The Dance - a scene from The Dragon's Son, Chapter 17
Keegan sat down in the empty chair next to Annaka, and Saul took the empty chair next to Keegan.
Keegan looked out over the crowd and noticed a few envious expressions thrown he and Saul’s way. He ignored them and scanned the dancers to find Erewhon and the rich fellow still dancing together.
Saul cleared his throat. “Your Majesty, may I inquire who it is that dances tonight with Princess Erewhon?”
Keegan looked at Saul then turned to look at the King.
The King smiled. “Of course! That is prince Derek, son of Darth, King of the southern country, Gilidar. He has come all the way from Richem to court Erewhon.”
Keegan looked back at Erewhon and the prince she danced with. His heart fluttered for a moment then froze, and a strange numbness filled his chest as he watched the smiling Princess dance with the prince of Gilidar.
“Here! This is amazing. You really must try it,” Saul suddenly plopped a large pastry onto Keegan’s plate.
Keegan stared at Saul. Saul raised his eyebrows, and motioned with his eyes at the pastry on Keegan’s plate. Keegan looked at the pastry and realized that he was not in the least bit hungry. He was about to say as much when Annaka cut in, gripping his hand.
“Oh, Keegan! You must dance with me,” She said, bouncing in her seat. “I have instructed the musicians that the next song they play should be the one that I taught you to dance to.”
Saul choked as he took a drink from his goblet. “You learned how to dance?” He coughed, looking at Keegan.
Keegan nodded with a frown. “Yeah. Don’t kill yourself laughing about it,”
Saul smirked and took another bite of meat, “Don’t worry. I won’t laugh. I’ll just sit here and watch,” he said.
Annaka patted Keegan’s hand, “Oh, do hurry! The end of this song is approaching.”
Keegan looked at Annaka apologetically, “I’m sorry, Princess, I don’t feel like dancing tonight,” he said.
Annaka’s merry face fell and filled with bitter disappointment. “Oh, but I taught you how to dance to the next song coming up, and it is Erewhon’s very favorite.” She paused and seemed to catch herself, then she grabbed Keegan’s hand imploringly. “Please? You are going to leave tomorrow, and I would like just one dance with you.”
Keegan stared at the Princess for a long moment before sighing, torn between pleasing her and wanting to just go back to his room.
Saul slapped Keegan on the back. “Oh, go dance with her already!”
Keegan looked at Saul suspiciously. “Why?”
Saul spiked an eyebrow and crossed his arms, “Why? For my own pleasure of watching, and because you are going to make the little princess cry.”
Keegan looked back at Annaka and stared at her depressed face for a long moment before sighing and nodding his head. “Very well. Just for you,” He said, shooting a sharp glare at Saul.
Annaka’s face lit up instantly, and she clasped her hands together. “Oh, good! Thank you!” She pushed her chair noisily away from the table and stood to her feet.
“Annaka! Let the stewards pull out your chair for you,” The Queen said.
Annaka curtsied. “I am sorry, Aunt! I will remember next time.” She turned and grabbed Keegan’s hand. “Come on!”
Keegan stood, bowed to the King and Queen, and then followed Annaka down the pavilion and to the dance floor. He noticed a look of bemusement cross Walneff’s bushy face at the other side of the room, but he tried to ignore it.
Several people bowed to Annaka as she pulled Keegan onto the dance floor. She smiled brightly at them, but did not let Keegan’s hand go.
“Ah! Young Princess Annaka! I am so glad to see you joining us!” Prince Derek said as he and Erewhon paused dancing and looked at the twosome.
Keegan saw a mixture of surprise and confusion wash over Erewhon’s face as she looked between him and Annaka.
“How delightful,” She commented. “Annaka, you did not tell me that Keegan could dance,” She said with a smile for her sister.
Annaka’s eyes widened. “Oh, my! I am sorry, Erewhon. It must have completely slipped my mind.” She looked up at Keegan and a sparkle of extreme mischief flashed in her blue eyes. “Well, to make up for it, I will let you dance with Keegan.”
Erewhon’s mouth dropped open, and she looked at Annaka with the same look of horror that Keegan felt rippling inside his stomach. Before Erewhon or Keegan could protest, Annaka dropped Keegan’s hand and grabbed Prince Derek by the arm, pulling him away.
“Derek, you must dance with me. I am eager to learn if your footwork is as light as it really looks. You simply seem to glide across the floor!”
Derek nodded at Keegan with narrowed eyes then smiled at Erewhon, “Please enjoy yourselves,” He said, glancing at Keegan once more before Annaka pulled him away into the crowd of dancers.
Erewhon and Keegan stood and stared at each other, dumbfounded and speechless as the song ended and the dancers around them clapped and prepared for the next song.
Keegan looked out over the crowd and noticed a few envious expressions thrown he and Saul’s way. He ignored them and scanned the dancers to find Erewhon and the rich fellow still dancing together.
Saul cleared his throat. “Your Majesty, may I inquire who it is that dances tonight with Princess Erewhon?”
Keegan looked at Saul then turned to look at the King.
The King smiled. “Of course! That is prince Derek, son of Darth, King of the southern country, Gilidar. He has come all the way from Richem to court Erewhon.”
Keegan looked back at Erewhon and the prince she danced with. His heart fluttered for a moment then froze, and a strange numbness filled his chest as he watched the smiling Princess dance with the prince of Gilidar.
“Here! This is amazing. You really must try it,” Saul suddenly plopped a large pastry onto Keegan’s plate.
Keegan stared at Saul. Saul raised his eyebrows, and motioned with his eyes at the pastry on Keegan’s plate. Keegan looked at the pastry and realized that he was not in the least bit hungry. He was about to say as much when Annaka cut in, gripping his hand.
“Oh, Keegan! You must dance with me,” She said, bouncing in her seat. “I have instructed the musicians that the next song they play should be the one that I taught you to dance to.”
Saul choked as he took a drink from his goblet. “You learned how to dance?” He coughed, looking at Keegan.
Keegan nodded with a frown. “Yeah. Don’t kill yourself laughing about it,”
Saul smirked and took another bite of meat, “Don’t worry. I won’t laugh. I’ll just sit here and watch,” he said.
Annaka patted Keegan’s hand, “Oh, do hurry! The end of this song is approaching.”
Keegan looked at Annaka apologetically, “I’m sorry, Princess, I don’t feel like dancing tonight,” he said.
Annaka’s merry face fell and filled with bitter disappointment. “Oh, but I taught you how to dance to the next song coming up, and it is Erewhon’s very favorite.” She paused and seemed to catch herself, then she grabbed Keegan’s hand imploringly. “Please? You are going to leave tomorrow, and I would like just one dance with you.”
Keegan stared at the Princess for a long moment before sighing, torn between pleasing her and wanting to just go back to his room.
Saul slapped Keegan on the back. “Oh, go dance with her already!”
Keegan looked at Saul suspiciously. “Why?”
Saul spiked an eyebrow and crossed his arms, “Why? For my own pleasure of watching, and because you are going to make the little princess cry.”
Keegan looked back at Annaka and stared at her depressed face for a long moment before sighing and nodding his head. “Very well. Just for you,” He said, shooting a sharp glare at Saul.
Annaka’s face lit up instantly, and she clasped her hands together. “Oh, good! Thank you!” She pushed her chair noisily away from the table and stood to her feet.
“Annaka! Let the stewards pull out your chair for you,” The Queen said.
Annaka curtsied. “I am sorry, Aunt! I will remember next time.” She turned and grabbed Keegan’s hand. “Come on!”
Keegan stood, bowed to the King and Queen, and then followed Annaka down the pavilion and to the dance floor. He noticed a look of bemusement cross Walneff’s bushy face at the other side of the room, but he tried to ignore it.
Several people bowed to Annaka as she pulled Keegan onto the dance floor. She smiled brightly at them, but did not let Keegan’s hand go.
“Ah! Young Princess Annaka! I am so glad to see you joining us!” Prince Derek said as he and Erewhon paused dancing and looked at the twosome.
Keegan saw a mixture of surprise and confusion wash over Erewhon’s face as she looked between him and Annaka.
“How delightful,” She commented. “Annaka, you did not tell me that Keegan could dance,” She said with a smile for her sister.
Annaka’s eyes widened. “Oh, my! I am sorry, Erewhon. It must have completely slipped my mind.” She looked up at Keegan and a sparkle of extreme mischief flashed in her blue eyes. “Well, to make up for it, I will let you dance with Keegan.”
Erewhon’s mouth dropped open, and she looked at Annaka with the same look of horror that Keegan felt rippling inside his stomach. Before Erewhon or Keegan could protest, Annaka dropped Keegan’s hand and grabbed Prince Derek by the arm, pulling him away.
“Derek, you must dance with me. I am eager to learn if your footwork is as light as it really looks. You simply seem to glide across the floor!”
Derek nodded at Keegan with narrowed eyes then smiled at Erewhon, “Please enjoy yourselves,” He said, glancing at Keegan once more before Annaka pulled him away into the crowd of dancers.
Erewhon and Keegan stood and stared at each other, dumbfounded and speechless as the song ended and the dancers around them clapped and prepared for the next song.
