Read The Twelve Dancing Princesses (Faerie Tale Collection) Online

Authors: Jenni James

Tags: #Fairy Tales, #Twelve Dancine Princesses

The Twelve Dancing Princesses (Faerie Tale Collection) (8 page)

BOOK: The Twelve Dancing Princesses (Faerie Tale Collection)
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Aleck delicately lifted her chin with his finger. When her eyes met his handsome features and saw the warmth within that gaze, she gasped a small intake of air.

“Losing what?”

She was gone. That look in his eyes was everything she had imagined it to be. So close, so inviting, so caring. “What?”

He grinned slightly. “You did not finish your thought just now. It is not worth the price of losing what?”

Losing you. I could not bear to lose you.
“Your position, of course. What would your family do?”

His thumb came up from under her chin and began to trail softly across her lips. “It is worth the cost, I assure you.”

She could hardly breathe, let alone keep her wits about her, so great were the sensations he was creating upon her mouth. However, after a few moments, she managed to get out, “Is it?”

“Casey?” he whispered.

She allowed her eyes to flutter shut. “Hmm?”

“I will not fail. I do not have much time, but I will not fail you.” Slowly, his other arm wound around her shoulder and pulled her within his embrace.

Keeping her eyes closed, she nestled into his shoulder, feeling the strong, secure being before her.

“Not only would my family never forgive me if I did not try, but I would not be able to sleep knowing someone is toying with you. This is too frightening I must risk what I can to solve this. I must, no matter what I lose in the process. Your safety means more to me than even my own family at the moment.”

Her eyes flew open, staring at his smart jacket. “Aleck!”

“Hush.” She felt a small kiss upon the top of her head. “As a subject of the king, it is my duty to help where he needs me. Where you need me.”

“Why do I feel so safe at the moment? As if nothing in the world could ever harm me again.”

“If I had my way, nothing ever would. You have been strong for too long. It is time for someone else to care for you.” She felt him pull back and stared into his dark glittering gaze. “Let it be me.”

“Aleck?”

“Tell me I have a chance with you, my princess. I know I do not deserve a fraction of the love you could give me, but tell me nevertheless that there is hope in this quest of mine, that maybe one day you could see me as I see you.”

She stared into those intense eyes for several seconds. Her heart had long lost the capability of beating a rational rhythm. In those moments, speech was impossible, and so she did the only thing she could do. Standing upon tiptoe, she reached her arms up around his neck and brought his mouth to hers.

Oh, how he kissed her! How the world and all things perfect stood still in that time. His kiss was heaven—pure bliss.

After a few minutes, he pulled back. It was a bit longer before he had voice enough to speak, though his smile conveyed everything he could not.

She grinned.

“We must behave now. It is not proper for me to be seen mauling the king’s beautiful daughter.”

She laughed in surprise. “Mauling? Goodness! What a word! And what were you mauling, exactly?”

He chuckled. “Your lips. And I have half a mind to do so again, if you do not stop looking so utterly adorable and shocked.”

“But I cannot help it if I am utterly adorable or shocked. I am a princess, and it is my right to be so.”

“Ahem.” He raised an eyebrow at her coy manner.

And she blushed.

Swiftly Aleck leaned forward and placed a kiss on her nose before saying, “Once you retire for the evening and everyone is respectable, I wish to be able to slip inside your room.” He raised a hand. “Not to kiss you again. Perhaps to sit upon the floor, so as not to disturb anyone. I would like to do so privately—I do not wish to alarm your sisters. Will you please leave the door open a smidge? When it all seems quiet and dark, I will sneak in. I promise to be gone by morning, but I feel the only way to solve this is to actually stay in the room with you, if I can.”

It did seem practical, though a tad unnerving to have a man in the room who was not her father. But if they were ever to find out what was happening, then perhaps it would be the only way. She nodded her head.

“Do not tell your sisters. I promise I will keep hidden, and no one will even know I am there, not even you.”

How was that possible? “What about when you follow us to our dancing spot, if we indeed leave our room and go somewhere?”

“I will keep hidden. I do not want anyone giving away the fact I am with you—that is, if you do actually travel somewhere at night. If one of your sisters sees me, they may continuously try to speak to me, revealing where I am instead of allowing me the opportunity to solve this riddle.”

“Very well. I will tell this to no one. Just, please be careful, and remain hidden at all costs.”

“I will.” He leaned forward and kissed her check. “Thank you. Thank you for everything.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

ALECK COLLECTED THE CLOAK and slipped it on. Then he lingered outside the door of the old ballroom for several minutes. Once he could no longer hear any rustling at all, he slipped inside the room and silently felt his way along the wall until he came to a good spot next to a wardrobe. He slid down, letting his rear hit the floor, and then waited.

He waited for a long time, just listening to the gentle breathing of the princesses around him as they slept. He had no idea where Casey was, and if he was anywhere near her. Perhaps it was best he did not, for it would probably embarrass him greatly. Bringing his knees up, he set his head upon them. He closed his eyes and imagined her sweet kisses again.

Aleck must have dozed, because he awoke to movement in the room.

The princesses were all up and whispering to themselves. Several of the chandeliers were lit, and the girls were clustered together in their long nightclothes.

He quickly stood up, clutching the cloak around him, hoping none of them saw him. Casey pulled away from the group and he took a step toward her, wanting to see if she was awake, when all at once the faint sound of a harp could be heard.

As soon as the music began, the girls started to waltz slowly by themselves. One-two-three, one-two-three movements, upon tiptoe. Each princess held her nightgown spread out in her hands as if she were wearing a grand ball gown.

Suddenly the oldest sister spun around in a tight circle and dipped into a curtsy. The skirts of her night attire spread out upon the floor, and when she stood up, Aleck gasped.

There she was in full evening wear, including jewels bedecking her hair.

How was that possible? What had happened?

Instantly the second eldest sister did the same thing: spun in a tight circle and curtsied. When she stood, she too was dressed to the hilt in a stunning gown fit for a ball.

He watched as Casey stepped forward and did the same, looking more like a princess than he had ever seen her as she stood back up. Each of the sisters twirled and dipped and appeared wearing lavish gowns.

They really were dancing each night! But did they go somewhere? Aleck clutched the cloak further around him and quickly walked toward Casey. He was eager to make sure he followed her, no matter what happened next.

The harp music grew louder, and a few more string instruments joined in. He glanced around the room, but could not see where the sounds were coming from. When he looked back, the oldest two princesses were missing. And then Casey twirled in front of him and vanished before his eyes. Where did she go?

The girls were all leaving and he could not make out how or what was happening. When the youngest spun toward him, he quickly grabbed the skirts of her gown and attempted to keep up, hoping she would take him with her. She tugged at the fabric as if to see what was wrong, but he did not let go.

“What is this?” she said as she stopped altogether and looked in his direction.

“What is wrong?” asked one of the other sisters.

“It feels like my gown is caught upon something, but I cannot see what.”

It was then that Aleck realized he could not only see the other sisters, but that he had somehow made it from the bedroom into a grand ballroom full of people. It had worked! He was here!

He quickly released his hold on the skirts and stumbled backward, careful not to run into anyone. The room was so beautiful. The chandeliers gleamed, the marble floor shone with a perfect luster, and everyone was dressed in exquisite clothing, more exquisite than anything he had ever seen before. The room was full to brimming with men, women, and children.

They must all be royalty. He noticed that the older people and the children were not dancing—they stood around the perimeter of the dancing hall. However, the twelve sisters were gathered in the center of the room with many other people their own age.

The music grew louder, and Aleck stepped back to see if he could find the source of the melody. He could not make out any orchestra or the like, but was amazed at how the dance floor seemed to fade into an enchanted wilderness or forest of some kind. It was quite beautiful, with silver and golden trees, and both of them appeared to have tiny diamond fruit upon them. Never before had he ever seen anything so magical.

He walked up to one of the silver trees and touched a leaf. It was indeed made of the most delicate, filigreed silver he had ever seen. Plucking a small cluster of leaves, he quickly placed it in the pocket of his nightshirt to show the king later.

He wandered deeper into the enchanted gold and silver forest. The floor beneath his feet glittered with glorious copper flakes. This was a marvelous place, an enchanted fairyland where every little princess must dream of coming one day to meet her handsome prince.

He gasped and spun around toward the ballroom. That was it!

Quickly, he made his way back to the dance floor. There in the center, couples had already begun to line up. He noticed his king across the room, standing next to a woman and another man, and he wondered if they were Lady Daphne and her husband.

This would explain why they were never able to solve the riddle themselves; they were all part of it. All of the royalty around him were.

He glanced back at the dancers. Casey danced with a tall lad who looked to be a couple of years older than Aleck. He was blond and handsome and making her smile this very moment. Aleck groaned when the sudden urge to strike the man began to build within him.

Casey danced with the man most of the night, her eyes rarely leaving his. It was as if they were in love already. Aleck noticed that many of the young couples stayed together as dancing partners throughout the night. There were just a few who would exchange and dance with others.

Whoever was behind this bizarre, dream-like reality, he was certain they were doing it to subconsciously unite chosen kingdoms together, to make it seem as though the princes and princesses were the ones who would wish to form an alliance, when they were just pawns in a political scheme.

Now if he could only identify who was behind it all.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

HE SEARCHED UNTIL THE wee hours in the morning to find those responsible for the magical dream, but could never pinpoint who was behind the charade. Everyone was dressed so fine and seemed to know each person. How he wished he understood the rules of royalty a bit better. He might have found the culprits immediately, for he was certain they were in the room to spy on their handiwork. As it was, he kept the cloak tightly around himself and avoided running into them all.

Once the dancers began to separate and twirl and then disappear before his eyes, he hurriedly rushed forward and clutched one of the younger princess’s dresses and poofed into their large bedroom again. Aleck quickly tucked himself against a wardrobe to stay out of their way. Dressed in nightclothes once more, the girls slowly climbed into their beds. They groaned and wiggled their toes under the covers. At the foot of their beds sat tattered slippers. The chandeliers above him began to go out one by one, and the faint sound of harp music trailed away into the distance.

Aleck waited a few more minutes before silently slipping out of the large room and making his way to his much anticipated bed.

He removed the cloak, placed it in a drawer, and pulled out his nightclothes.

Just before he climbed into his bed, he remembered the silver cluster of leaves. He picked up his shirt and reached into his pocket. It was still there. Reverently he brought it out and examined it in the light of the small oil lamp near his bed. So beautiful.

He placed the exquisite leaf cluster upon the dresser and slipped under the soft covers. Lying on his back, he placed his hands behind his head and marveled at all that he had witnessed. The number of people involved in the enchantment was astonishing. There must have been at least a couple hundred there. And the atmosphere was indeed charming and magical.

A charming place where anyone could fall in love.

Aleck winced and groaned. Why did she have to look so beautiful in all that finery? And why, oh why, did she have to smile at the other man like that? Truly, it would seem she was already deeply in love. With that man. A prince.

He grunted and turned on his side, punching the pillow a bit as he did so. Never before had he felt so out of place, so beyond his element. Why would she want a simple gardener for a husband? What princess would ever consider such a thing?

A flash of their earlier kiss skiddled through his mind, and for a moment he forgot how to breathe. She had kissed him. She had.

And then he sighed. But she was already in love with another man. He shook his head and closed his eyes. This was useless. All of it was useless. He needed to solve this riddle as soon as possible, and then leave this castle forever.

His heart tightened at the thought. He could not leave. No matter how torturous it would be to watch her in love with another man, he simply could not leave her. Taking in a long, deep breath, he finally admitted it to himself. Whether or not she had real feelings for him, he was most deeply and irrevocably in love with Casey.

To Hades with the world! He would solve this mystery and rescue the dear girl. Until then, all this over-thinking and these dreadful imaginings were doing nothing to help him sleep. Never had his mind raced so like a woman in his life. He sounded just like one of his sisters. With a smile, Aleck brought the covers up to his chin and closed his eyes. Tomorrow was another day, a day for miraculous possibilities. What was left of the night would be used solely for sleeping.

BOOK: The Twelve Dancing Princesses (Faerie Tale Collection)
5.62Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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