick of a lip gloss with a dash of golden eyeshadow, to accentuate her bright blue eyes.
As I return to my seat I can't stop looking at her, and the way she acts. So regal, but she seems closed off. Like she doesn't laugh or smile all that often. And it makes me sad to think that such a beautiful girl doesn't laugh. So as the dancing begins I walk down the steps and start to head towards her but get stopped by multiple people asking about me and my mother, before offering their sons for marriage. Each time I politely decline and move on, only to be stopped by another Queen who asks the same questions and then offers her sons hand in marriage. And so the battle continues as I try and reach Soraya who is stood against the wall, looking at her nails. The last person stood in my way is Penelope, who unsurprisingly strikes up a conversation with me.
"Lillia dear, where are you going in such a hurry? Trying to reach Princess Soraya are you?"
"Yes now please let me past." I say in an exasperated tone.
She shakes her head saying "Well, I don't think you should bother her. She doesn't deserve to be hurt by you like you hurt my daughter. Also how would you feel if your child was trying to talk to a girl?"
The comment snaps my already frayed patience so I say raising my voice
"We all know Penelope that you are a homophobic, obsessive, self-absorbed, snob of a woman. And that you don't give a monkeys about your city or your daughter. All you care about is yourself and how you reflect on everyone else and how other people see you. And you damn well know that your daughter broke my heart, because she was so very desperate to please you. So in actual fact I guess I should thank you because otherwise I would not be here today where I am. Enjoying my life while you rot in your own custom made prison of insecurity, jealousy and snobbery."
Then I barge past her and finally reach Soraya, smoothing my dress out and taking a deep breath. She looks up at me with a smile on her face and I smile back as she says her voice as soft as a cloud, "Took you long enough."
I push her playfully into the wall with a mock glare, as though we'd known each other for years. She laughs, a sound as clear as a bell.
"That was amazing and deserved by the way. What you said to her."
I nod smiling at her "Well she's a homophobic horrible snob who I used to live with. And work for."
"What do you mean? Work for?" She asks, only curiosity in her tone.
"I used to be a maid in Loutocia, and then I became Princess Genevieve's lady in waiting and then girlfriend and yeah. But then I found my family and now I'm here." I say happily.
Suddenly the orchestra starts up and Leon, Lola, Miles and Dalia start dancing, people moving further back the bigger the circle they dance. Then Miles lets go of Dalia and walks over to me, the crowd around us clearing as he does.
"Cousin, would you care to dance?" He says bowing and holding his hand out.
I laugh before curtsying, taking his hand and saying with a smile "I would be honoured."
Then I'm being spun around the floor, Dalia and Soraya laughing from the sidelines. Then I'm spun out of Miles' arms and taken into someone else's.  Looking up I see Leon stood smiling down at me. I tip my head back with laughter taking the next spin in my stride, ending up in Alex's arms. And so we dance, me, Lola and Dalia, spun around and around.
Then all of a sudden I'm spun by Miles but I'm not caught by anyone. I keep spinning thinking maybe someone will. But no one does, I start to panic when someone grabs my arms and spins me back and into their arms, immediately starting us dancing. I blink a few times to clear my dizziness before looking to my mysterious dance partner to see Soraya.
"Soraya? Why are you dancing with me?" I ask.
"Well Lillia, Miles spun you at the wrong time, right into my arms, so I figured we can dance as friends can we not?" She says, a cheeky smile on her face.
"We can." I reply.

Soraya's PoV

I have no idea what I'm doing. I mean all I saw was Lillia spinning towards me not in control of where she was spinning and decided to just catch her and start dancing. And now here we are. Waltzing around the ballroom floor, chatting and laughing. When my insides are going crazy. My brain doesn't know what it's doing, my heart has never beat this fast and stomach has a whole damn rave going on.
Suddenly the music ends and I spin Lillia out and bow as she curtsies, a smile on her face.
Soon the entire party are dancing, the music changed and the food not quite ready. Me and Lillia retreat to the balcony, empty because everyone's dancing. We stand looking up at the sky, the stars shining under a crescent moon and reflecting in Lillia's eyes.
"So, Soraya. Are you and your family planning on sticking around?"
I reply casually "Maybe. I mean Dalia might kick us out if my mother gets too picky with things about the wedding but other than that, we're staying until the wedding."
She smiles at me and I smile back, my body just reacting to her instantly.
"You have a strange effect on me you know." I say not expecting to say it, before pushing off the balcony and walking into the crowds.