CinderWereFox (Chapter 3)
#5 of CinderWereFox
Cinderwerefox!
By (in alphabetical order)
Sami Deveraux, (Vulpine)
And SilverDragon, (SilverDragon)
Chapter 3: The Ball
As Fox walked through the gates his eyes widened. He has seen this place from the outside, but being on the inside is something totally different. He walked down the path of silver stones leading towards the main part of the grounds, staying as upright as possible as to not draw attention to himself, also keeping his hood over his head so no one can see that he has fur. Despite how hard he tried to conceal himself, people still stared at him and whispered amongst themselves as Fox moved through the scattering of groups.
As he went farther into the party, he could hear the sounds of merry music and occasional cheering coming from an eight-cornered pavilion in the castle gardens, and he made his way through the increasingly crowded area, ducking his head low, his shoulders high. The people were a mixture of rich and poor, as the few tickets that had been handed out were given on basis of merits, not on money. But everyone was dressed in clothes that were their best, and all were enjoying the cheerful excitement of the occasion.
Fox was suddenly swept up by a crowdful of people crying "The prince! The prince!" and swept up into the pavilion, which inside was decorated with banners showing the history of the land, like the stories told about the castle hall. It was very wide, running almost the length of the fields near his home of long ago, and shaped like a cup, with a raised dancing floor in the center, and an even higher platform stocked with musicians on the far side. In between the banners were thin sheets of the finest imported silk, so thin that they were clear like glass, and through them the light of the bright moon lit the company.
In the circular center area, twenty couples were waltzing around in wide sweeping circles, and as the dance came to a close, the dancers slowed until the blur of light and festivity gradually came into focus.
Partners exchanged bows, cultured curtseys, appreciative nods, nervous smiles, veiled blushes, frowns, winks, and grins. Everyone on the stage was dressed in their best, and this is what Fox saw as he danced shoulder-high through the crush of crowds, chance parting the way, and his dextrous darting leading him to the edge of the throng: a cloud of flighty suitors, some taller, some shorter, seeking to steal the hands of the prince and princess for the next dance.
The princess was clad from head to foot in black frill, the glitter of diamonds among her laces shining like stars, but none out-doing the warm twinkle within her dark amber eyes, the comforting soft smile that graced her full lips. She was considering between a tall and plain looking man dressed in the colors of the merchants, and a short and stout one who had a simpler costume, but who looked closer to Fox's age. At last, with a laugh, she picked the latter, taking her chosen's hand, and Fox watched with eyes wide with wonder as her fair grace, in un-eclipsing a shadowy figure behind her, was herself eclipsed by the not unfamiliar angular silhouette of the land's prince, revealed as she moved aside, and her suitors dispersed.
The Prince was clad from head to toe in white, and wore gloves covering his hands, a scarf of thicker foreign silk double-wrapped around his neck, and a mask of the same material over his face. Fox lifted his head slightly, to see better, for there was some disorganization in the crowd around the veiled figure, whose only visible feature was a few tufts of his black hair that had escaped the mask covering his face.
The prince reached out at last, taking a hand at random from those gathered around him, and as he did, his hopefuls scattered, taking their partners from the other crowd, and the musicians looked to each other, beginning the next dance.
This one was a light and brisk tune, and Fox had to struggle to keep his place near the front of the swaying crowd, which enjoyed the lively air in its semi-stationary way, while upon the floor something not entirely different was taking place.
It appeared that some of the couples above were having trouble keeping their footing with the energetic pace the song demanded. The princess and her partner were doing a pretty good job of keeping an even pace, though strictly it ran a little slower than the one of the song. This seemed to be the case for most of the pairs on the floor. One, however, was decidedly an exception.
It seemed as if this couple couldn't make up its mind. Or it was dancing to a very different version of the tune that had as a constant only its unstable, syncopated beat. Or the two dancers were a very poor match for each other, one cursed with an unnatural clumsiness, the other with an equally unnatural dexterity.
Fox caught glimpses of this pair on occasion as it circulated around the others. While the two dancers had a similar build, it grew clear that their abilities were dramatically different, and the matters of mind and music were not the cause of their unusually uneven progression around the room. And a few moments later, he recognized one of the two figures: the one who was keeping his feet regardless of the positions his partner lead him to. It was the Prince!
Fox felt his heart thump as he felt strangely jealous at the sight of the Prince dancing with such a trying partner, and he wanted to leave, but the thought that his little fox friend wished him the ticket made him stay. And so, Fox just stood there watching the pair, hopping to the left, to the right occasionally, to keep his place in the circulating crowd.
And as the girl dancing with the prince made a lurching misstep, nearly throwing the white-clad figure over, though the royal son recovered with a series of light steps so fast as to be nearly invisible, Fox's heart jumped into his throat for a moment, and one of the people in the crowd almost bumped into him.
The song rode on to its energetic conclusion with only a few more mishaps, the initial themes returning and intertwining with each other like an intimate caress. Fox looked up and with a surprised stare saw the faceless mask of the Prince was inclined to him as well.
Both figures froze, and the energetic movements of the crowd cast the fleet-footed fox out onto the main floor, the edge of the platform catching his paw, making him throw out his paws as he fell with an "oof~!" and a yip of dismayed surprise, closing his eyes.
Fox heard a loud Thud!
And opened his eyes again to find himself once more face-to-face with the Prince, who had finally missed a step as well and had tripped too.
There was a gasp from the crowd at large, one not hidden by the music, for it had reached its peak and promptly silenced.
Fox glanced around as several dangerous looking guards started at their posts on opposite sides of the floor, moving to approach, but there was a light cough from beside him. The young fox looked back to see the raised hand of the Prince (who had regained his footing in the moment that had passed) halting their approach, then gesturing away the concerned crowd of prospective partners too.
"Hey there," the prince said quietly. "Are you alright?" His voice was nearly inaudible through the mask, and surely no one but Fox could hear him, for the vulpine had to strain to catch the words himself.
The musicians fidgeted in their seats as the prince helped him up, starting the overture to a new air.
"Would you like this dance?" the prince asked, his masked features tilting slightly, his voice still cool and level, though surely he had seen Fox's odd features, for his hood had fallen back as he rose up, and he hadn't time to replace it.
Perhaps he thought it was a mask, the youth thought to himself, and he shyly smiled a bit as he stepped closer to the prince, nodding.
Fox felt his heart pounding in his chest, but he kept thinking about his fox friend that gave him this chance and that he must not waste it, as it would probably be his last. He rested his other hand on the prince's shoulder and looked into the faceless mask that perfectly hid the royal son's eyes.
The pair's steps were hesitant at first, and Fox could smell that his partner was as slightly fearful as he was examined while the dance continued, not sure what he was looking at or what the creature wanted. Fox started to move slowly to the beat that filled the night air like a soft comforter and the prince moved along with him, their steps, perfectly synchronized, coming to the two faster and faster as they warmed to the dance.
Before long Fox realized just how agile the prince was as they danced the night away, the other groups of dancers slipping out of his awareness as the couple's complex choreography became all he saw or felt.
He hadn't quite realized that the night was over until the last song died away, and the two stood still. Then he suddenly realized that there wasn't much time left before sunrise.
"I have to go!" Fox turned, saw the sleepy eyes of the crowd that had stayed to watch the wonder of the two dance together, a sea that stretched to the edge of the pavilion, which was completely packed.
He pulled away from the prince, who was still holding his hand, and felt a slight snap as he dashed away, leaping up onto the musicians' platform, then out through a gap in the curtains.
Fox barely got home and out of his clothes before the sun rose, his heart leaping into his throat when he realized that one of his gloves was missing. He carefully folded them and hid them in his dresser again, and sighed.
Then there was a loud rapping at his door, and Fox jumped.
"Fox!"
Bang bang bang! went the poor, abused door, again.
"Wake up!" Called his stepmother
The key was in the lock a moment later, then the door opened. Stepmother Lovelace looked like she hadn't slept all night.
"Get down to the kitchen and make us some coffee."
"Yes stepmother."
"And get some clothes on, before you catch a cold."
He gulped, and nodded. "Yes stepmother."