The Last Dance (28)

So, this story is getting closer to the end, and since it IS wrapping up soon I want as many votes for the story as I can get so can you please go back and vote for any chapters you haven't, or for those that haven't voted at all please do. Thanks in advance =)

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xo.

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Recap:

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I walked up to him slowly and handed my sword to him by the hilt. He took it absently, watching me curiously.

Before I could chicken out I stood up on my toes and lightly kissed him on the cheek. His face instantly turned red as I stepped away.

"What do you think?" I asked softly.

He looked too stunned to speak and I decided to give him a few minutes alone to recover.

I turned around, hiding a smile when I saw him reach a hand up and touch his cheek.

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Chapter 28 - Walking on Clouds

For the first time in weeks I was up before the sun.

Shadows played across the walls as I made my way across the cold stone floor, quickly getting dressed and collecting my sword from its place by my dresser.

I was half way to the door when I doubled back for my bow. I frowned, seeing that it had gathered a fine coat of dust from disuse. Finding an old cloth I wiped it down and slung in across my back, excited to get out to the archery field.

I inched the door slowly open to stop it from creaking and waking anyone else in the hall up; it was a practiced routine.

Taking a few steps out into the hall I half turned around to shut it before stopping in surprise. A figure was slumped against the wall, dozing lightly with deep even breaths. A smiled tugged up the corners of my lips as I shut the door with a slight bang and startled the Prince awake.

He jerked back and hit his head against the wall with a wince.

I stifled a laugh though I knew it shouldn't be funny. Still, the sight of him outside my room at this early hour was all kinds of ridiculous.

He looked up at me from where he was sitting on the ground and scowled when he saw the smirk I was sure covered my face.

"Sleep well?" I teased.

He started grumbling under his breath and rubbed the back of his head with a slight pout.

I reached a hand out and he grabbed hold of it, pulling himself up unsteadily.

"What are you doing here anyway?" I whispered curiously.

Not that I was complaining or anything, but it was definitely a surprise.

He yawned widely and ran a hand through his hair.

"I just happened to wake up early and figured I'd come practice with you" He said with another yawn before pointed behind him where his sheathed sword rested against the wall.

I raised my eyebrow at him. Just happened to wake up did he?

Was that why he was practically asleep on his feet?

Probably sensing I wasn't about to buy his story he reached out for his sword and clumsily tied it to his belt. I watched him fumble with the strap and start making his way down the hall.

He'd only gotten a few steps before realizing I wasn't behind him and turned around.

"Aren't you coming?"

I rolled my eyes though I knew he couldn't see in the darkened hallways, and walked to catch up with him.

I suspected his being here so early had something to do with yesterday, but I wouldn't push the subject. It was kind of flattering that he would go through all the trouble of waking up just for me, especially since I knew he woke up well after most of the usual castle dwellers.

We pushed open the double doors and were immediately hit with an icy wind that made me shiver involuntarily.

The air had a damp heavy quality to it that only came after a light rain, and along with the cool breeze made for a chilly morning.

An idea struck me and I tugged on John's arm to keep him from heading towards the practice yards.

"Follow me, I want to show you something" I said, still feeling the need to whisper.

As we walked the air filled with the crisp smells of grass and wet soil.

A thin veil of mist hung low to the ground, swirling around my ankles and making the ground look like it was covered in a sheet of snow.

John had fallen a few steps behind, letting me lead the way to wherever we were going.

My feet traced the path around to the back of the castle where I always went when the weather was like this. It would be perfect at this time of morning I thought with a smile.

A maze of hedges began appearing over the mist as we made our way closer, as if they floated above the ground.

Nearby trees were heavy with blossoms in a mix of white, orange and pale pink, peeking in and out of the mist that swirled higher around us. Closing my eyes for a moment it felt just as if I was walking on a cloud.

I walked past the first line of hedges that came up to my waist and let myself be enveloped in the rich smells that were at the same time sweet and spicy to make a heady scent more intoxicating than any perfume.

I glanced behind me to see John looking around in wonder and smiled excitedly.

Unlike when he'd stumbled upon my hidden forest glade, I was glad this time to share one of my favourite places with him.

Feeling my gaze John turned to me, his eyes still brimming with amazement.

"It's like a whole new place" He whispered, but I could hear him perfectly in the quiet around us.

I knew he realized right away that this place was important to me. I couldn't say what it was that had made me want to bring him here, but his smile just now made it completely worth it.

The hedge maze was no secret place, but there was something about coming here in the early morning that was unlike any other visit. It was rare to find it empty of inhabitants, which was why I only came at this hour when no one else was around.

I smiled and looked around. Really, I couldn't have picked better conditions to bring him here, the mist made the whole thing look ethereal and gave it a dreamlike quality.

"I like coming here to think sometimes in the morning... there's just something about it that clears all your thoughts" I murmured softly.

He seemed content just to be standing where he was, taking everything in, but there was still one more thing I wanted to show him.

With only a moment's hesitation I took his hand in mine and started pulling him further into the maze, tracing a familiar path that I could never get lost in.

I was surprised when he laced his fingers through mine and hoped he couldn't see the slight blush that coloured my cheeks.

I kept walked along the familiar winding path until I turned a last corner and came to a seemingly dead end.

Perfect.

John looked confused and tried turning back the way we came but I stopped him with a slight squeeze to our intertwined hands.

I walked towards the dead end, feeling the ground sloping steadily higher beneath my feet. As we reached the end a break in the hedges became visible, and I slipped through it carefully, pulling John behind me.

The maze stretched to either side of us, though we were no longer in it, and I walked the last few steps to a cobblestone bench, nearly hidden between the hedges.

I couldn't help but smirk at the surprised look on John's face. I had the same reaction when I'd first found this place, quite by accident.

The maze wasn't supposed to have any other exits besides the entrance, but the bench being here was obviously no coincidence.

I wondered how many others had found this place before, even though I always considered it my own.

We were at the top of a hill that looked out over the endless fields behind the castle and blended seamlessly into the line of trees that were hazy in the distance.

Even more perfectly, it faced directly east, giving the very best view of the soon to be rising sun.

With a certain amount of reluctance I started pulling my hand out of John's, only to have him tighten his grip.

Smiling slightly I sat down on the bench, pulling my legs up under my chin.

John sat beside me blinking sleepily though I could still see him trying to look everywhere at once, memorizing the sights.

The sky lightened gradually lending new warmth to the air as the sun peaked over the horizon.

The new heat shredded the mist into smoky tendrils and wisps that soon melted, leaving a sheen of moisture on our skin.

Fresh dew clung to each leaf and blade of grass, bringing the surroundings into high focus.

With each passing minute they glittered faintly in the dusty rays of light that continued to creep higher into the sky.

"This is incredible, it hardly even seems real" John said beside me, echoing my thoughts.

He turned to me with a faint smile. "No wonder you're always up before the sun."

We continued on in silence as the sky filled with swirls of pale yellow, dusty pink, burnt orange, and sparkling amethyst, and the clouds glowed with a silver lining. I'd missed this sight over the last weeks.

After a reminder from John I pointed out my favourite color to him, but all too soon time melted away as fast as the mist had.

I could already hear the first sounds of the castle awakening when I reluctantly got up and made my way out of the garden with John trailing behind.

"So John, ready to teach me those new tricks you learned in the forest?"

My voice seemed unnaturally loud after all that silence, but I felt refreshed and wide awake now, and was itching for some physical exercise.

He smirked and turned his steps towards the practice fields. "Why don't you see them in action first?"

Faster than I thought him capable of, John had drawn his sword and whirled around to face me.

I took a startled step back and grinned at the sparkle of excitement in his eyes.

I pulled out my own weapon while tossing my bow off to the side where it would be out of the way.

We were still at the back of the castle, but had plenty of open space for practice. This location seemed less likely to attract an audience, which was fine by me since it had never gone well in the past.

This time was different than before though; the last time we'd fought was out of anger whereas this time was completely relaxed and playful.

We circled around each other looking for an opening and already I could see that his weeks of practice had paid off.

I couldn't help but grin at his new easy confidence.

"You know John, if I wanted to dance..."

I quickly stepped forward and brought my sword down fast and hard. He met me half way into the swing before coming back with one of his own.

I could feel my eyebrows rise in surprise, while he laughed lightly and shot me a wink.

I grinned back; it seemed I'd underestimated him.

Before I had thought he lacked skill, now I could easily see he always had the skill, it was just his technique that needed work.

I didn't have time to think much after that since our first easy strikes turned into a flurry of blows I had to concentrate to keep up with.

Our swords moved against each other in such quick succession they blurred together. To my surprise we were very evenly matched. Each attack and block flowed seamlessly from one to another, always in constant motion.

I watched John carefully for every subtle sign that would hint at his next move just as I knew he studied me.

Unlike with Brice, John wasn't a bigger opponent and seemed to tire at the same rate as I was.

His newly learned calm attitude kept him from making silly mistakes and made him a much more difficult opponent.

Suddenly John stepped forward, while his sword swung around from the side. I only barely managed to sidestep and avoid the strike, circling him again wearily.

So that must have been one of his village tricks.

A good one too I might add, since his movements didn't betray his actions. But he wouldn't be able to use it again due to its one important flaw; having stepped so close for the move he had no choice but to follow it through.

It could only work if your opponent wasn't expecting it, as I hadn't. Now that I'd seen it, it wouldn't be effective, and for that reason I knew John wouldn't use it again.

We kept trading blows and every now and then I'd get surprised with a new move that I only barely managed to block. John tried to use those seconds of my confusion to gain an advantage but I was able to keep him back.

My arm was getting numb from the rain of clanging and my ears rung from the clashing swords.

I blinked a bead of sweat from my eyes and noticed too late the new step John had taken.

It was over in the blink of an eye.

I stared down at my sword in stunned disbelief. Without the clang of swords everything seemed unnaturally quiet, with only the sounds of our heavy breathing to disturb it.

Had I really lost?

To John?

It seemed almost surreal seeing it lying down in the grass glinting in the pale light of the sun.

I couldn't even remember the last time I'd been in this position.

I expected to feel angry maybe, or disappointed, but what I really felt was exactly the opposite.

When I looked up to face John he was still staring at my sword with much the same expression I must have had only moments ago.

His sword, dangling limply in his hand, fell from his grip and landed next to mine with a dull thud.

He slowly looked up at me, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Did you let me...?"

With a sudden rush of pride I couldn't explain I threw my arms around his neck in a tight hug.

His arms wrapped around my waist, though he stumbled backwards in surprise.

"Did I just...?"

I laughed, hugging him tighter.

"Yes you won! That was... you were amazing... I'm so proud of you John!" I said, failing to contain the excitement I felt.

I don't know what had come over me, to make me feel so giddy after having lost; and to John of all people.

He pulled away to look me in the eyes and I could see the hint of worry on his face.

"You're... not mad?" He asked uncertainly.

"No, but I will be if you don't teach me those new moves" I said cheerfully.

I picked up our swords from the ground and held his out but he only stared at it without taking it.

He looked up at me dubiously.

"You're seriously not upset? Even a little?"

I half smiled. "No John, you were good. Really good. I didn't know you were that good" I teased.

Finally a smile appeared on his face.

"Well, it's only because of you" He said shyly, taking his sword from me.

I shook my head at him. "I wish I could take credit for that, but I only gave you some advise and a few tips, the rest was all you."

He smiled for real this time and looked down at his sword like he was seeing it for the first time.

"All this time... I always thought... and I actually beat you" He said in wonder, jumping from one thought to the next.

I laughed and swung my sword in front of his face to get his attention.

"Well, you better enjoy it because it'll never happen again" I stated matter of factly.

He pouted at me. "I was enjoying it until you said that"

With a laugh I reached up and ruffled his hair.

He smiled and grabbed my wrist as I brought my hand down. I looked down in confusion as he grabbed my other hand and placed them both on the sword hilt.

He nudged my feet into the right place and gently turned my body to a slight angle.

Stepping in front of me, he mirrored my stance and led me through the manoeuvre and a few others after that.

We only kept at it for a little while, only going through each move once since we were worn out from our fight, and called it quits early.

The sun was well into the sky by now and I knew the castle grounds would be filling up, though none had made it around to the back of the castle where we had been practicing.

"So, do you want to go see who's made it down to the practice courts yet?" I asked casually.

John looked over at me sceptically.

"Don't tell me you still have energy to practice."

I shrugged; my earlier weariness was already starting to wear off. Years of working twice as hard as everyone else had really improved my stamina. And I never felt as energized as I did in the mornings.

"Shooting doesn't take much energy."

"It takes more than I have" He mumbled before going to pick up my bow from where I'd discarded it before.

With a resigned sigh he started walking towards the practice courts while I skipped along beside him, exaggerating my steps just to annoy him.

The noise from the courts reached us before they came into sight and already I could see more people milling around than was usual for this time of day.

We quickened our pace to see the fields come alive with dozens of bodies roaming around and an excited buzz filling the air.

I looked at John with confusion, but he was gazing out over the crowds and didn't seem to find it at all out of the ordinary.

"John, Celia!"

I turned at the sound of my name to see David and Luke walking up to us, with Mira and Lily close behind. I waved and started walking over to meet them halfway.

"Well look at that, so you two really can get along" David said with a smirk.

John came up behind me, laughing lightly, and rested his elbow on my shoulder.

"It helps when I remember to keep my mouth shut" He said with an easy grin.

Luke raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Well congrats Cee, you taught him more than we ever managed too."

I laughed and punched him playfully in the arm.

"He's easy to train if you know how" I said with a wink.

David shrugged and Luke smiled while the girls shot me knowing looks that I tried to ignore. All in all though, they acted as if John and I had been friends for years.

Feeling eyes on me I looked around to see that a few of the people around the courts had stopped to stare at us. When I met their gazes, most turned away, but others still stared openly.

I sighed, but it was nothing I wasn't expecting.

There would probably be a lot of staring for the next few weeks, especially with the High Ball coming up and our infamous reputation as castle enemies.

"I almost forgot, why are there so many people out here?"

I directed the question to David, figuring he would know since he'd been out here earlier, but it was John who answered.

"Oh that's right, I meant to tell you; my dad's decided to hold a tourney this year, the day before the Balls start. It's that great?" He said excitedly.

He David and Luke began talking animatedly about entering the lists and betting who would make it farthest in the matches.

I grimaced slightly and stood closer to Mira and Lily, who were talking with just as much excitement about the Ball.

Great, both conversations I wasn't particularly interested in participating in.

"Why so quiet Cee? Aren't you excited? How far do you think you'll get?" David asked rapidly, without giving me a chance to answer anything.

"You know, I don't think I've ever actually seen you joust Cee, when do you practice?" Luke cut in.

I smiled lightly at them, about to answer when John cut in, a huge smirk covering his face...