3 A Never-Ending Night

I spun unendingly under the lights. I could feel the brush of my skirt against my thigh as I took another step. The pounding beat of the music thrumming through my body. I'd have closed my eyes and lost myself to beat if it weren't for the other dancers.

My heart skipped with every beat. I could practically see the notes in front of me. Swirling and moving, pausing and guiding my every move around my fellow dancers. There was so much and so little room on the dance floor.

It was like being caged in the politics of being heir to the throne. But so much better.

A misstep here didn't mean you would be looked down on as being an irresponsible child. Here a misstep just led to a new and even better move. As long as I let everything go and let the music guide me I will never mess up, never feel cornered, or lost.

Amongst the crowd, I could see him standing near the wall. He was tense and stiff. It was so different from my free flowing movements.

Another turn and I could see him again tapping his foot to the beat. I smiled and let the music carry me. I realized it when I saw him during the peace talks, the third son of King Anderson, he was like me.

More free flowing steps guided by notes of a song I no longer knew the name of.

The music that I so love agreed.

It guided my steps towards that handsome young man. The young man who had found me reading in a tree. The laughs we had shared in that moment where unlike any other I had felt.

Perhaps a dance wouldn't hurt?

But the timing had to be right.

I looked toward the chandler-coated and vaulted ceiling of my castle.

I moved.

I stepped, I swung.

I loved.

Loved every second.

The song drifted off and another began.

I could see him again.

This time his family had left to mingle, only his guard was left. I held my hand out to him, swaying to the beat. He smiled and I could see him laugh as I spun again. My hand trailing through the air as if he was already holding it and dancing with me.

The council members would have words with me for this. But it didn't matter, if they really didn't want me to act like this then shouldn't let me pick the entertainment.

"You're ridiculous," came the musical voice of the young man I had fought with and enjoyed moments stolen from the eyes of others.

I laughed as he grabbed my hand and started to pull me to him.

But that's not where the beat was leading me.

It flowed away from him.

And I am forever a slave to the beat of others actions.

I could only ever twirl and step around others.

Most men would be put off. They had to lead, to guide and tell me how to move.

But he knew better, he laughed as well and let me lead.

He'd let me go when the music demanded it.

I could see it in his moves and his sparkling eyes.

War didn't matter in this moment, he could feel it too.

The way the beat thrummed and guided me.

And he followed.

Never far, we spun on never-endingly.

Please don't ever let this dance end.

Don't ever let this music stop.

Don't ever let dawn break.

If only it could be this way forever.

A never-ending dance with a man I was falling for.

A never-ending night.