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His inability to command the attention of the room was almost miraculous...
His inability to command the attention of the room was almost miraculous...
His inability to command the attention of the room was almost miraculous. I observed him from my own quiet corner as he attempted to request the attention of a young woman who brushed him off with the wave of her hand, without even breaking her conversation or removing her eyes from her companion. It was dreadfully painful to watch as he attempted further conversation with young diplomatic boys who, despite their cool and mature manner of speaking, their words were frivolous. Empty and full of the naivety and idiocy that came with youth. It was obvious the young man was trying to tell them otherwise of their beliefs, but was simply ignored. Indeed, his inability to command gave him the power to be invisible. It was terribly sad to watch. For it seems, that the only ones that ever regarded him were the pages and wait staff that he would casually bump into in his haste to find suitable companionship. At some point during the evening, I was able to see in him, that he had given up. He found a table, a lonely table, and his shoulders slumped, his back hunched and he rested his head in his hands. What I truly do find strange is that he was a handsome fellow. A hard but narrow nose, rounded; he had light grey eyes that had slowly dulled after every failed encounter; and strong hands. He did not look like royalty, but he was certainly not a common man. No commoner would even be allowed within 30 feet of the hosted event. He had to have been a fellow aristocrat or at least in the gentry. I was moved by his inability, a feeling of pity, or perhaps it was because I was strangely drawn to him. Possibly both.
So there I went, from my quiet corner of humming and observation to join the poor young man at his table. When I arrived, he looked startled for a moment before sitting up and pulling his shoulders back, bowing his head lightly, "Madame.." With a hand to my chest I lowered by head in greeting and sat beside him. I did not look at him, I looked out at the floor of dancers and conversationalists. I saw him shift uncomfortably in his seat at my silence and my lip curled up on the opposite side of which he faced."I don't talk to many people at these events. Most people here are dense, dim witted, vacuous imbeciles." I eyed him, he had pale dramatically. I smiled then, "But there are those few whom I find to be the exception." I turned and smiled softly at him. He stared at me before stuttering in acknowledgement that I had complimented him in some strange way. I chuckled warmly as he thanked me and then stumbled over his words whether or not he should have taken that as a compliment.
It was an entertaining situation, but I stopped laughing quickly enough. No need to embarrass him.
"Tell me your political views, young sir. I'd love to hear the truth in the political world, unlike those childish boys you attempted to speak to earlier. You would have brought them to their knees in shame at their naivety." He eyed me then, with a half smile and a blush, "D-Do you really think so?"
"My dear, I know so."
He gave me a dazzling smiled, "W-Well then, Madame.." he trailed off, "I apologize I never caught your name."
I offered him my hand in formal greeting, "Lady Scarlet, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Bath." The young man pressed his lips gently to my knuckles, "A pleasure, Lady Scarlet."
I couldn't help but chuckle, he sounded so sincere! I pulled my hand back to my lap, on the frills of the large purple atrocity of a dress, "Might I inquire as to your identity kind sir." He smiled shyly, "I-I am Prince Phillip. Son of Ki-"
I snapped my hand up to stop his words, "Prince? I know who you are. No need elaborate. Though I must say I am surprised." The young prince paled then, those words must usually have a very bad ending when they are started I assumed.
"H-How so?"
"You seem like a shy fellow, not to mention the others all seem to, say.." I rotated my hand at the wrist trying to find the words, "disregard you. Do they know you are a Prince?"
He sighed and his shoulders slumped again as they had earlier, "No, they do not. But I do not wish to tell them. I would like it better if-"
I cut him off, I knew where he was going, "If they spoke to you out of genuine interest and not formality?" He looked up at him in a near awe, "Exactly! How did you know?"
I smiled softly at him, "Why do you think I sit in the corner at parties instead of dancing with any dashing young men? They're all fat cows, the lot of them. They wouldn't even look at me if I were part of the wait staff now would they?" I smirked, as did he.
"I've never heard a woman call others of her own class and higher 'fat cows'." He said with a genuine smile. I laughed and put my hand on his upper arm, "Nor has anyone else for that matter. But see, no one can laugh it off like you and I have. I knew I'd made the right choice in approaching you, young prince."
He smiled at me, "Why do you insist on calling me young boy and young prince. Surely you are not older than I am." I chuckled and pulled my hand back, "I am so used to people of my own age acting like fools that I automatically call everyone younger. My own mother calls me an early spinster." His nose wrinkled in distaste at my words, "How rude of her!" I raised a brow and he immediately reddened, "I-I mean no offense, my apologies m'lady." I bit my lip but that did nothing, I burst into laughter, muffling it into my hand.
"And you tell me I am strange for calling the aristocracy fat cows!" As I laughed it took the Prince a moment to process whether he should laugh along side me, and he did. We laughed together, we were charming.
"Can you imagine?" I started and I leaned my elbow on the table, leaning forward with my chin on my hand, "I'm speaking with a lovely person who also happens to be a prince! And all the others squandered that chance because they are all 'rude' 'fat cows'." He grinned at me, his eyes were bright in their neutral color again, it made me smile, I couldn't help it.
Prince Phillip opened his mouth to retort when my name was called from a distance. We both turned in surprise at the sudden call. Two women were waving frantically in my direction while one of the men stood behind them, waiting patiently.
"Who might they be?" the prince asked looking back at me.
"That," I said with a sigh, "Would be my aunts and my uncle. I suppose this is my time to go." I stood and smoothed my skirts.
"Such a shame," the prince said sadly, "I enjoyed your company and our conversation."
I extended my hand to him in farewell, "Perhaps we can continue our little conversation tomorrow. If you call on me." I said smugly.
The prince blushed pulled away before he could even kiss my hand, "I-I.. I would like that. I shall." His latter sentence sounded more confident than the first. And so I curtsied, "I eagerly await your call at noon Prince Phillip."
He smiled and returned the bow, "As do I, Lady Scarlet, as do I."
So there I went, from my quiet corner of humming and observation to join the poor young man at his table. When I arrived, he looked startled for a moment before sitting up and pulling his shoulders back, bowing his head lightly, "Madame.." With a hand to my chest I lowered by head in greeting and sat beside him. I did not look at him, I looked out at the floor of dancers and conversationalists. I saw him shift uncomfortably in his seat at my silence and my lip curled up on the opposite side of which he faced."I don't talk to many people at these events. Most people here are dense, dim witted, vacuous imbeciles." I eyed him, he had pale dramatically. I smiled then, "But there are those few whom I find to be the exception." I turned and smiled softly at him. He stared at me before stuttering in acknowledgement that I had complimented him in some strange way. I chuckled warmly as he thanked me and then stumbled over his words whether or not he should have taken that as a compliment.
It was an entertaining situation, but I stopped laughing quickly enough. No need to embarrass him.
"Tell me your political views, young sir. I'd love to hear the truth in the political world, unlike those childish boys you attempted to speak to earlier. You would have brought them to their knees in shame at their naivety." He eyed me then, with a half smile and a blush, "D-Do you really think so?"
"My dear, I know so."
He gave me a dazzling smiled, "W-Well then, Madame.." he trailed off, "I apologize I never caught your name."
I offered him my hand in formal greeting, "Lady Scarlet, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Bath." The young man pressed his lips gently to my knuckles, "A pleasure, Lady Scarlet."
I couldn't help but chuckle, he sounded so sincere! I pulled my hand back to my lap, on the frills of the large purple atrocity of a dress, "Might I inquire as to your identity kind sir." He smiled shyly, "I-I am Prince Phillip. Son of Ki-"
I snapped my hand up to stop his words, "Prince? I know who you are. No need elaborate. Though I must say I am surprised." The young prince paled then, those words must usually have a very bad ending when they are started I assumed.
"H-How so?"
"You seem like a shy fellow, not to mention the others all seem to, say.." I rotated my hand at the wrist trying to find the words, "disregard you. Do they know you are a Prince?"
He sighed and his shoulders slumped again as they had earlier, "No, they do not. But I do not wish to tell them. I would like it better if-"
I cut him off, I knew where he was going, "If they spoke to you out of genuine interest and not formality?" He looked up at him in a near awe, "Exactly! How did you know?"
I smiled softly at him, "Why do you think I sit in the corner at parties instead of dancing with any dashing young men? They're all fat cows, the lot of them. They wouldn't even look at me if I were part of the wait staff now would they?" I smirked, as did he.
"I've never heard a woman call others of her own class and higher 'fat cows'." He said with a genuine smile. I laughed and put my hand on his upper arm, "Nor has anyone else for that matter. But see, no one can laugh it off like you and I have. I knew I'd made the right choice in approaching you, young prince."
He smiled at me, "Why do you insist on calling me young boy and young prince. Surely you are not older than I am." I chuckled and pulled my hand back, "I am so used to people of my own age acting like fools that I automatically call everyone younger. My own mother calls me an early spinster." His nose wrinkled in distaste at my words, "How rude of her!" I raised a brow and he immediately reddened, "I-I mean no offense, my apologies m'lady." I bit my lip but that did nothing, I burst into laughter, muffling it into my hand.
"And you tell me I am strange for calling the aristocracy fat cows!" As I laughed it took the Prince a moment to process whether he should laugh along side me, and he did. We laughed together, we were charming.
"Can you imagine?" I started and I leaned my elbow on the table, leaning forward with my chin on my hand, "I'm speaking with a lovely person who also happens to be a prince! And all the others squandered that chance because they are all 'rude' 'fat cows'." He grinned at me, his eyes were bright in their neutral color again, it made me smile, I couldn't help it.
Prince Phillip opened his mouth to retort when my name was called from a distance. We both turned in surprise at the sudden call. Two women were waving frantically in my direction while one of the men stood behind them, waiting patiently.
"Who might they be?" the prince asked looking back at me.
"That," I said with a sigh, "Would be my aunts and my uncle. I suppose this is my time to go." I stood and smoothed my skirts.
"Such a shame," the prince said sadly, "I enjoyed your company and our conversation."
I extended my hand to him in farewell, "Perhaps we can continue our little conversation tomorrow. If you call on me." I said smugly.
The prince blushed pulled away before he could even kiss my hand, "I-I.. I would like that. I shall." His latter sentence sounded more confident than the first. And so I curtsied, "I eagerly await your call at noon Prince Phillip."
He smiled and returned the bow, "As do I, Lady Scarlet, as do I."