Odette sucked in a breath and felt the floor spinning under her feet. Her head became light, and the skirt of her dress slipped from her weak hands. A heatwave crashed against her body when the elf rose from his throne and sauntered his imposing figure in her direction.
Was he even real? His attire was beyond stunning. Exquisite and delicate as if made of strings of silver and diamonds.
“You’ve come,” he said when he stopped in front of her.
Tilting her head to the right, she narrowed her eyes and tried to decode his words. He was speaking her language, wasn’t he?
“Do you speak English?”
“I speak all the languages in the seven realms.” The young elf smiled. “Our kind is well-versed in languages. It’s a gift.” He looked at her dress. “Are you lost?”
“What gave me away?” Odette asked with a nervous smile as she rubbed the back of her neck.
“I’ve never seen you here before.” He looked at the floor, and his smile grew wider. “You finally came.”
Odette ignored his last words and moved closer, so she could lower her voice. “Can I ask you where I am?”
He raised his head, and their eyes met once again. Odette’s cheeks felt warm, and she averted her gaze to check what everybody else was doing. To her surprise, most of the elves were bowing respectfully and had their attention glued to the marble floor.
Odette looked at the prince. “Are you the king of this land?”
“Not yet. My name is Edrahil, Prince of the Dark Elves and the future ruler of The Kingdom of Elfihem.” Placing his arm against his chest, he bowed to her.
Odette curtsied. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure is all mine.”
“Then, this land is called Elfihem?”
The prince faced the west side of the ballroom. “Orchestra, start playing immediately. Our guest of honor has arrived. My subjects, please dance and have fun.”
It was with wide eyes that Odette followed the sudden change in the ballroom as the music started to play, and the guests obeyed their prince’s orders. The bustle of dancing and activity created the perfect scene of what a ball should be. She became fascinated with the beautiful elf women's flowing gowns and the couples' graceful movements.
Bright lights turned on and filled the ambiance with joy as the guests chatted, and the servants served beverages and small plates with cookies in the shapes of exotic flowers.
It was then she realized that the prince had not left her side and waited for her to acknowledge his presence.
Bowing, she complimented him, “Your palace is beautiful. I’m sorry for arriving unexpectedly and crashing your party. If you tell me how I can leave, I’ll let you enjoy your time with your subjects.”
He leaned closer with a grin. “You haven’t told me your name, beautiful fairy.”
Odette blushed. “I’m not a fairy.”
“Are you sure?” His smile made her heart flutter. “You look just like a fairy princess.”
She leaned closer and spoke softly. “I’m actually human and completely normal. No royal title, either.”
His eyes squinted, but he seemed amused. “Oh. Is that so?”
Odette nodded, not daring to smile, so he believed her.
“What is your name then?”
“Odette.”
“It’s a beautiful name.” He offered her his hand. “You are my guest here. No need to leave. Please join me for a dance.”
“A dance.” She peeked at the couples swirling around as if they had done that all their lives. “I have no idea how to dance like that. I’m also clumsy, and I’ll step on your feet. You don’t want to dance with me.”
His handsome face showed his surprise at her words. “Don’t people dance where you come from?”
“Your music sounds similar to ours,” Odette said, looking at the orchestra with violins and even a piano. “But waltzes are out of fashion, and I haven’t learned how to dance them.”
“Out of fashion? What a peculiar world you come from.”
“Your Highness, I don’t mean to offend you, but am I really in another world?”
He took her hand and guided her to the balcony, where they could talk more privately.
The sight of the lovely grounds where the castle stood and the splendid night with two moons and bright stars made Odette gasp in awe.
“This doesn’t look like anything in my world. Even the sky is different,” she said. “The air is so fragrant, and I’ve never seen two moons before.”
When she looked back, the prince was staring at her intently.
She averted her gaze. “I’m so sorry. You asked me a question, and I haven’t replied yet. I’m from Earth.” She lifted the skirt of her dress enough to show the glass slippers. “I put these on. They are my family heirloom. Once they fit, the magic in them made me look like this and brought me here. I’m not even sure if I’m dreaming or not.”
“Though I’m flattered that you consider me a fantasy, this is real. My kingdom, my subjects, my palace, all are real. This is the Fae World, one of the seven realms. Earth is also a realm. Do you understand the concept of realms?”
“Yes. My favorite stories are fantasy, so I understand it well.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Stories?”
“Elves and mythical creatures are considered products of our imagination and not real. That’s why I’m having a hard time believing that … this exists, and I’m in another world, under a new sky.” The stars caught her attention. “The constellations look different. I wonder if this is a new universe or another part of the galaxy. The concept of multiverses has been explored before, but I never thought I would be visiting another … realm.” Looking at him, she smiled timidly. “I’m sorry for babbling. You must find my excitement rather childish.”
“On the contrary, I find your questions and assumptions extremely intelligent.”
“I’m a bit of a bookworm. People don’t find that interesting where I come from. At least not outside my family. My parents are important scholars in their field of knowledge. They collect rare books and restore them.” She closed her mouth and lowered her gaze to the ground. “I’m babbling again. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. I like intelligent women who can entertain me in a conversation.” His fingers brushed her chin and made her look at him. “No need to feel ashamed for being intelligent. I’m glad you aren’t just another pretty face.”
Fluttering her eyelashes, she gulped at his compliment. “I’m not that pretty.” She looked down at her fancy dress. “Without these clothes and a magical transformation, I’m boring and normal.”
The prince asked, “Would you care to dance?”
She bit her lip and watched how everybody seemed to be having fun behind him. “Dancing seems like something shallow to do while I have no idea how to return home. Plus, I would just be embarrassing myself.”
“It appears that you have no idea why you are here.”
“I’m here because I put these on, and they brought me here. But I have no idea why and how to go back.”
“Let’s make a deal,” the prince proposed. “If you accept my dance request and engage in light conversation, I promise I’ll find a way to take you home once the party is over. After all, this is a magical realm, and I have the power to summon the most powerful magic wielders that can fix your problem and return you to Earth.”
Odette gasped with surprise. “Would you do that for me?”
“Anything to make you happy, little fairy.”
“Prince, I’m not a fairy. These are fake,” she explained, touching her pointy ears. She pulled at them, but the ears didn’t come out. “Strange.” She tugged again and swallowed a moan of pain. “They hurt as if they are mine. It must be a side effect. Though, the tale does not mention that Cinderella was an elf.” Odette peeked over her shoulder. “No wings. I don’t know if I should be happy or disappointed.” The prince’s chuckle made Odette stop her assessment. “My apologies. I completely ignored you.”
He grinned. “No worries. You are fascinating.”
“You must find me silly since it’s my first time here, and I’m not sure if I’m dreaming or not.”
“It’s natural to be curious about the unknown.”
“Your garden is beautiful. Your palace is … there aren’t words to describe it.” Odette twirled around. “I can’t believe I’m under a new sky in a new realm where I can breathe and there are plants and living beings who can understand me.”
“I’m glad you are finding this experience exciting.”
“I am.” Odette smiled.
The prince offered her his hand. “It will be more exciting if we dance. Shall we?”
Odette hesitated.
“I’m a good teacher,” the prince claimed.
Placing her hand on his sent shivers down her body, and her heart throbbed.
As she followed the prince to the dance floor, she realized that no one had ever found her fascinating before. Boring, yes. Quirky, that too. But not fascinating. Beautiful, her parents and close friends were kind enough to boost her ego. In truth, she knew that the most important thing wasn’t someone’s external beauty but their inside beauty.
Even if the magical slippers changed her appearance, she was still herself—an inquisitive young girl who always wanted to visit other lands and meet new races. Being there was a dream come true. She wasn’t going to waste it with doubts. Instead, she was going to dance with a beautiful prince and hope that, if this was a dream, once she woke up, she would have an exciting experience to tell Beth in the morning.
If she remembered it, memories of dreams often only lasted for a few minutes before they were erased and lost forever.