"And no one would actually know my feet were off the ground," she whispered conspiratorially to her oldest brother. When he chastised her for asking what her brothers and father spoke of, she smiled softly with a little blush in her cheeks. He may not be born to them but he was as much an older brother as Amen was. Either way, Amen looked just as interested in answering her question as Shadox was so she left it. She might be able to ask again in private.
Amen took Lita moving around Shadox as his opportunity to mention the change in plans for the night. He offered Lita another hand so she could walk between them for the entrance. "Father has thought it time for me to take a closer step to kingliness and as such Shadox will be sharing the first dance with you. I will be enchanting one of the lovely ladies into a beginning dance instead of our normal enchanting entrance," he informed his younger sister.
Lita beamed up at Shadox when she was told. "Well at least there will be competition for which one of us is wearing more gold at the beginning," she said with a smile. Shadox had never been this dressed up before and it made more sense now as to why father had done it. "But in all honesty, Shadox, you do look very good in royal attire," she complemented sincerely. It was easy enough to see that she had affection for him. Just as much as she had for Amen in the end.
Her eyes didn't have too long to linger before a servant came up to them and quietly muttered, "It is time your graces," with her head bowed before going and helping another maid pull the doors open in front of them to allow for their grand entrance. The future of the realm presented for all to see. All available and one more so tonight than the other two. Still all three would have many suitors tonight.
Amen made sure that his arm under Lita's was willing to bear some of her weight to help with the heels. Truly they should have had her dancing in them long before the night of the presentation. He wondered absently why his father would have neglected to mention what she was going to be wearing. Of course, there was always a chance that if he had she might have had the opportunity to convince him otherwise. Even still, why would he want his daughter to look more like a baby giraffe than the gazelle she was and had trained to be.
Either way, together the three stepped forward and presented themselves to those congregated. Amenhotep immediately shifted into a more regal role. He was scanning the room, giving the appearance that he was nodding in welcome to those gathered when in fact he was looking to see if his premeditated choice of a dance partner was there for him to entice. She was a noblewoman from a well off family with plenty of children. If anything else was needed to please his father, he was certain to be unaware as to what it was.
But as he scanned the crowd, a bright shine in the midst caught his eye. He was distracted from his previous actions, still walking elegantly down the stairs supporting Necolita but that part of him was on an autopilot. His active attention was now focusing on a woman he had never seen before. He knew he hadn't because if he had he would have remembered. He would have had to. This vision was different from the others. First, her dress sparkled with the confession of riches that she wore. Then there was her vibrant hair that was so unlike the black of the womens' hair that he had around him. He needed to meet her and dance with her. What better way to make his claim than request the first dance with her? If he liked her, he would keep her around. Otherwise he would make sure to let another suitor have a try with her.
When they got to the bottom of the stairs, he nodded in parting to his siblings and took a slow and calculated walk up to the unnamed beauty. Easily cautious. It only made sense. Many of the women here had been coming to court for years. Why had she only shown up now? He stopped in front of her and bowed respectfully. "Would you care to do the honour of dancing with me for the first dance?" he asked her with an almost challenging smile. It wasn't like someone to turn a prince down.
Lita watched Amen go with a gentle smile. When he approached a new woman that she hadn't seen before, she leaned back towards Shadox. "She's pretty," she said quietly, respectfully. No need to gossip so early. It was just a matter of time before Amen would be able to tell if she was a good personality. He was normally a good judge of that.
Bookmarks