The Outsider (Outsider #1) ✔️

Chapter 60 : A Dance & A Drink

The first dance of the Ball was always a slow dance, that Dusk was very used to from events of her hometown. The Crown Prince and Dusk Hale were the only ones who were on the dance floor when the music started. After they had 'circled' the dance floor once, other couples got on to the floor and danced along with them.

Dusk noticed that Susco and Mellow had already got partners while Catherine was doing her first dance with her friend, Cartier. The first dance took almost 10 minutes, after which they moved to the side lines. Julien bowed to her and as he turned, he was button-holed by one of the mothers for a dance with her daughter.

A young man in a white jacket approached her as soon as Julien had moved away. He came to her and offered her his hand, indicating he would like to dance with her. She curtsied and accepted his hand as was the norm.

"You are Dusk Hale, right? You have quite a fan following." He said with a smile as they joined the others in the dance. She smiled and asked, "Is that the reason you asked me to dance?"

"No! Of course, it helped put you in a spotlight, but how can I not ask one of the prettiest ladies at the Ball for a dance. And you do not come to Regis as often, so I do not know when I would get a chance to speak to you otherwise." He replied smoothly.

Dusk did not get much of a chance to sit and rest throughout the Ball as some or the other invited her to the floor. She met sons of Nobles as well as heirs of the big Business Families, all attracted by her looks as well as her fame. She saw that her companions, though not on the floor as often as her, were reasonably busy.

Catherine was the one most in demand. It was her first Ball, and her status was well known. Most of the time when she came off the floor, there were a dozen teenagers and even young men waiting for her. She literally had to make a choice every time.

... ...

The last dance was a slow dance that was meant for couples since it involved close proximity between the dancers. Dusk chose to stand that out, though she was besieged by quite a few to join. She saw the Crown Prince had also chosen to stand out and found it un-nerving to see him continue looking at her with a smile.

As the first part of the Ball ended, the many of the guests moved to the banquet area for dinner. Dusk and her companions followed them. Many of the youngsters stayed back as the band members switched places with the backup team and continued to play. Catherine had initially stayed on, but seeing Dusk leaving, she excused herself and left, much to the chagrin of the boys.

Dinner was served on the lawns behind the Palace. The weather forecast was no-rain, but the palace was already fitted with retractable bubble which could be deployed in a few seconds to protect the guests and the food from rain. The Bubble would be deployed even otherwise if the climate was too hot or humid, in which case, the air-conditioning equipment would be deployed..

The area was barricaded to prevent unauthorised access. There were tables set throughout the vast lawn for the guest to sit. The food serving stations were placed at the perimeter of the lawns.

In the middle of the lawn was a massive bar, with over 2 dozen robo-servers providing drinks as desired by the guests. There were also a number of actual human service staff at the bar to help any guest and to provide suggestions for special cocktails for those who were undecided.

Catherine got hold of Dusk who was standing in the centre of the lawn undecided on what she should do next. Catherine had a radiant glow on her face with the success of her first appearance at the Ball. She pulled Dusk towards the bar, almost skipping in happiness.

The attendant at the Bar bowed low to them and smiled.

"What may I get for you, Your Ladyship?" he asked Dusk. "Princess Catherine, I know for a fact that you cannot have any alcohol or spirit because you are only 16. I can get you a mix of exotic juices."