Shiver

I desired more... than was within my reach.

Who blames me? Many call me discontented.

I couldn't help it: the restlessness is in my nature; it agitated me to pain sometimes.

—Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte

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Why was he talking to her as if he didn't recognize her? Had he forgotten her already? The thought pained her somewhere in her heart but Eva assumed it to be her anxiety as always.

"Have I met you before?" she asked, looking up with her doe eyes blinking innocently.

One pair of eyes were staring in nervousness while the other was enjoying watching her state. The man had not withdrawn his hand and was still offering it without any hesitation.

"What do you think, My lady?" he asked, throwing the question back at her and Eva felt it better not to answer. It would only make matters worse which she was not prepared to do yet.

"Oh, nothing. You just seemed familiar," replied Eva, not wanting to pursue the topic any further.

But the man seemed to have his own plans when he spoke, "Who did you find me familiar with, if I may ask?"

"Nobody." the words quickly escaped her lips and the man's smile widened behind his mask which the girl couldn't see.

Seeing that his hand was still extended out, Eva hesitantly placed her hand in his. She was not used to saying no to people for fear that it would hurt their feelings. The King seemed to have forgotten that she was the girl whom he had rescued and Eva felt relieved for the first time since she had entered the castle, though some part of her felt disappointed that he had forgotten her so quickly.

Maybe she was mistaken and this was not the King, Eva thought to herself and felt the man clasp her hand as he led her towards the dance floor where the music was about to start playing once again.

This time, the melody was gentle and slow not hurried like the previous time. As the pair approached, people did not only stare at her like earlier but at the tall man who nobody had seen before. Eva was now certain that nobody knew he was the King because of the full face mask that he wore and she started to doubt whether he was the King or not.

One of his arms slid around her waist and tugged her against his chest. He took her hand, holding it up in a dancing pose, and moved them towards the center of the ballroom without breaking his gaze from her. Eva's hand had taken position on his shoulder and unlike Lord Ken, his hand on her waist did anything but make her uncomfortable. She wished he made her feel uncomfortable. It would make it easier for her to dislike him if he was the King.

Wanting to break the silence, Eva searched for a topic to converse on. Her mind seemed to have gone empty since, after a few minutes, she still hadn't been able to break the suffocating silence.

"Have you ever met the King?" she asked, wanting to confirm her suspicions about this stranger.

The man let go of her waist to spin her around before bringing her even closer to him.

"I haven't had the honor yet." came his answer and Eva feared to look down at his chest just because it would be inappropriate to do so.

"I see. Do you work here in the castle?"

"You seem to be very interested in the doings of the palace," he commented before twirling her again but this time, her back came to meet his chest. Eva's heart threatened to jump out of her ribcage as he slowly moved her body along the rhythm. As she faced him again, staring back at those endless eyes, she felt he could see her — not her fear and anxiety or even her skin and bones, but the core of her, and it made her shiver.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

"What?"

"You have been shivering a lot since we stepped onto the dance floor," he observed and Eva felt her face redden.

"May I know your name?" she suddenly blurted out. If his name was Theodore, then she would sprint out of the room like a leopard once the dance finished.

"Why don't you tell me yours first, Milady?" he asked, tossing her words back at her once again. Eva felt sweat run down her back at his question. The King already knew her name, was this one of his tricks to identify her?

"I-I am Eva." she stuttered out, not letting him know her full name as she had previously.

"Only Eva? Nothing else?"

"Why would you want to know my surname, Sir?" she asked and didn't know whether the man was internally laughing at her words or not.

"Hmm." he considered and Eva felt that she could no longer continue dancing with whoever this man was, King or not.

"Are you the King?" her tone was determined without any stuttering this time and she thanked the heavens for it. The man seemed surprised by her sudden bold question considering how he paused for a second before resuming the dance which was nearing the end.

"I could take you to the King after the dance if you want." he offered and Eva hurriedly shook her head left and right. She was trying to hide from the King, not to appear right in front of him!

"There is no need."

As she spoke the words, the music stopped playing and the people around them bowed to each other. The man, however, still hadn't let go of her waist and Eva awkwardly withdrew her hand back from his shoulder.

After a few seconds, he let go of her back yet neither had he bowed nor had he kissed her hand as the Lord had done previously.

"I would like to take you somewhere if you don't mind."

Eva was startled by his sudden proposal. She had wanted to stay in the shadows as much as possible but this man was attracting unwanted attention from the entire room.

"I will take your silence as a yes." and it was too late for Eva to open her mouth to decline as he took her hand and led her towards the staircase.

"I don't think-" she started before getting interrupted.

"Are your feet tired?"

"Excuse me?" he had successfully managed to distract her from the main topic.

"I could carry you if you have a problem walking." Eva's heart stumbled to a halt as he tilted his head to a side.

"Hm?" he questioned and she felt as if her tongue had twisted and tied itself in front of this stranger.

"No, thank you."

He nodded and continued to take her out of the hall. Eva turned her neck to look back and noticed Vanessa talking to the man who had asked her for the first dance, Lord Aldrich. She had hoped that Vanessa would follow her after seeing her leave the ballroom but nobody came to stop them.

The doors of the hall opened and the stranger led her out in the hallway. He still hadn't let go of her hand and Eva couldn't help but ask,

"Where are you taking me?'

"I wanted to play a game with you." he halted in his steps to look back at her, still not removing his mask.

Eva was dumbstruck. She had left the crowded ballroom to play a game with this stranger whom she had never — or perhaps might have — met before? This could be called the second most bizarre night of her life, the first being the one when the King had gotten angry with her.