Chapter 24

Prince Ron tried and tried. He even squeezed his face and locked his jaw to stop himself from yawning. Tears leaked from his eyes and the people of Netheridge were surprised to see him being so moved.

The moisture in his green eyes made them seem so glossy. The beads of tears running down his cheeks were like twinkling pearls in the candlelights and his small red lips were pursed, making him look so adorable. A lot of people wanted to go up there and shower the cute prince with hugs and kisses.

King Zedekiel nearly rolled his eyes. What drama was this pretentious prince up to now?

Rose groaned. She knew her brother like the back of her hand. The little minx was probably bored to death and was doing all he could not to disrespect Princess Mariel in front of everyone. She shook her head. What a dunce.

Princess Mariel finally finished the song and Prince Ron stood up, clapping and cheering the loudest. Then he quickly excused himself and ran out of the hall through the back door before anyone could say a thing.

They felt the prince must have felt shy or embarrassed for crying so he left to console himself.

Meanwhile, Ron dashed back to his chambers, wiping his eyes and letting out a loud yawn. That was so close! It would have been a great disrespect if he had yawn during her performance.

Now, it was time to prepare.

After Princess Mariel's performance, the twins juggled some fruits which the crowd found funny and pleasant. After that, the announcer cleared his throat and called in the next contestant.

"And now, we welcome the final contestant, the masked dancer!"

The hall's large doors flew open and a figure glided in. The person was dressed in snow white robes, embroidered with red threads at the edges, forming the shape of beautiful roses with a red sash tied around the waist. The outfit was somewhat plain but at the same time, regal. To top it all, the person walked with such elegance that he or she might be mistaken for royalty.

The hair was as dark as night, half held with a white pin and half flowing down the shoulders. The person's entire body was shrouded in the robes. Not a strip of skin could be seen apart from the ears and neck. As for the face, it was covered by a thick white veil. Everyone was disappointed. They really wanted to see the face. It might be a beauty.

But, judging by the manner of walking and the flat as a board chest, it definitely wasn't a female.

The person stopped before the King and bowed, then faced the announcer, holding out a small paper. The stout faced announcer collected it and he squeezed his face further when he saw the almost unintelligible handwriting. It was tiny and scrawny. He had to hold it right before his eyes to see it clearly then read out loud; "My performance tonight, is dedicated to the King"

King Zedekiel wasn't moved any longer. Most of the performances were dedicated to him anyway. This masked person's wouldn't matter much. His mind was still on the Prince who hadn't returned yet. He wondered what the human was up to.

The masked dancer walked towards the leader of the band and handed him a note.

The leader scrunched his nose at the squiggly handwriting but when he made out the words, his eyes widened in surprise then filled with tears. "We'll do it!" he cried. "We'll do it! Go on go on. We'll do it!"

The King raised a brow, wondering what was going on. The little exchange seemed to capture his interest and he paid more attention to the masked dancer. For the first time, Zedekiel wondered, who could this be?

The masked dancer bowed then walked back. Everyone started to murmur. Who was this person? Everybody knows everybody in Netheridge since their population wasn't much to begin with but many could testify that they had never seen him before. Besides, Elves are naturally gifted and loved by mother nature. No Elf has ever had an ailment that wasn't curable not to talk of being dumb. This person's sudden appearance was definitely fishy. The citizens kept pondering over this fact but when the music started, everyone quieted down.

It started slow and soft, with the masked dancer's hands spread on either sides of his body then a swift whine of his dainty waist. He proceeded to make some elegant curves with his body and graceful twirls. His body was nimble and flexible, like rubber, turning and twisting in sync with the music.

It was hypnotizing. Even the King couldn't take his eyes off. The candles seemed to have dimmed, shrouding the hall in a soft glow. It made the masked dancer look like some ethereal being. Everyone could feel a strange pull in their hearts. The sight was just so beautiful.

The tempo quickened and the dancer went fast as well. He did a few jumps in the air, making the sleeves of his robe pull back a bit to reveal white smooth wrists. His steps were light and fast, moving with the rhythm. The faster the song went, the lighter and more graceful his moves were. The most amazing part was the whining of his hips which were quite hard.

It wasn't until he twirled on one leg three times and did a quick flip that everyone except Princess Rose gasped.

They knew the song! And they also knew the dance!

It was an ancient sacred Elf dance that used to be performed when Zedekiel's father was still alive. The dance was passed from generation to generation of Elves. It was mostly performed during special occasions such as feasts, a birthday party or wedding and the people who loved to perform it the most were the Queen mother, Zedekiel and the late Prince Berthiel.

After Prince Berthiel and the King were murdered by the humans, Zedekiel and the Queen mother never danced again and so, the people stopped too. As time went by and Zedekiel was crowned King, it was gradually forgotten...until now.

Who was this person that decided to remind them of such a huge loss on a happy occasion? Why rouse memories they had suffered to bury deep in their minds?

They felt, this dancer had an ulterior motive.