Hydrangea kept her eyes on his deep brown ones. The music was difficult to follow and the steps were hard to focus on.
His eyes were solid and she braced herself on them. Every so often an emotion surfaced in them, a sorrowful or pained one. Each time she felt a weight on her shoulders.
She oddly did not find his hands uncomfortable, the one holding her hand was firm and guided her easily as he spun her around the gleaming floor. And the one placed at the small of her back was warm and held her pleasantly.
He abruptly stopped and she realized that the music had finished.
Clapping resounded in her ears but she only watched him. He blinked slowly, his eyes roving her face. She fought not to blush under those eyes but, they shone with such a keen emotion, she still felt heat in her cheeks.
Another song began playing and she saw the onlookers around them beginnings filter onto the dance floor.
"May I have this dance?" An unknown man asked in a viskogornian accent. He looked to be the same age as Bastian.
She met Bastian's eyes and could see he was asking if she was willing to dance with him.
"I would like some wine." She said and began to move away from the scene.
"Wine? Hydrangea… you don't usually drink wine." Bastian stated in a hushed voice as he walked next to her.
"No, you're right."
"Then why?"
"Because. I would like to try it."
"Hydrangea." He said in a warning tone.
She turned to him once she'd reached the table holding beverages, her eyes gave him a daring glare. She knew that wine would dull the mind, and all she wanted was for her thoughts to stop tormenting her.
Bastian raised his chin frustratedly but walked away.
She took one of the goblets from the table and held it to her lips. The drink did not look red like the wine that she'd seen Bastian drink, but it was a pale, clear yellow that sparkled with bubbles when she swirled it.
She shrugged and took a gulp.
It hit her mouth and fizzed, the flavour rather stronger than she'd thought it would be and concentrated. She moved it from her mouth and smacked her lips. Her throat felt a little scratchy but other than that the flavour wasn't too bad, crisp with smooth notes.
She took another gulp, she wanted her emotions related to Bastian gone.
She blinked when she felt her body began to feel warm. Her head felt lighter.
Finishing the goblet she set it down.
She smoothed her dress and walked off in the direction of the stairs. She wasn't quite sure where she was going she just wanted to walk away.
She blinked a few times as her feet began to feel as though the ground wasn't quite staying still. She took a few breaths to try and steady herself but instead found herself leaning on something. She blinked and looked up at a stranger.
"Hello there." He said in a thick Viskogornian brogue, "Would you care to dance?"
She blinked, not quite understanding the question. She'd already danced, with Bastian. Her cheeks blushed a deeper pink than the flushed hue they already held as she recalled the dance. She wouldn't mind dancing again.
Just as she was about to reply, a voice said from behind her, "I do believe that a gentleman must ask the lady's husband before requesting a dance with her."
Hydrangea turned and looked to the speaker, losing her balance again and the man who'd asked her to dance caught her once more. The speaker was the Tzar.
"Oh!" She exclaimed upon realizing this. She stared at the ground as she fought to remember what she was supposed to do when she saw the Tzar.
The Tzar raised his grey brow, "Sir Hristofar, would you mind finding the Sovereign."
The man who was supporting her released her and she stumbled a bit but found her balance. Sir Hristofar then left, leaving her with the Tzar.
"Would you care for some fresh air, Queen Hydrangea?" He asked and held out an arm to her.
She hesitated, but nodded and accepted his hand, "Thank you, that would be nice." Her Crescent accent was coming through, but she didn't really care. It was sometimes easier to speak without worrying about her accent.
He smiled and patted her hand, "Alright then."
He led her to a balcony outside a glass door, heavy yellow curtains draping the entrance to lend some privacy.
He set her down on a stone bench, two small cypress shrubs were placed on either side.
The cool mountain air hit her flushed face and filled her lungs. But she still felt rather warm and fuzzy.
The Tzar sat down with a sigh beside her, his eyes upturned to the clear starry sky.
After a few moments of silence between them, he said, "Bastian loves you very much."
She turned to look at him, his words causing forgotten emotions to bubble to the surface.
"I never thought I would see that boy become enraptured by a woman, but he has." He paused, she watched her feet. "And I can tell by your actions you have some care for him as well."
She pouted, "I do like him."
The Tzar's lips twitched into a smile at the young woman's innocent confession.
"Yes, but why did you tell him otherwise?"
"Because I shouldn't." She admitted glumly.
"And why not?"
Her own eyes drifted to look at the stars, "Because… I shouldn't. I shouldn't love him."
The Tzar could see tears shining in her sorrowful eyes. He nodded, his gaze thoughtful as he watched the stars with her.
"You know…" She started and he looked to her, waiting for her to continue, "I don't know why, but he's so likeable. I don't know why he cares for me, I can't make sense of it…" Her speech slowed and she looked down, confused.
Tzar Matvey watched her with kind eyes, these two seemed to be rather tortured by their emotions. This poor woman seemed reluctant to admit her true feelings. He looked down sadly when he remembered how distraught Bastian had been after she'd told him that she'd had no love him. A bald faced lie he'd known as soon as Bastian had told him she was afraid.
"I can't make sense of it…" She repeated.
He nodded, "Love is a tricky thing."
She looked to him, "Do you think it's love?"
"I do indeed."
She turned away and shook her head, "I want to tell him." She said mournfully.
"Then you should do so." He prompted.
She sniffed, "But he'll not treat me the same."
"Hydrangea, may I call you Hydrangea?"
She nodded.
"Hydrangea, Bastian already looks at you differently. He looks at you as though you're the whole world."
Her expression changed to one of pain, "But I already hurt him."
"And it will take time for him to overcome that. But, Hydrangea," He softened his tone, "You've no reason to fear what comes next."
She looked at him, her large eyes filled with fright, "But… but," She gasped shakily, "It's scary." She breathed.
The Tzar patted her hand, "It is that, but it is also rather freeing to lean on someone and to place your trust in a person who loves you."
She sniffed and looked beyond the balcony at the palace gardens. Her physiognomy continued changing from confused, to pained, to sorrowful.
"If I tell him…" She started, licking her lips with a new determined expression, "Do you think he'd still love me back?"
"Yes, of this I'm positive."
"Tzar, the Sovereign." Sir Hristofar's voice called from behind the curtain.
Bastian then walked through the fabric barrier, his eyes immediately landing on Hydrangea, whose back was turned to him. Her face showed that she was immersed in her thoughts.
He directed his gaze to the Tzar who turned on the bench to face him. The younger man seemed to be trying to make sense of his reason for being there.
Matvey stood, "I do believe your wife has had too much to drink."
Bastian looked to her with concern and took a step forwards, "How much did she have?"
"Only a glass of shampanskoye."
Bastian relaxed, but still, he knew she'd never drunk any form of alcohol before, she was probably not handling it well.
He walked so he stood behind where she sat on the bench, he grasped her shoulders and bent his head so he was in her line of vision.
"Hydrangea." He said softly.
She looked to him and her lips pursed, her eyes seeming to register who he was. Her pale cheeks were flushed pink and he could feel how warm her body was. He swallowed at that realization.
"Bastian." She exclaimed softly, her eyes becoming almost frantic. She turned and placed her hands on his chest, "There-there's something I need to tell you." Her voice was not quite slurring but it was staggered and breathy, also laced with her Crescent accent.
He sighed and glanced at the Tzar. The older man smiled, "I will be in my study when you are done."
Bastard nodded, not quite understanding why he'd said that. He sat next to Hydrangea, he realized that her pale chest was covered in goosebumps. He unclasped the coat around hisself and placed it on her shoulders.
She fingered the fur that lined the inside absentmindedly.
"Hydrangea?" He asked, wondering what was going on behind her distracted eyes.
"Bastian…" She mumbled. He waited. "I think I love you."
He blinked, his heart immediately reacting in his chest and flipping over.
"You think…?"
"No," She said, her brow furrowing, she was rather adorable with a little bit of sparkling wine in her. She pressed her lips together, "I know I love you."
He could only watch her, his chest rising up and down with heavy breaths. This… didn't make sense.
"Then why did you say you couldn't?" His eyes watched her with desperation. Was this just a drunk confession? Were these her true feelings?
"Because… because I… thought I couldn't."
"But now you think you can?"
"Uh huh." She nodded, raising her eyes from her lap to meet his.
He slowly, very hesitantly raised his hand to hold her cheek. As soon as he touched the fair skin, her eyes closed and she leaned into his touch. He let out a relieved laugh, his chest warming and his heart soaring from her reaction.
Her eyes opened and he saw them shining with tears, she smiled and chuckled softly.
"Oh, Hydrangea." He exhaled and embraced her, his arms holding her close. Her own carefully moved to embrace him back.
He closed his eyes, his chest constricting with torrents of emotions. He moved his nose to inhale her familiar scent, his eyes warming with tears.
She began shaking and he pulled back to see she was crying.
"I'm sorry," She sniffed, rubbing her pink nose, "I'm sorry."
"No, no Hydrangea." He said pulling her close and stroking her hair, "It's alright. It's alright."
They sat on the bench, sharing a warmth and comfort that both had longed for for so long. Her tears quieted and after a few minutes and he realized that she'd fallen asleep.
He smiled, this day… this day he'd never thought would come had finally arrived. He clasped the coat around her and lifted her into his arms. Walking through the ballroom he ignored the many stares and murmurs from the crowd, and focused only on getting Hydrangea back to the safety of their room.
His legs began to tire from walking through the many hallways and stairways.
As he crossed the door that led to the guest wing Hydrangea stirred. He looked down and smiled as she squinted her eyes open, "Bastian, I don't feel well." She mumbled into his shoulder.
It caused a rather warm and pleasant sensation, but he cleared his throat and did his best to ignore it.
"No?" He asked lightly, "Well, you rest up." He kissed her shoulder and sensed that she'd fallen asleep once more.
Coming into the room he called a maid and asked her to change Hydrangea from her beautiful, but most likely uncomfortable dress.
While the servant was in the bath chamber fetching the nightgown he kissed Hydrangea's forehead and left the room. His step was lighter then it'd ever been.
Arriving at the Tzar's study he knocked and entered when the older man called for him to.
The man smiled upon seeing the torment erased from Bastian's eyes, and that it had been replaced by joy.
"You wanted to see me?" He asked.
Matvey nodded, "I wanted to tell you, that I believe you should take Hydrangea with you."