Feeling a sense of dread and an equal sense of the tickle of thousands of butterflies that had just been released in my stomach, I swivel my head to see none other than Prince Bennett, bowing before me. I almost drop to a haphazard curtsy before deciding I shouldn't, when his vibrant blue eyes meeting my own dissolve all of my thoughts completely.

"May I have this dance?" He asks eloquently, paired with a hopeful grin.

-

"You may." I reply quietly, despite the burning shock and befuddlement I felt the moment I saw him waiting there.

His grin grows impossibly wider, then he presses a soft kiss to the back of my gloved hand. A warmth unlike one I've ever felt before spreads from where he had pressed his lips to my skin, the feeling blooming first in my chest and finally my head, encapsulating me. I watch him with unmasked wonder as he leads me to the center of the dance floor, other couples and partners following suit.

We are silent for the first few measures of the piece, which is luckily one that doesn't require switching partners to carry it out properly.

"I've never seen you at court before." He expresses, deciding he would be the one to talk first.

"That is because I've never had the opportunity to appear at court, your highness." I admit to him. My father is a frequent at court, and he has brought my brothers as well as Lillibet before, always leaving me behind at the manor with my mother, or after her death, little Alice.

I turn for a moment to glance at the other dancers who surround me, only to notice how closely the pair of us are being watched. I recognize Thomas, who stands at the edge of the dance floor with his dark eyebrows raised higher than I believed possible.

"Of course you haven't, or I would've remembered you." He smirks, taking my other hand to follow the steps of the dance. I stare into his enticing azure eyes and decide they are the most enchanting shade of blue I have seen. I want to gaze into them forever.

"You must have a fantastic memory, your highness." I decide, as I do not believe myself to possess a memorable face.

"Mayhap I do. However, I reckon I would remember a lady as beautiful as you even if I were completely absentminded." Bennett charms, squeezing my fingers a little tighter to hold me steady as if he knew exactly how profoundly his compliment would effect me.

How could a man of his station see me as anything but another average girl that blended in easily with a crowd of hundreds? Why had he chosen me, from the sea of hopefuls?

"You flatter me, your highness." I finally manage to get out.

"I've assumed you are an Blackmore, then?" He changes the subject deftly, and I raise my own eyebrows, but I am not shocked to hear such a question. My family has been well known at court for generations, because of our immense wealth and influence, and our striking features- our black hair, green eyes, and porcelain stature make us easily identifiable. And, because of my mother, these qualities were even well known in French courts.

"Perhaps." I tease. His face is slightly rosy, I notice, and I wonder if I am the cause, or if he always looks that way. He crinkles his nose for a moment, his nearly-perfect features screwing up adorably.

"Your eyes rather remind me of honey. They are disarming, but I have never met a Blackmore whose eyes were not green." The prince observes. I had inherited my brown eyes from my mother, and I am the only blood member of the Blackmore family known to be born without the signature green eyes.

"That surely fixes me as an outcast then, does it not?" I whisper, the swell of the music and the man holding me making the moment almost intoxicating.

I realize then that throughout this dance, his gaze had never left me. I also realize, with a hint of sadness, that the magical dance is already nearly over.

"I will never consider you an outcast, my darling." Shivers run down my spine at his words, the warmth I had felt before growing impossibly stronger. He bows then, as it is the end of the song, and kisses the back of my hand one final time.

The prince gives me a cheeky grin, then turns away to find another partner, as is custom for the debut ball.

The feeling of his lips on my skin lingers, the place where he had done so faintly tingling, and I stare after him, wishing I could remember the way he had smiled at me forever.

"Addie!" Lillibet's voice angrily beckons from behind me, and it is then that I finally remember my place.

Nothing could become of the minutes I had just shared with Prince Bennett. I am not an Elite, and therefore, he is not for me.

I walk briskly in the complete opposite direction of Lillibet's voice, hoping desperately that she does not chase me so she will not see my sadness. I sniffle, my feelings conflicted. Despite my realization, the thought of my moments with Bennett still made my heart feel warm, even knowing I likely couldn't have moments like that again.

I do not make it far from where I was previously standing. It seemed that every debutante present at the ball had descended on the prince the instant we parted, and they covered every possible exit from the dance floor.

I sigh discontentedly, readying myself to face my furious twin, when I feel a hand clamp around my wrist, and I am jerked to the left.

I look to my kidnapper only to find Lucille, who is following Jasmine through the crowd, and a great weight is lifted from my shoulders. Our trio does not stop until we are at the outskirts the room, hidden in a doorway.

"You danced with the crown prince!" Jasmine shouts in my face, and I giggle excitedly, the pair of them joining immediately.

"How was it? You must tell us everything!" Lucille exclaims, shaking my shoulders. Once again remembering myself, my face melts into one of sadness.

"It was magical." I admit, the corners of my mouth lifting up into a sad smile. My ladies immediately sense the change in mood, and both touch my arm comfortingly.

"Why be sad over the inevitable when you can be happy because of the moment shared?" Jasmine mumbles, squeezing my hand.

"Thank you, Jasmine. I really am so happy to have you both here!" I cave, getting excited with them once again.

We spend the next few dances gossiping and giggling, after I had decided that I may have had enough turns out on the dance floor for tonight. In other circumstances, dancing the night away would have enticed me, but tonight, I am much too overwhelmed.

"And don't forget that man you danced with before the prince. What was his name? Lord Felix? He seemed rather sweet, and he obviously enjoyed your company." Lucille encourages, and my mind wanders back to his endearing curly hair and freckles. Felix is charming, and unlike the prince, he is not off limits.

"You're thinking too hard, Adalie. It's only your first night as a debutante! You'll meet plenty of men to flirt with before you find someone to marry."

She's right, and I know it. I raise my champagne flute with the pair of them, before setting off to find another partner to sweep me off my feet.

I won't let a chance encounter with a man I could never have ruin my first ball as a debutante; much less the beginning of the Season I had always dreamed of!

-

what do you all think of Bennett??

don't forget to vote and comment!

-kait