Darkest Eternity » Places

         

Willa watched his eyebrows raise and resisted the urge to raise on of her own. Clearly he wasn't used to women acting calm around him. And here she had been, praying that he couldn't hear the furious pounding of her heart against her ribs everytime his eyes met hers. Despite his reputation, the Prince was charming, spinning her gently, keeping his hands in the right places, and smiling in a way that seemed both inviting and wicked at the same time.

"Really?" He said, breaking eye-contact to glance around. "Mmm... I'm sure any guy in here would love you have you on his arm." She smiled lightly. She was used to being called beautiful, and usually hated it, however, it was not every night a prince said it.

"Oh I doubt that." She said rather bluntly. "Men don't usually like a woman who speaks her mind." Her eyes met his, figuring that he was the type of man who didn't care what type of woman she was, so long as she was a woman. At least for one night, before he threw her away. It was how his kind worked. She was all too familiar with it.

"If you don't mind me asking," he went on smoothly, twirling her again gently, and using that mixed-signals grin again. She was having a hard time reading him and it both frustrated and excited her. "What is your name? I don't remember ever seeing you out, and being the prince, I should know such things."

At this she smiled with a gentle nod, thinking silently what name she should give him. What if he liked her too much, or wanted her for later and decided to call on her? Should she give him her real name, or one of her nicknames? Was he to be trusted? "No, you wouldn't have, Prince." She said with a slight shrug. "My sister and I just moved here a few years ago and I don't get much time out. I'm usually giving painting lessons or selling my flowers, while she's the one who runs most of the errands around town." He might as well know she was a commoner. She didn't see any point in hiding it, and maybe it would keep him from trying to chase her for however short a time he was interested. Seeing as he now knew that, she figured there wasn't much harm in giving her real name.

"My name is Artrix Snow." She said, doing her best to gaze as intently into his eyes as he was into hers, showing him she wasn't intimidated. "I go by my the first of my two middle names most often though. Willow, or Willa for short." She smiled as the music wound down and the song stopped and yet, they still stood there in the dancefloor.

She glanced around her, wondering if she should do as she was going to with the other man, send him for wine, and slip off on her own. However, he was a Prince, and she had a feeling he would find her regardless. Around them, people were gaily drinking and laughing, the clock struck midnight, and she sighed, almost sad that the event would end in a few short hours.

The musicians were getting set up for another song, and she glanced at the Prince. "Another song or no?" She asked, wondering if he'd rather walk in the gardens, or even just leave her, put off by her refusal to swoon as he was so used to.