Isolde giggled and flipped open her fan, making slow, demure strokes. Her prince stood at her side, scowling.
Clementia tossed a grape into the air, and opened her mouth like a baby bird waiting for its mother. The grape hit her chin and ricocheted at Jason, an event that made her shriek with laughter. Her prince stood on her other side with his arms crossed, forgotten and sullen.
Maybe that was the point of Jason’s flirting. Maybe he was getting back at the princes for their earlier jibes. Or maybe Jason just loved doll-like blondes.
I didn’t care. At least not much. The fangirl feelings I’d had for Jason were quickly dying. I was at the ball for one reason: to steal the goblet. I looped my arm through Jason’s to get his attention. “The queen wants to see us.”
Jason put his drink down and winked at Clementia. “You may not be able to catch grapes, but I’ll catch you later.”
Nice. He was handing out pickup lines to my sisters. So classy.
Clementia giggled and waved goodbye to us. I pulled Jason toward the queen’s table.
“She’s a cool girl,” Jason said, glancing back at Clementia, “She’s got a weird name, though. Clementia. Isn’t that some sort of a disease?”
We didn’t have time for small talk. I leaned close to his ear. “Don’t mention the goblet to anyone. No one can know we’re after it.”
“Oh yeah. The all-important gobletto. Where is it?” Jason glanced at the queen’s table for the first time.
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s inside the box.”
We didn’t say more. We’d walked within earshot of the table.
Kailen was seated in the other throne: dark, aloof, and looking like the cover of a brooding romance novel. His gaze slid over Jason, unimpressed.
Queen Orlaith smiled at us, her fingers absently caressing a leaf that twined around her wrist. There was something about her that reminded me of a cat. Specifically a panther. “Welcome to my ball, Prince Jason. It will give me great pleasure to see you dance.”
Jason dropped my arm and stretched his shoulders, all celebrity and smiles now. “This isn’t my usual kind of music, but I’m game. I can work any beat.” He took off his collar, tossed it to me to hold, and swaggered a few feet onto the dance floor. “Hey everybody, let’s get this party going!” He threw his hands in the air, adding a couple of Woot! Woots! and fist pumps.
Several people peered around the pavilion in confusion as though wondering if Jason was warning them of impending danger.
Jason didn’t notice. He was in his own world, one of stages and spotlights. He hip-hopped through the song, spinning, arms waving. Each swish of his hair was practiced, each thrust of his hips precise. During a concert, it would have been a great performance. Here, it looked borderline crazy.
The other couples stopped dancing altogether and stared at him—something that only egged him on. At that point he seemed to be channeling Elvis.
I put my hand to my mouth as I watched him. There was no graceful way to stop him.
Beatrix sidled over to me, her dress rustling in satin whispers. “Is something wrong with Prince Jason?”
“Many things, probably,” I said.
“Should someone fetch a physician?”
“No, just clap when he’s through, and he’ll be fine.”
At last the song ended. Jason slid across the floor on his knees, hands stretched into the air for a grand finale. I clapped. Beatrix joined me, worry etched on her face. The others just kept staring.
Jason stood up, brushed himself off and smiled triumphantly at the other princes. “See if you can beat that, bros.”
Rosamund’s prince cocked his head, perplexed. “Is that what you were doing? Beating something?”
Another prince nodded. “I suppose that explains your gyrations. I’m sure whatever you stomped on is quite dead.”
Jason let out a huff of offense. “You posers are just jealous.” He stalked to the refreshment table, shaking his head and using his sleeve to wipe perspiration off his forehead.
While the next song started, he downed a drink, then strode back over to me, muttering about critics. I held out his lace collar. He didn’t take it. I couldn’t blame him really. It looked like a doily on steroids and must have been nearly as uncomfortable.
Queen Orlaith steepled her slender fingers together and spoke to Jason patiently. “That was quite an entertaining performance. However, when I told you to dance, I meant for you to dance with Princess Sadie. You’re familiar with the waltz, yes?”
“The waltz?” Jason repeated. “Does anybody do that anymore?”
I glanced out at the couples flowing across the dance floor. They were smiling and speaking in hushed tones, wrapped up in each other, yet still doing every step perfectly. Jason and I wouldn’t look that way. “I don’t know how to waltz either. Perhaps we should sit out and watch.” I surveyed the chairs on the side of the pavilion. They weren’t far from the queen’s table. If Jason and I sat there until midnight, we’d be able to see the goblet as soon as she got it out.
Queen Orlaith stood up with a sigh. “Another couple from one of those uncivilized centuries. Well, I suppose we must teach you.” She glided around the table, her long green dress trailing across the floor. She held her hand out to Jason, reaching for him with fingernails that looked like they’d been dipped in gold. “We’ll see if you’re a fast learner.”
I was surprised the queen wanted this job—dancing with a mortal. I only had time to consider what odd dance partners they were when I noticed Kailen at my side, hand out to me. He’d moved so quietly I hadn’t heard him.
He smiled, but there was something disapproving in his eyes that looked anything but happy. “It will be my pleasure to instruct you.”
“Oh.” Flustered, I took his hand. His fingers around mine were firm and warm. I’d expected them to be as cool as his demeanor.
He led me to the side of the dance floor and pulled me into formation. He smelled crisp and woodsy, without any of the heaviness of cologne. I’d slow danced with a few guys before, and they’d always had casual stances, as though—even while dancing—they were kicked back and slouching. Kailen stood straight, poised. I wasn’t sure if that was because he was a fairy or because he was royalty. Whatever the reason, everything about him was so imposing I doubted I’d be able to remember anything he said.
This prediction proved to be true for the first ten minutes of his lesson. One wouldn’t think waltzing would be hard. It only requires you to count to three and step in the shape of a box. Of course, both of those things become more difficult while dancing with a guy who could turn people into garden ornaments.
Every time I got one move down, he immediately added something else. Instead of stepping in a stationary square, we went forward in a line, then backward. We twirled, broke apart, and came back together.
I kept forgetting things and bumped into him several times. It didn’t help that Kailen kept throwing out derogatory comments such as, “Pray, try to step to the beat.”
Prayer wasn’t likely to help.
“You need to follow your partner’s lead,” he told me for the fourth time. “The women of your century have forgotten that art. You always want to be in charge.”
Should I pretend this was true or admit that no, I just couldn’t count to three in my mind and also pick up the subtle clues he was about to swing me outward?
“I’m not used to dancing this way,” I said.
Kailen nodded in Jason’s direction. “Your prince is doing well enough.”
He was right. Jason and the queen twirled on the floor, doing a step with ease that Kailen hadn’t taught me. An elegant rise and fall accompanied their movements, like the sway of waves in the ocean. Jason wasn’t as graceful as the queen, perhaps mortals couldn’t achieve that, but he was still an excellent waltzer. Much better than me.
The incongruity of that struck me. “I wished to be a good dancer. I should be picking this up easily.” A piece of hope welled inside me. If Chrissy didn’t fulfill my wish, then I still had a wish coming, and I could use it to take Jason and me home.