An Unexpected First Dance

THE BALLROOM suddenly felt too quiet and tensed. Temari was aware that the attention of everyone was on them. Cold sweat trickle down her spine.

[No, I am becoming visible. This can't be! It will be hard for me to sneak around if people notice me.]

She wanted to run and reject the Crown Prince but that will just bring too much attention to her. She stared at his forest green eyes, trying to read what was on his mind. Why did he approach her out of all the women in this ballroom? But she couldn't see even a hint of emotion in his eyes. He just stood there, his hand in front of her, waiting for her to accept it.

Temari swallowed and did her best to remember the etiquette of dancing that she practiced before coming to the castle. She moved until she was fully facing him. She did a low curtsy, a show of respect for someone as high ranking as the Crown Prince. Still in the curtsy she slightly lifted her face up to look at him. "It is my pleasure, Your Highness." Then she accepted his hand.

Their eyes met for a second before Rhys began to step back. She straightened and together they walk to the dance floor. A new waltz began to play as Temari and Rhys stood facing each other. She waited for him to make the first move. He did. He lifted their still clasped hands and put his other hand to her waist in a way that there was still enough space between them. Then he began to move to the music and Temari followed.

There are other partners dancing around them but she could feel that all eyes were on them. She didn't know what to talk about since dancing with the Crown Prince was never part of her plans when she infiltrated the castle. Her original plan was to avoid him for the whole duration of the event.

After all, even before she got this mission from that cloaked stranger, Temari had a suspicion that the Crown Prince is the boy she once met when she was ten. She never told anyone but during all her past stealing missions, she asked around about the boy named Rhys with forest green eyes. For the first few years, she never got any useful information. No one knew of the boy with her description.

But then just last year, Temari had to steal an expensive painting for a wealthy but illegal painting collector. She had to steal the painting from a Viscount's mansion. She sneaked inside before dawn broke, while everyone was sound asleep after the family got home from a ball. She was able to get the painting out of the wall without much problem. For a family that is so rich, the mansion didn't have good security. Their house staff didn't stir from their sleep either.

Temari already opened one of the floor-to-ceiling window and was about to jump out of the second floor with the painting when something caught her attention. She went back to the room and approached a small painting that was yet to be hanged on the wall. She squatted in front of it so she could see it clearly.

Her heart slammed against her chest when she saw the portrait of a handsome young man with blonde hair and forest green eyes. He was wearing a royal blue robe with gold linings. There was a crown on his head. He looked like the boy she met when she was ten even though he was older in the portrait.

Temari is a smart girl. She knew at that moment that Rhys is a prince. That it was the reason why he was wearing a hooded cloak the night they met. That was why the taller boy with him was too overprotective of him. It was because Rhys is a member of the royal family, the remaining direct descendant of the first king and queen of Mowsland.

From then on, she gave up seeing him again. She knew there will be no chance to see someone as important as Rhys. She put her memories of him at the back of her mind as she continued to live her life. Even when she accepted the job of stealing a royal heirloom, he was not the first thing she thought of but the small fortune she will get after she succeed.

She only thought of the fact that she will see him when she was training under the tutelage of the con-artist she hired. And now, she was dancing with Rhys. Temari didn't know how and what to feel about this turn of events.

"You must not like dancing with me if your mind has been somewhere else."

The hair at the back of Temari's neck raised up when Rhys spoke for the first time since they started dancing. She blinked and lifted her gaze until their eyes met. He was staring at her intensely as if he was trying to read something in her face.

"That is not true, Your Highness. Dancing with you is an honor. I am just a Baron's daughter. Compared to almost all the ladies and princesses in this ball, my family is low in status. Never in my wildest dreams did I thought the Crown Prince will notice me," Temari said. The lies escaped easily from her mouth as if they were the truth. It was one of her skills: lying.

Rhys's expression didn't change. His gaze also didn't waver from staring straight at her eyes. It unnerved Temari but she tried hard not to show it. Then he said something that alarmed her.

"I see. I thought you are busy trying to find a way to sneak into the parts of the castle no one is allowed to go."

Temari panicked inside but she remained calm on the outside. She smiled politely. "I never thought about doing that, Your Highness. I will never dare."

"You already did," he said without blinking.

"If you are talking about our… encounter before the ball started, I already explained myself, Your Highness. I got lost."

Rhys didn't answer but his cold forest green eyes showed Temari that he was still suspicious of her. She didn't understand why. She inhaled and said, "Your Highness, did you just ask me to dance to… question me?"

The Crown Prince stared at Temari for a second before he leaned a little closer to her and answered, "That is correct. I have to warn you, my lady. Don't get 'lost' again or you will never get out of the castle when it is time for you to go."

Temari was staring at his eyes and a shiver run down her spine because for a split second, those forest green eyes seemed to glow. She blinked and the glow was gone. The waltz also ended and Rhys let go of her hand and waist.

She was in a daze but she still remembered what she learned and curtsied. "Thank you for the dance, Your Highness."

He didn't answer. The Crown Prince just stared at her for a few seconds then turned around and walked away.