ok! this is super good!! i love it! there is only one thing i would change:
“I caught his sleeve with a sharp inhale. ‘Wait, Faaris,’” i would change the comma to a semicolon, or get rid of it, but thats not really an error xD i love it so far!

GUYS guys gUyS idk why i'm even saying this but this story is soooooooooo incredibly good and also very detailed which is surprising for Scratch i love it!

DipsydoodlesOfficail wrote:

GUYS guys gUyS idk why i'm even saying this but this story is soooooooooo incredibly good and also very detailed which is surprising for Scratch i love it!

thank you soo much!! <33 that mean sm to me ;;

SaiIAway wrote:

DipsydoodlesOfficail wrote:

GUYS guys gUyS idk why i'm even saying this but this story is soooooooooo incredibly good and also very detailed which is surprising for Scratch i love it!

thank you soo much!! <33 that mean sm to me ;;

you're welcome!

OMG I LOVE THIS SO MUCH- ur super talented omg :0

metanoiaaa wrote:

OMG I LOVE THIS SO MUCH- ur super talented omg :0

AAA THANK YOU ;; im glad you like itttt

Omggg I’m literally obsessed— helppp

SaiIAway wrote:

Just_Another_Artist wrote:

What. Will happen. To the amazing adorable precious. Faaris.
Please not torture, please not death, please NO.
Also can you give us a hint or not? I’m dying to know what’s next aaaaah-

ill give one spoiler >: ) verity is forced to leave him

NONONO NOOOO FAARITY MUST BE A PERMANENT THING DONT DO THIS TO ME PLEASEEEEEEEEE LET THEM STAY TOGETHER- PLES OMG DONT DO THIS TO US PLEASE IM HAVING A MENTAL BREAKDOWN RN BC OF THIS SPOILER PLESS

table of contents

chapter 1 | chapter 2 | chapter 3 | chapter 4 | chapter 5 | chapter 6 | chapter 7 | chapter 8
chapter 9 | chapter 10 | chapter 11 | chapter 12 | chapter 13 | chapter 14

fan studio | theory studio

If it had even been possible, the ballroom in the Western castle was larger than any I had ever seen. With heavy stone archways along the walls and tall windows stretching all the way to the ceiling, it reminded me of the library back at home—but instead of looming bookshelves, it was an entirely open floor that moonlight flooded into, chandeliers struggling to light up every corner of the grand expanse.

There were long tables draped in different colors of fabric—reds, golds, whites— assortments of wine glasses and cheese platters covering the tops. It was truly magnificent, and I was so lost in awe that for a second I forgot about the hundreds of people chatting below the domed ceiling.

“The Empress of the Eastern Empire!” an announcer called when I reached the stairs, and I tried to quickly correct him but my words were lost in the crowd as he continued to the next guest. All I could do was continue down the staircase.

With a start, I locked eyes with Viscountess Helena, who then quickly looked away. I felt heat rise to my face but I remembered to keep my head high and continue down the flight of stairs. This was only a misunderstanding, only baseless rumors just as Faaris had reminded me.

So I pressed forward through the crowd, a parcel tucked neatly under my arm. It was Perdita’s wedding gift for Lilith, and it was rather heavy.

“Your Majesty!” someone called from the crowd, but I quickly hurried by. If I responded to that name, what would the other ladies from the lunch think? Would they assume I really was planning to take Perdita’s spot, or that I thought of myself so highly?

“Welcome to the celebration, Empress!” I heard another voice, but when laughter arose through the crowd I suddenly felt color drain from my face. Were they…mocking me? But no, those were voices of men, how could they already know about the incident? Did gossip spread so quickly in the Western Empire that the wives had already told their husbands?

Someone grabbed my hand, and my head shot up in shock at the rude gesture.

“Good evening, Your Majesty.” The voice belonged to a man, a sly smirk dancing across his features. I quickly snatched my hand away from his grip with a glare, brushing my gloved palm across my gown.

“Please do not touch me,” I said stiffly, and was about to turn when he put a hand to my waist.

“But you of all people shouldn’t miss a dance like this,” he said, and I felt a chill crawl up my skin. He was pulling me closer and in fear, I tried to twist from his grip.

“Please. Sir. Let go of me. I have other matters to attend.” I could feel people watching me beyond the eruption of my thoughts, chattering growing louder and louder. Were they whispering behind their hands?

“Can’t you wait? Besides, this is your once in a lifetime chance to dance with—”

“She is not required to dance with you.” My breath hitched at Faaris’s voice, and I whirled around to see him standing behind me. “Do you not see the gift in her hands? Even if she wanted to, she would not be able to dance.”

The man dropped his hand from me and stepped back. “And who are you?”

“I’m an elite guard from the Eastern Empire,” Faaris stated so flatly it sounded like he was reciting it.

“A guard?” He scoffed. “Why would this fraud need a guard?”

“Excuse me,” I interrupted them. “But I have a wedding present to give to my cousin, if you would please step to the side.”

The man opened his mouth in defiance before moving over, and with a swish of my gown, I stepped past him. Faaris followed behind me, but my hands were shaking and my thoughts were crowding my head so I paid him no attention.

All I could focus on was my destination. Ahead, at the front of the ballroom, was Lilith sitting on a velvet couch that had been positioned next to the table of gifts — that’s where I intended to go.

In a moment, music began to play loudly throughout the large room. I had heard about the Western Empire’s enthusiasm for their songs and even more about their dances. Dancing for them was not just an enjoyment or a hobby — it was a sport. Even Perdita, a gifted ballroom dancer, could not perfect the steps of one of the most popular songs here in the West.

Faaris pulled me to the side with his hand tight around my waist as groups began to file out to the dance floor in excited chatter. It was what any gentleman was supposed to do, but despite knowing that, heat still rose to my face although the gesture distracted me for a moment from the quaking of my hands.

“I will wait here for you,” he said against the music, and I turned my head away when I realized his face was hovering just by my ear for me to hear him. Where we were standing, the chatter was the loudest because of the several nobles standing in rows and waiting for their turn to dance.

I gave a nod to show I had heard him before clutching the present and moving from his grasp. Why was it that his touch scared me more than the man who had grabbed my hand?

Shaking the thought from my head, I figured I already had enough on my mind.

Lilith was watching the dancers when I arrived at her seat. The pile of wedding gifts beside her was outstanding, far more than I had ever seen, but she seemed unfazed by it. In all honesty, she looked almost as if she were bored.

“Good evening,” I started, and hesitated before dropping to a curtsy. It felt strange to bow before my own cousin.

“Verity…” She said, her eyes straying back to the crowd. “Is that for me?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I said awkwardly as I straightened. Talking to someone without eye contact always created a tense atmosphere that I despised.

“Tell Perdita I send my thanks. Although a present can’t make up for her absence.” She moved her chin from her palm and finally looked up at me, but it wasn’t a friendly glance.

“…Of course.” How else was I supposed to respond? It was hard to tell if she was threatening me or talking bad about my sister. But I still had to be polite, otherwise, my reputation would be completely ruined the moment Lilith opened her mouth.

She lifted an eyebrow as if asking me “Why are you still standing here?” and so I ducked my head in embarrassment before setting the parcel on the table and moving away. The music was beginning to pick up, and I caught the eyes of several people watching me. But every time my gaze met their own, they would avert their eyes and turn to converse with their group.

I paid no mind to the gestures, engraving into my head the determination that I would not let these nobles get under my skin. I would enjoy this dance as much as I could.

Glancing toward the center of the ballroom, there were several pairs of dancers with their dresses twirling with the beat of the song as they were spun by their partners. I watched them in excitement as I slowly walked the length of the ballroom, wondering how it would be to be lost in that crowd, to be just another noble.

My eyes caught the figure of Faaris through the dancers, his hands at the waist of another noblewoman as she laughed and then spun with a kick of her legs. I paused in my steps, watching as the dancers were called to shift partners and Faaris lined up with the other gentlemen. He looked breathless and giddy, moving with steps in such a flourish that I couldn’t help but laugh with the others around me. I wondered how he knew the steps of the dance so well, but then figured he had escorted many Eastern nobles across the border and had likely attended many of the balls hosted here.

The music came to a stop and I lifted my hands in applause, feeling a grin pull at my features. When was the last time I had felt this way? Just minutes ago I had been so startled by the actions of the nobles here, but now it was all forgotten as I watched Faaris’ breathless smile while he dipped into a bow for the crowd.

With a start, his eyes met mine and he began to make his way over, fixing the cuffs of his sleeves.

“You said you’d wait for me,” I teased with a raise of my eyebrow when he was close enough to hear me.

“And I did exactly as I said. I’m here right now.”

“Yes, swaying in exhaustion as if you have just run the length of the castle.” I crossed my arms, my gown swishing at my feet. I already missed the blue dress, but a simple pale pink would have to work. Although tight at the waist, it had a long skirt that fell straight to the floor. There was nothing magnificent about the dress, no puffed sleeves or billowing fabric.

“I was warming up.” Faaris grinned down at me and I let out a huff of air. The music from the band shifted and he took my waist so suddenly that my face grew hot in embarrassment. “Let’s dance.”

I opened my mouth in reply but then resorted to a nod of my head. “I’m not too good at these dances yet.”

“Then I’ll teach you. Just follow my lead.” With his left hand at my waist, he took my palm with his right and stepped toward the dance floor. He was close beside me, my dress brushing at his boots as we joined the other dancers. I recognized the song playing — it was something like a waltz, and I recalled the steps that went with it.

Faaris turned to face me before lowering into a bow. Around us was the blur of different colors, dresses twisting and the tapping of shoes muffled against chatter and music filling the room. It all felt so exciting as I lowered myself into a curtsy, looking toward the ground. My nerves were jittery, my heart pumping. Maybe it was the rush of sound and energy filling my chest or the nervousness of having to complete such a complicated dance in front of several others. But when Faaris held his hand out to me, I took it without hesitation and we fell into the flow of dancers.

Everything was loud when he was around. My thoughts, the beating of my heart — and I couldn’t stop recalling just hours before when he had knocked on my door. When had I become so brave to kiss another man on the cheek?

He took my other hand, and I fell in lead with Faaris. Every so often, I would glance back at the nobles around us to catch what they were doing and copy it, hoping that I didn’t look as awkward as I felt. But soon I started to catch on, a laugh filling my breath when Faaris took my waist and dipped me. When I glanced to the side again I saw that there were others watching us, covering small giggles with their hands. They seemed to be more focused on Faaris, or at least the ladies did, as he continued to improvise the dance.

“Would you stop?” I said with laughter when he once again spun me into his arms although everyone else was back to sidestepping. “They’re all watching, and I can’t keep up with your feet.”

“Where’s the fun if you don’t have a few surprises?”

“No, really,” I started, but then he pulled me against him and I cut my words short. He laughed, raising an eyebrow as if trying to show he could prove his point. My face grew hot again as I stared at the collar of his shirt, far too nervous to look up.

“To make things clear, I am not interested,” he mocked, quoting me from the day in the carriage when I had mistaken his humor for flirting.

I opened my mouth to question him again, but then Faaris pulled away to the side as the other dancers did the same. At that moment, I realized I had forgotten we were still in a ballroom, surrounded by dozens of other people. I had forgotten it wasn’t just Faaris and I dancing to our own music.

I wished so badly that we were alone, tucked away where no one would stare and point and he would be mine to talk to — my eyes grew wide at the thought and when Faaris held his hand out to me to complete the dance, I didn’t take it. In a rush of dizziness, I suddenly felt like my chest would explode. Not from my heartbeat this time, but instead the jittery flames of butterflies.

“Are you alright, Verity?” I heard Faaris ask as the music slowed to a stop.

People began to brush by, leaving the dance floor for the varieties of refreshments at the side. I lifted a hand to my face, feeling the heat against my palm. The dance hadn’t been as hard as I’d expected, but already I was feeling exhausted.

“Verity?” Faaris said again, and I quickly turned to face him.

“I’m fine,” I said quickly. “But if it’s alright with you, I need to leave for some fresh air.”

He hesitated, his eyes falling at our hands before nodding. “I’ll be here, but I can’t promise I’ll be free for the next dance.”

“The ladies love you, of course you’ll be taken,” I said with a joking scoff, giving a small smile. “But save one for me.”

“I will see if I can,” Faaris replied with a laugh as I released his hand and gave a curtsy. When he bowed, I turned and took in a shaking breath, slipping past the crowd. It was hard to focus on my steps when my insides were churning like butter.

I recalled seeing several wooden doors at the sides of the ballroom, leading out to the Western Empire’s most famed courtyards. In history books, the gardens were given their own section, the writers describing them in so much detail that at times I wondered if they had built the courtyards themselves.

A servant stepped past me with a tray of champagne glasses, and I snagged one to calm my nerves. My face still felt hot, and I could feel the horrible sickness of butterflies fluttering inside my chest.

And then there were the doors, open to the cold fall air. As I stepped near them, I felt the drop in temperature and for a moment was grateful that I wasn’t wearing the blue dress, but instead the long sleeves my gown provided. Winter was coming rather quickly, and I hoped that it wouldn’t stay for too long either. I had heard it was worse in the Western Empire.

I stepped through the doorway, and instantly the tension released from my body. The heat from my face faded and soon my stomach began to calm. Had I caught Perdita’s fever? But I was sure that feeling this way had nothing to do with sickness. Maybe I was just nervous, with all the prying eyes following my every move. At least now I had privacy.

The sounds of laughter faded as I stepped past rows of arches framing the courtyard’s gardens, and I slowed my steps to the sound of the passing breeze. My thoughts settled to a whisper, and I was surprised to see that Faaris’s method had actually worked. Being entirely alone as a person but surrounded by the sounds of nature…the feeling was something truly amazing.

I paused at the sound of music, realizing it still made its way through the gardens. It was a slow song, the beat soft and steady — and with shock, I realized it was a favorite of the Eastern Empire.

“Do you think the West is so fascinated with upbeat songs that they must borrow the slow ones from the East?” I jumped at the voice of Faaris and turned with my glass clutched tightly in my hands. He was standing there, at the beginning of the path, but through the dark I couldn’t see his expression.

“I thought you said you would wait for me inside,” I recalled, fixing my hair with my free hand.

“Yes, but then another song began,” was his response, the sound of trickling water from the fountain filling the silence.

“…What do you mean by that?” I said slowly. I was forcing myself to steady my voice as he walked toward me through the moonlight.

“What I mean is…” Faaris started before reaching me and taking the champagne glass from my hand. Through the dark I saw him grinning childishly again. “I realized I want to dance to every song with you.”

proofreader(s) for chapter six: @firesideangel, @–galaxi–

OOOO i better finish chapter 3 xd

SO GOOD

this is super good! but here are a few things i would change:
“The heat from my face faded and soon my stomach began to calm. Had I caught Perdita’s fever? But( get rid of the but ) I was sure that feeling this way had nothing to do with sickness. Maybe I was just nervous, with all the prying eyes following my every move. (the period could be turned to a semicolon) At least now I had privacy.” so yeah! thats one thing i found, i will dig through a bit more and see what i can fine

YESYESYESYESYEYSESESYAFUEODSCKJDFXZEADKSZCXL

Ok a couple things that are errors/could be improved:

“Ahead, at the front of the ballroom, was Lilith sitting on a velvet couch that had been positioned next to the table of gifts — that’s where I intended to go.” this is correct, but I think it might read better if you said, "Ahead, at the front of the ballroom, Lilith was sitting on a velvet couch that had been positioned next to the table of gifts — that’s where I intended to go.“

”It was what any gentleman was supposed to do, but despite knowing that, heat still rose to my face although the gesture distracted me for a moment from the quaking of my hands.“ I would break this sentence in two because it gets to be a run-on. Maybe something like this: ”It was what any gentleman was supposed to do, but despite knowing that, heat still rose to my face. The gesture did distract me for a moment from the quaking of my hands.

“Shaking the thought from my head, I figured I already had enough on my mind.” This doesn't sound quite right, with ‘shaking’ as a verb in that tense and using a comma there (idk if this is just me). I think instead I might say, “I shook the thought from my head. I already had enough on my mind.”

“I wondered how he knew the steps of the dance so well, but then figured he had escorted many Eastern nobles across the border and had likely attended many of the balls hosted here.” This is correct, but again, it might read better if you were to say something like, "I wondered how he knew the steps of the dance so well, but then I figured he had probably escorted many Eastern nobles across the border and had likely attended many of the balls hosted here.“

”He took my other hand, and I fell in lead with Faaris.“ I think this might make more sense if you said, ”He took my other hand, and I followed Faaris' lead.“ or ”He took my other hand, and I fell into the rhythm of the music, matching Faaris' steps," or yk something along the lines of that.

That's all and MY GOSH I KNOW I SAY THIS EVERY TIME BUT I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER

NOOOOOOOOOO PLEASE CHAPTER SEVEN! I NEEEEEEEEEED IT!!!!

You inspired me to make my own book and a new chapter gives me way more motivation :000000000

(Don't worry, I am not copying idea)

cs2855837 wrote:

You inspired me to make my own book and a new chapter gives me way more motivation :000000000

(Don't worry, I am not copying idea)

wow that's funny cuz i also am writing a story inspired by this one -u-

"Faaris started before reaching to me and taking the champagne glass from my hand.“

”I jumped at the sound of Faaris' voice and turned with my glass clutched tightly in my hands."

EEEEEE!

SaiIAway wrote:

table of contents

chapter 1 | chapter 2 | chapter 3 | chapter 4 | chapter 5 | chapter 6

fan studio

━━━━━━━━━━━━━.⋅ ✦ ⋅.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

chapter 6

If it had even been possible, the ballroom in the Western castle was larger than any I had ever seen. With heavy stone archways along the walls and tall windows stretching all the way to the ceiling, it reminded me of the library back at home—but instead of looming bookshelves, it was an entirely open floor that moonlight flooded into, chandeliers struggling to light up every corner of the grand expanse.

There were long tables draped in different colors of fabric—reds, golds, whites— assortments of wine glasses and cheese platters covering the tops. It was truly magnificent, and I was so lost in awe that for a second I forgot about the hundreds of people chatting below the domed ceiling.

“The Empress of the Eastern Empire!” an announcer called when I reached the stairs, and I tried to quickly correct him but my words were lost in the crowd as he continued to the next guest. All I could do was continue down the staircase.

With a start, I locked eyes with Viscountess Helena, who then quickly looked away. I felt heat rise to my face but I remembered to keep my head high and continue down the flight of stairs. This was only a misunderstanding, only baseless rumors just as Faaris had reminded me.

So I pressed forward through the crowd, a parcel tucked neatly under my arm. It was Perdita’s wedding gift for Lilith, and it was rather heavy.

“Your Majesty!” someone called from the crowd, but I quickly hurried by. If I responded to that name, what would the other ladies from the lunch think? Would they assume I really was planning to take Perdita’s spot, or that I thought of myself so highly?

“Welcome to the celebration, Empress!” I heard another voice, but when laughter arose through the crowd I suddenly felt color drain from my face. Were they…mocking me? But no, those were voices of men, how could they already know about the incident? Did gossip spread so quickly in the Western Empire that the wives had already told their husbands?

Someone grabbed my hand, and my head shot up in shock at the rude gesture.

“Good evening, Your Majesty.” The voice belonged to a man, a sly smirk dancing across his features. I quickly snatched my hand away from his grip with a glare, brushing my gloved palm across my gown.

“Please do not touch me,” I said stiffly, and was about to turn when he put a hand to my waist.

“But you of all people shouldn’t miss a dance like this,” he said, and I felt a chill crawl up my skin. He was pulling me closer and in fear, I tried to twist from his grip.

“Please. Sir. Let go of me. I have other matters to attend.” I could feel people watching me beyond the eruption of my thoughts, chattering growing louder and louder. Were they whispering behind their hands?

“Can’t you wait? Besides, this is your once in a lifetime chance to dance with—”

“She is not required to dance with you.” My breath hitched at Faaris’s voice, and I whirled around to see him standing behind me. “Do you not see the gift in her hands? Even if she wanted to, she would not be able to dance.”

The man dropped his hand from me and stepped back. “And who are you?”

“I’m an elite guard from the Eastern Empire,” Faaris stated so flatly it sounded like he was reciting it.

“A guard?” He scoffed. “Why would this fraud need a guard?”

“Excuse me,” I interrupted them. “But I have a wedding present to give to my cousin, if you would please step to the side.”

The man opened his mouth in defiance before moving over, and with a swish of my gown, I stepped past him. Faaris followed behind me, but my hands were shaking and my thoughts were crowding my head so I paid him no attention.

All I could focus on was my destination. Ahead, at the front of the ballroom, was Lilith sitting on a velvet couch that had been positioned next to the table of gifts — that’s where I intended to go.

In a moment, music began to play loudly throughout the large room. I had heard about the Western Empire’s enthusiasm for their songs and even more about their dances. Dancing for them was not just an enjoyment or a hobby — it was a sport. Even Perdita, a gifted ballroom dancer, could not perfect the steps of one of the most popular songs here in the West.

Faaris pulled me to the side with his hand tight around my waist as groups began to file out to the dance floor in excited chatter. It was what any gentleman was supposed to do, but despite knowing that, heat still rose to my face although the gesture distracted me for a moment from the quaking of my hands.

“I will wait here for you,” he said against the music, and I turned my head away when I realized his face was hovering just by my ear for me to hear him. Where we were standing, the chatter was the loudest because of the several nobles standing in rows and waiting for their turn to dance.

I gave a nod to show I had heard him before clutching the present and moving from his grasp. Why was it that his touch scared me more than the man who had grabbed my hand?

Shaking the thought from my head, I figured I already had enough on my mind.

Lilith was watching the dancers when I arrived at her seat. The pile of wedding gifts beside her was outstanding, far more than I had ever seen, but she seemed unfazed by it. In all honesty, she looked almost as if she were bored.

“Good evening,” I started, and hesitated before dropping to a curtsy. It felt strange to bow before my own cousin.

“Verity…” She said, her eyes straying back to the crowd. “Is that for me?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I said awkwardly as I straightened. Talking to someone without eye contact always created a tense atmosphere that I despised.

“Tell Perdita I send my thanks. Although a present can’t make up for her absence.” She moved her chin from her palm and finally looked up at me, but it wasn’t a friendly glance.

“…Of course.” How else was I supposed to respond? It was hard to tell if she was threatening me or talking bad about my sister. But I still had to be polite, otherwise, my reputation would be completely ruined the moment Lilith opened her mouth.

She lifted an eyebrow as if asking me “Why are you still standing here?” and so I ducked my head in embarrassment before setting the parcel on the table and moving away. The music was beginning to pick up, and I caught the eyes of several people watching me. But every time my gaze met their own, they would avert their eyes and turn to converse with their group.

I paid no mind to the gestures, engraving into my head the determination that I would not let these nobles get under my skin. I would enjoy this dance as much as I could.

Glancing toward the center of the ballroom, there were several pairs of dancers with their dresses twirling with the beat of the song as they were spun by their partners. I watched them in excitement as I slowly walked the length of the ballroom, wondering how it would be to be lost in that crowd, to be just another noble.

My eyes caught the figure of Faaris through the dancers, his hands at the waist of another noblewoman as she laughed and then spun with a kick of her legs. I paused in my steps, watching as the dancers were called to shift partners and Faaris lined up with the other gentlemen. He looked breathless and giddy, moving with steps in such a flourish that I couldn’t help but laugh with the others around me. I wondered how he knew the steps of the dance so well, but then figured he had escorted many Eastern nobles across the border and had likely attended many of the balls hosted here.

The music came to a stop and I lifted my hands in applause, feeling a grin pull at my features. When was the last time I had felt this way? Just minutes ago I had been so startled by the actions of the nobles here, but now it was all forgotten as I watched Faaris’ breathless smile while he dipped into a bow for the crowd.

With a start, his eyes met mine and he began to make his way over, fixing the cuffs of his sleeves.

“You said you’d wait for me,” I teased with a raise of my eyebrow when he was close enough to hear me.

“And I did exactly as I said. I’m here right now.”

“Yes, swaying in exhaustion as if you have just run the length of the castle.” I crossed my arms, my gown swishing at my feet. I already missed the blue dress, but a simple pale pink would have to work. Although tight at the waist, it had a long skirt that fell straight to the floor. There was nothing magnificent about the dress, no puffed sleeves or billowing fabric.

“I was warming up.” Faaris grinned down at me and I let out a huff of air. The music from the band shifted and he took my waist so suddenly that my face grew hot in embarrassment. “Let’s dance.”

I opened my mouth in reply but then resorted to a nod of my head. “I’m not too good at these dances yet.”

“Then I’ll teach you. Just follow my lead.” With his left hand at my waist, he took my palm with his right and stepped toward the dance floor. He was close beside me, my dress brushing at his boots as we joined the other dancers. I recognized the song playing — it was something like a waltz, and I recalled the steps that went with it.

Faaris turned to face me before lowering into a bow. Around us was the blur of different colors, dresses twisting and the tapping of shoes muffled against chatter and music filling the room. It all felt so exciting as I lowered myself into a curtsy, looking toward the ground. My nerves were jittery, my heart pumping. Maybe it was the rush of sound and energy filling my chest or the nervousness of having to complete such a complicated dance in front of several others. But when Faaris held his hand out to me, I took it without hesitation and we fell into the flow of dancers.

Everything was loud when he was around. My thoughts, the beating of my heart — and I couldn’t stop recalling just hours before when he had knocked on my door. When had I become so brave to kiss another man on the cheek?

He took my other hand, and I fell in lead with Faaris. Every so often, I would glance back at the nobles around us to catch what they were doing and copy it, hoping that I didn’t look as awkward as I felt. But soon I started to catch on, a laugh filling my breath when Faaris took my waist and dipped me. When I glanced to the side again I saw that there were others watching us, covering small giggles with their hands. They seemed to be more focused on Faaris, or at least the ladies did, as he continued to improvise the dance.

“Would you stop?” I said with laughter when he once again spun me into his arms although everyone else was back to sidestepping. “They’re all watching, and I can’t keep up with your feet.”

“Where’s the fun if you don’t have a few surprises?”

“No, really,” I started, but then he pulled me against him and I cut my words short. He laughed, raising an eyebrow as if trying to show he could prove his point. My face grew hot again as I stared at the collar of his shirt, far too nervous to look up.

“To make things clear, I am not interested,” he mocked, quoting me from the day in the carriage when I had mistaken his humor for flirting.

I opened my mouth to question him again, but then Faaris pulled away to the side as the other dancers did the same. At that moment, I realized I had forgotten we were still in a ballroom, surrounded by dozens of other people. I had forgotten it wasn’t just Faaris and I dancing to our own music.

I wished so badly that we were alone, tucked away where no one would stare and point and he would be mine to talk to — my eyes grew wide at the thought and when Faaris held his hand out to me to complete the dance, I didn’t take it. In a rush of dizziness, I suddenly felt like my chest would explode. Not from my heartbeat this time, but instead the jittery flames of butterflies.

“Are you alright, Verity?” I heard Faaris ask as the music slowed to a stop.

People began to brush by, leaving the dance floor for the varieties of refreshments at the side. I lifted a hand to my face, feeling the heat against my palm. The dance hadn’t been as hard as I’d expected, but already I was feeling exhausted.

“Verity?” Faaris said again, and I quickly turned to face him.

“I’m fine,” I said quickly. “But if it’s alright with you, I need to leave for some fresh air.”

He hesitated, his eyes falling at our hands before nodding. “I’ll be here, but I can’t promise I’ll be free for the next dance.”

“The ladies love you, of course you’ll be taken,” I said with a joking scoff, giving a small smile. “But save one for me.”

“I will see if I can,” Faaris replied with a laugh as I released his hand and gave a curtsy. When he bowed, I turned and took in a shaking breath, slipping past the crowd. It was hard to focus on my steps when my insides were churning like butter.

I recalled seeing several wooden doors at the sides of the ballroom, leading out to the Western Empire’s most famed courtyards. In history books, the gardens were given their own section, the writers describing them in so much detail that at times I wondered if they had built the courtyards themselves.

A servant stepped past me with a tray of champagne glasses, and I snagged one to calm my nerves. My face still felt hot, and I could feel the horrible sickness of butterflies fluttering inside my chest.

And then there were the doors, open to the cold fall air. As I stepped near them, I felt the drop in temperature and for a moment was grateful that I wasn’t wearing the blue dress, but instead the long sleeves my gown provided. Winter was coming rather quickly, and I hoped that it wouldn’t stay for too long either. I had heard it was worse in the Western Empire.

I stepped through the doorway, and instantly the tension released from my body. The heat from my face faded and soon my stomach began to calm. Had I caught Perdita’s fever? But I was sure that feeling this way had nothing to do with sickness. Maybe I was just nervous, with all the prying eyes following my every move. At least now I had privacy.

The sounds of laughter faded as I stepped past rows of arches framing the courtyard’s gardens, and I slowed my steps to the sound of the passing breeze. My thoughts settled to a whisper, and I was surprised to see that Faaris’s method had actually worked. Being entirely alone as a person but surrounded by the sounds of nature…the feeling was something truly amazing.

I paused at the sound of music, realizing it still made its way through the gardens. It was a slow song, the beat soft and steady — and with shock, I realized it was a favorite of the Eastern Empire.

“Do you think the West is so fascinated with upbeat songs that they must borrow the slow ones from the East?” I jumped at the voice of Faaris and turned with my glass clutched tightly in my hands. He was standing there, at the beginning of the path, but through the dark I couldn’t see his expression.

“I thought you said you would wait for me inside,” I recalled, fixing my hair with my free hand.

“Yes, but then another song began,” was his response, the sound of trickling water from the fountain filling the silence.

“…What do you mean by that?” I said slowly. I was forcing myself to steady my voice as he walked toward me through the moonlight.

“What I mean is…” Faaris started before reaching me and taking the champagne glass from my hand. Through the dark I saw him grinning childishly again. “I realized I want to dance to every song with you.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━.⋅ ✦ ⋅.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

end of chapter 6

proofreader(s) for chapter six:

[if you find any errors (spelling mistakes/uneven paragraph splits/wrong punctuation use) please lmk]

EEEEEE!
This chapter was a frogging MASTERPIECE, like EVERY SINGLE other one! And yay Faaaaarity!
Also WHERE’S AERITH???

I finally am almost done with chapter 6! yey!

OK i've finished all the chapters so far now YES!