Prince Kaddar glanced around the ballroom, and his eyes came to rest on the charming brown haired girl in the blue dress. She reminded him of someone , but he couldn't remember who. If he could just remember...Goddess! Every time he tried to think of who she could be, his mind went curiously blank, and he turned his concentration to other things. Maybe there was some magic at work here? Kaddar didn't know.
At least, Kaddar thought, I can find out her name. That might jumpstart my uncooperative brain a little, if I recognized it. So he headed towards the refreshment table that she was standing against.
"May I have the next dance, lady?" he asked cooly when he reached her side.
She smiled. "Certaintly, my lord," she replied courteously as she placed her hand on his arm.
After a few minutes of slow dancing, Kaddar decided to query as to whom the young lady was. "I don't know your name, lady," he mentioned impartially.
"I am Lady Melane of Dejouné," the lady replied evenly. "And you are?"
Kaddar frowned. He had never heard of this girl before. At least not under this title. He knew where Dejouné was, however, and he thought that it had been empty for some time. "Uh, I'm Prince Kaddar of Siraj. Are you new nobility?"
Lady Melane nodded. "Just from a few monthes ago, did I have this title." Then she frowned. "Did you say Prince Kaddar? As in the Emperor's heir?"
Kaddar hesitated a moment, before nodding slightly. Lady Melane's brow furrowed even deeper. Then she abruptly stepped back, quickly releasing his hand and arm. "I'm sorry, I just remembered a previous engagement I made, just a few hours earlier, that I absolutely must keep. Excuse me," she explained and stalked off before he could say a word.
Kaddar stood on the spot where the Lady of Dejouné had left him, and stared at her retreating back. Why had she gone so abruptly? And what did it have to do with his uncle?
Melane was very confused as she quickly exited the ballroom. The young man, Prince Kaddar, had seemed nice enough, but Emperor Ozrone had warned her about him. He said that she should stay away from the Prince. One never knew what a person had done, just from one little, teeny-weeny dance with them...
"Melane! My dear girl, what's wrong?" Ozrone cried out as he strode out in front of her, seemingly from nowhere.
Melane hesitated, then shrugged her thoughts off. "It was nothing, my lord, I assure you."
"You don't trust me, do you? Please do. And please tell me what is wrong," he insisted kindly (or so it seemed).
"It's just- you know that man you warned me to stay away from? Your heir, Prince Kaddar?"
The Emperor's eyes sharpened instantly, but in the shadows Melane didn't notice. "Yes?" he hissed pressingly.
"Wellllll, he asked me to dance, and I didn't know who he was, so I agreed. He seemed nice enough, but I remembered how you warned me against him, and once he told me who he was I told him I had to go. What has he done that I should stay away from him? I didn't like to leave so abruptly."
"Oh! You wouldn't know, it's a very well kept secret, but he is one of the many that are commiting treason against my court and myself. Horrible buisness, it is. He was, in fact, somewhat involved in your kidnapping. However, I'm keeping it secret to save his reputation, until he does something so terrible that I absolutely must lock him away. It wouldn't be my choice, of course, though, but my so-called advisors'."
Melane nodded, completely wrapped up in his fanciful stories. "Oh, yes, sir. I understand."
Emperor Ozrone breathed a sigh of relief as he sent Lady Melane back into the ballroom for some more dancing, with warnings to keep away from Kaddar. That was close. He had been worried that she wouldn't believe his horrendous lies. He couldn't have her get too close to that noble nephew of his. If his spell failed, and Kaddar recognized her...He'd just have to hope that if that happened he could get to her first and tell her his version of the story, before Kaddar told her the truth. But it wouldn't happen, because nobody, nobody, broke Ozrone's rules. And if they did, they were put to death, in the most convienient way capable. He was still tracking that idiot, Arram Draper, now known as Numair Salmalin. If they didn't capture him soon, someone would just have to die instead...
As soon as the Prince saw Lady Melane enter the room, he rushed to her side and bowed to her feet. "I'm sorry. Lady, did I do something to offend you perchance? Why did you leave the ball so suddenly?" he cried in distress.
Lady Melane coolly glanced over his head, before slowly lowering her eyes to his face. "No, of course not. I had some obligations to attend to, I'm afraid. They may, in fact, be waiting for me as we speak. So will you excuse me?"
Kaddar didn't quite believe her vague excuses, but he couldn't really refuse her request, so he nodded and shuffled over to a corner to think. He was pretty sure that there was something strange about this girl...
A few moments later a thought occured to him. He had seen Ozrone, that evil uncle of his, come into the hall just minutes after Lady Melane returned. Could they have met in the hallway?
The most important question seemed to be: Was she one of Ozrone's pawns? If she was, well, then she wasn't as unusual as he had thought. That would be the perfect excuse for acting so oddly around him. But if she wasn't, why was she talking to Ozrone and what was she hiding?
Melane nervously strode to the refreshment table after a long talk with one of the barons. What if that Kaddar man came back and tried to kidnap her?
"Eek!" she yelped in suprise when she felt a cold hand land on her bare shoulder.
