WHEN THE DOORS of the ballroom cracked open to reveal two figures, the entire dance floor hushed down into silence. They watched, their breaths caught in their throats as the two figures glided into the room like angels that had descended from heaven.
"Is that…" Dahlia murmured under her breath, a little shocked. Her finger quivered as she pointed at the two figures. Particularly, her eyes were fixated on the woman dressed in peach. "Is that… Alice?"
Alice and Spade walked in, hand in hand. They seemed like a perfect pair, a prince escorting a princess as he presented her to the world. Alice's hand firmly clasped onto Spade's, their fingers intertwining as if they were a couple. In the eyes of the nobility, the two might as well had just announced their marriage.
"That's going a little too far, isn't it?" Wyatt commented under his breath. He frowned, squinting at Alice and Spade's interlocked fingers.
"There's no such thing as 'too far' in Spade's dictionary," Hartley replied without hesitation.
It was only for a short while, however. Once Spade had led Alice back in, their fingers promptly separated, their bodies returning to offer some modest space in between them. They stood at a distance, too busy chatting up a storm to notice the hundreds of eyes that had not left them since they returned.
In the background, slow waltz music began to play. It was time for the dance to begin, a time for the couples and budding lovers to get lost in their own worlds. As the ball's guest of honor, Hartley was the first to step onto the dance floor. He, however, disliked dancing because it would mean he had to choose a partner to dance with.
Whoever he chose wasn't just a mere dance partner but rather, it was also a declaration that his partner might be the next queen of the kingdom.
"Well, Your Highness," Wyatt started to say, "It's your time to shine."
Wyatt's words entered Hartley's ears through one side and out the other. Subtly, the crown prince looked in the direction where his parents sat. The king and queen were engrossed in conversation. However, as though she had sensed her son's gaze upon her, the queen stopped. Her head pivoted slightly to meet Hartley at the halfway point.
In his heart, Hartley knew that his mother would want him to dance with Rose Whitaker. She was, after all, his mother's first choice as Hartley's future bride. He could see it in her eyes as well. They glimmered with warning. If he didn't choose Rose Whitaker as his partner…
No. Hartley didn't even want to think about it. He was sure there would be hell to pay if he went against his mother's wishes. However, he still couldn't help himself but let his eyes drift over to the lady that was dressed in peach.
She was as radiant as the sun, her smile dazzlingly bright. Every movement she made only proved herself even larger than life than before. Alice was in no way obnoxious but her presence was undeniable. Almost everyone in the ballroom could agree.
"Your Highness, please don't tell me you're thinking what I think you're thinking," Wyatt said in a warning tone. He had caught Hartley's eyes lingering on someone that he shouldn't be. Unfortunately, Wyatt wasn't the only one. "Your Highness, Her Majesty is watching."
Ignoring Wyatt's words, Hartley stepped forward. One foot after another, he continued all the way until he stood right in front of Alice and Spade.
The closer he got to them, the louder their voices were, and the clearer their words became. They were talking about something so mundane, so ordinary, but they were still lost in their own little world.
"Alice," Hartley called out, testing the waters.
Immediately, Alice and Spade stopped talking. The blonde looked up, shocked to see Hartley standing right beside them. She hadn't thought that he would come over to their side so quickly, especially since Spade had mentioned that the dance was going to start soon, and Hartley would be the first on the dance floor.
"Hart— I mean, Prince Hartley," Alice greeted, catching herself before she made a big mistake in front of the watching crowd of nobility.
She was already on a first-name basis with one prince. If they knew she was so familiar with the other as well, there most certainly would be people coming after her throat.
"What can I do for you, Your Highness?" she asked pleasantly.
"Dance with me," answered Hartley.
"What?" Spade's eyes bulged out of his skull, unable to contain his surprise. He hadn't thought those bold words would emerge from his brother's lips.
"Are you sure?" Alice questioned, unsure. "I'm sure there are plenty of other women that would love the chance—"
"I only wish to dance with you," Hartley swiftly cut into her sentence. "Treat it as a way to show your thanks, then. For saving your life."
When placed that way, Alice had nothing she could say to rebut that. She raised a hand slowly, prepared to put it into Hartley's outstretched palm when all of a sudden, Spade's hands clamped down onto her smaller one. He pulled her back a little, preventing her hand from touching Hartley's.
"Brother, are you insane?" Spade hissed. "You're asking Alice to dance with you?" Casting a pointed glance at Rose Whitaker, who was watching everything go down silently, Spade's scowl worsened. "When there's already Lady Rose over there waiting? You know who it is that the queen wants as her successor. If you pull Alice out there now—"
"And what will you do about it?" Hartley retorted, his gaze challenging.
Spade sneered. "It's not what I will do, Brother. It's what the people will. It's what the queen will," he clarified. "Do not put Alice's life in danger just because of your own childish desires."
To that, Hartley merely coldly scoffed.
"You're one to talk about childish desires." Nearly snatching Alice's hand from Spade, Hartley tugged Alice a little, the latter stumbling over to his side due to the sudden display of force. Thankfully, she didn't trip. Hartley had his hand on her waist, keeping her steady the entire time. "What you did just now was exactly that."
"I was doing what you aren't doing now. Making sure the wolves that live within these walls won't even think about harming her." Taking a step forward, Spade glared hard.
"I'm the crown prince." Confidently, Hartley returned Spade's gaze, his expression equally stern. "I would like to see them try."
"You can't protect her from everyone. Not from her."
Choosing not to reply, Hartley spun on his heels. He led Alice towards the center of the dance floor amidst all the pairs of eyes watching them. Ignoring the whispers and the murmurs, Hartley placed one hand on Alice's waist while holding her hand with the other. As the music played, they prepared to dance.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Alice asked. She didn't even dare to look at anyone for she was sure that out of all the pairs of eyes she would meet, almost none would be friendly. "I can feel their gazes searing through my skin."
"Just keep your eyes on me," Hartley answered. Tightening his grip on her, they began to dance, the bodies swaying to the music. "I'll make sure that no harm will ever come to you."