LEON
ONCE HER DANCE with Prince Stale had ended, Pride took slow, careful steps toward the crowd of men offering their hands. I joined them, extending my hand as well. I did my best not to stand out—to hide my eagerness from the others, if only for this one moment. I wanted them to think this was nothing more than a polite gesture.
Pride barely scanned the crowd, like she’d already made up her mind…until we locked eyes. Disbelief stole my breath away. She walked right up to me and took my hand with a relieved smile. The sensation of her skin against mine was almost ticklish.
“It would be my pleasure.”
Thrilled and honored that she’d selected me, of all people, I took her hand and led her gently to the dance floor.
“I really didn’t expect you to choose me.”
Those feelings tumbled from my lips as soon as the dance began. Pride and I were good friends, but I was also her ex-fiancé. Our engagement had fallen apart, though not because of any real drama. There were nobles and royals at the party who would provide much more value as her dance partners. Furthermore, this dance party came laden with extra meaning. We paired up with the eyes of every last guest in the room fixed on us. In choosing their partners, the princesses were revealing who they felt the closest to—even who they considered friends.
Pride smiled, understanding my outburst. “But,” she began, looking up to meet my eyes, “you’re my sworn friend, Leon.”
Such a simple statement, yet it robbed me of my breath anew. Pride had called me her “sworn friend” for the past two years, but it still lit a fire in me each time.
“I see.”
Her smile of acknowledgment merely boosted my affection.
“I’m so happy I get to dance with you,” I told her. “It feels like I’m dreaming.”
My immense joy had made me buoyant, like I was floating over the dance floor. I was already in heaven at the sight of her smile up close, but we were actually dancing. Ah, how could I ever ask for anything more in life?
As I savored the moment, she twirled under my arm with light steps, then placed those delicate hands back on mine. “I’m happy too,” she said. “It’s so nice to see you smile at me like that.”
She stared off into the distance for a moment before a heartfelt grin lit her face. Her smooth skin brushed against my clothes as she rotated behind my back. I copied her motions until we both circled around, our bodies naturally coming back together. Her warmth seeped through my clothes when I held her again. When we first met, she never had this kind of effect on me, but tonight I was burning up from her touch.
I wanted to touch her more and more. I wanted this moment to last forever. I wanted to live inside every second.
It didn’t matter if I couldn’t spend my life at her side; ruling neighboring countries was more than enough. She was going to find someone she loved, and then I would…
“But of course,” I told the pleased princess. It was hard not to chuckle at her comment. You make it sound like it has nothing to do with you, but you’re the reason for every one of these smiles, my dearest.
An outpouring of love welled in my chest. I wanted those purple eyes on me every precious second; I basked in her gaze.
Pride blinked in surprise, and a flush stole into her cheeks.
Aaah, you’re simply too sweet.
She was adorable, beautiful, and feminine, not to mention overwhelmingly captivating in that dress, as red as ripe fruit. I ached to grab her and pull her closer. But I wouldn’t dare.
“As a prince of Anemone, I couldn’t be any happier than I am in this moment.”
Pride grinned at that. We twirled together, the wind lifting her bright-red hair. She softly wrapped her hand around my back, as if caressing me with it, and leaned her weight against me so she’d be easier to lead.
“Then Anemone and its people must be happy too,” she said, gazing up at me with barely concealed glee as we transitioned back to simpler steps.
We moved gracefully toward the center of the dance floor, her body warm against mine. She giggled as I cocked my head in question.
“After all, their future partner is someone who loves them so much!”
She entrusted her body to me, falling backward into a dip. The crowd gasped.
Once again, she’d stolen my heart. Just how many more times could she manage such a thing? How many more times would she make me fall in love with her?
There wasn’t a shred of doubt in my mind: Were she not the crown princess, I would have continued to pursue her. I would shower her with gifts of flowers, visit her every single day, and tell her how much I loved her.
It reminded me of a romance novel I’d recently read. Such a passionate depiction of love used to be utterly foreign to me, but now I smiled as I imagined doing those things with her. I’d been so lonely, so broken, so miserable, yet now I treasured the memory of every last second I’d spent as Pride’s fiancé. I was always thinking of those times when she’d touched me, stroked my hair, held me in a warm embrace, comforted me with her voice, and urged me on with her powerful words.
“Pride, I’ll be an Anemonian until the day I die.”
“That you will. And I’ll be a Freesian until the day I die.”
She echoed my own love for my people. Nothing could have made me happier.
We danced gracefully toward the song’s conclusion. I yearned to keep touching her, feeling her body heat, and bathing in her gaze. I didn’t even realize I had a tight grip on her hand until she squeezed back.
“Leon…I’m glad I was able to dance with you.”
When she called my name, her eyes lit up with fierce happiness. She valued the time we shared together, even though I was the one who’d broken our engagement.
The song ended. I loosened my hold so we could separate. My heart ached that she hadn’t said the words I desired most, but given what she did say to me, I knew I would get another opportunity like this someday. Even if she was engaged to someone else.
My spirits soared at the thought. “As am I.”
I am the prince of Anemone. I focused every cell in my body on that fact as I bowed to Pride and then to the audience. The crowd erupted with applause as I made my way back to them. Some of the women in the front row turned red and wavered on their feet, perhaps because the ballroom was so warm. The men and maids near them cried out in concern. I made sure someone was looking after them, then turned my attention to one particular spot in the room.
Mother and Father, the rulers of Anemone, stood amid the crowd. I lifted my head, greeted the two of them, and received tender smiles in return.
The second my gaze returned to Pride, I spotted her plucking her next partner out of the crowd. Prince Stale offered his hand to the woman next to him as well. Cheers rang out as Tiara settled on another partner of her own.
✦ ✦ ✦
My heart thumped as I watched the Freesians enjoy their next dance, though it wasn’t an unpleasant sensation.
“I can’t wait to get home and speak with the Anemonian people again,” I murmured to myself.
Once, the world snatched my happiness away from me. Pride was the one who’d given it back.
Instead of bouquets, I’ll bring you days full of blessings, my people. I’ll leave my castle to see as many of you as possible. I’ll never stop coming to speak with you.
Only one thing surpassed my feelings for Pride: the love I had for my country.