Tense

13 - My Footman, my Soldier and my Prince

••••
"Dance shoes? How does a girl like her know anything about ballroom dancing?
Thank you Maria, you may go."
••••

"Good afternoon, Lady Leah"

I heard the voices from my maids say in unison as soon as I opened the door.

"Did you practice that?" I joked.

"This is but etiquette, my Lady." Maria said with a sly smile

. "I just hoped for you to get me some dancing slippers. I said, taking off my shoes.

"Are these not for dancing?" Fauna chided in, while Maria went to fetch some shoes.

"Oh no, unfortunately these shoes, as beautiful as they are, are too easily to slip in on the polished floors. I need some with thin suede soles, the key difference for ballroom shoes. It does not only make the shoes more comfortable and flexible, but I won't slip as well."

The maid looked quite puzzled.
"I have never thought of it that way" Fauna said.

Before she could ask me how I came upon such information, Maria returned with just a pair of shoes I had longed for.

"As if you never heard of dancing shoes. I was about to go down when I found this pair. Do you like them?"

I looked at the white strapped shoes with a small heel. Upon further inspections I nodded and put them on.

"Thank you so much, again. See you later" I say as I turn around and leave my room to go to a small ballroom that Charlotte had made the Women's parlour into.

The dancing lessons were held with guards and footmen for the Ladies to dance with. They stood still and waited for Lady Charlotte to introduce the ladies to the lesson and after explaining and showing the first steps with one of the men, who was actually quite mannered in the matters of dancing. The first dance was about to begin and my partner was, like most of the men quite big, but also very young looking. I smiled friendly, taking the simple steps of a Walz. Swaying in silence to the music as Lady Charlotte goes around to correct postures and steps. The Ladies from Angeles were graceful and easy during these dances. Only some who haven't danced as much were struggling with their partners to hold their pace or not to step on their partners shoes. Every two dances the partners would switch, so the poor lads with trampled feet had a chance to mend and assist a different Lady. I enjoyed the small rhythmic steps and being swept to the classical music being played by musicians at the side of the room. The men and I made polite conversations, mostly about dancing. Two of the three men said they didn't like dancing but they enjoyed the few hours of peace it gave them from being alert at all time and defending the palace from all harm. I joked with some about their noble job as guards, to which they boasted about their heroic tales of security protocols and long distance walking. The song slowed to an end and we were about to dance in faster paces now. The man in front of me had a bit longer blonde hair, which were bound back and also wore glasses he looked somewhat odd, and when I looked into his blue eyes, I knew why.
"What are you doing here" I ask whispering when we get ready into our dance position and wait for the music to start up.

"Well I wanted to dance. Don't you?" He says nonchalantly.

"And besides I wanted to get to know all of you, without a title or position getting in the way."

The odd blonde wig sat perfectly in his head. The glasses making the deception as a footmen almost fool proof.

"Dancing is fun indeed." I say as we start to move to the lively music accompanying us across the floor.

"But I do not know how to feel. Your deception has left me in a turmoil. You knew who I was and yet...and yet you wouldn't tell! Your actions.." he interrupted me.