Of Soot And Cinders

XXI

GRIMM

Not even an hour into the ball and I was ready to leave. It wasn't very princely of me but what my father had said put me on edge.

Aita's sins? Aita's mate?

There was so much to process. Aita was the kindest person I had ever met and I could hardly imagine him doing anything that would constitute as a sin. Had he stolen something? But then there was his mate. The idea shot hot pain to my second heart. Did he really have a mate? Was his mate related to the sins my father spoke of? What if he had left his mate, or his mate had left him for these sins? What if he had cheated on his mate.
I was upset with my father but I knew his intentions were for the benefit of the kingdom. I hated the idea that I didn't truly know Aita but my future partner would have to be strong and pure to rule by my side. My father knew this. I knew this.

I shook my head. There was no way that Aita could have done anything so terrible that it would anger my father. My father was fair, he was wise. He didn't rise to petty faults.

I scanned the ball room. My father sat on his throne, and I on the smaller one to its right. Below where we sat on a dais were circles of were's dancing together.

As per tradition on the night of the full moon everyone was required to wear dark blues and blacks, fabrics chosen to mimic the night sky. They were not allowed to have gems sewn into their clothing, not allowed to have anything that would catch the light.
Those of noble blood, and the royal family wore nearly the opposite. Clothes which had polished stones of red and orange sewn into their cream and gray fabrics. They were meant to look like torches in the night. Fire, a gift given by the goddess.
I, as crown prince was draped in deep red. The weight of my suit was heavy on my shoulders. I was meant to look like the sun, the burning husband to the moon. I was going to be king and my role would be to protect the moon and her kingdom as the sun did while she slept. The queen, my queen, would represent the goddess. Over the layers of maroon and blood was my ceremonial armor. In battle it would be worthless, but I couldn't help but admire the finely crafted gold, carved to commemorate my role as king. My father had worn this armor and every king before him as well.
My fathers uniform was a muted form of mine, symbolizing his slow release of the throne.

The billowing crowd of night sky and torches was boring to watch. It seemed to churn like my mind. As crown prince I should have invited one of the foreign princes or princesses to dance with me. Many had come for the chance of winning my hand in marriage, it was rude to stay seated and brooding on my throne. I'd been trying to work myself toward asking one. Just one dance. There was one prince who had caught my eye, slim and handsome in a dark cold manner. As well as a princess who's cinnamon skin and burgundy hair gave her the resemblance of a literal torch dancing and waving in the dark. But at the thought of pulling either close, at being pressed chest to chest, my skin felt as if it were crawling off my skeleton.

I was about to break. Collapse and cry and scream at everyone to leave. I was ready to order the ball to end. But then something in the room shifted. My chest felt lighter.

I scanned the room. Nobody had stopped dancing, the music picked up like an evening breeze, my hearts beat in tandem fully at peace. Somehow without my noticing a new figure had wound their way into the center of the dancing.

Their movement was like rushing water and roaring fire. Every step they took screamed life. He looked like a fallen star. He was clothed in what I could only describe as stardust. It floated around him in the air as well, little stars that seemed to orbit him as if he were the moon. Each spin he made in time to the music, head thrown back, supported in the arms of some other man, I was able to catch his smile. It was beauty beyond anything I'd seen before. I could hear his laugh ring through the room, above and in time with the lit of the flutes.

This is what the goddess had meant me for. To protect him. To make sure that no one was prevented from hearing his laugh and seeing his smile. All my doubts were washed out by the sight of him.

My Aita.

It felt all too slow as I rose from my throne. I could hear nothing but his laugh and the thrum of my hearts. I could see nothing but him in the flood of night sky and torchlight. It felt like forever before I was taking him from the hands of his dance partner and holding him up while he danced like it was the first time he had. I let him guide us. His feet were wild and none of the movements he made were ones that I had been taught. His dancing was not calculated, it was not anything he could have learned in a class. He was dancing and moving for the sake of feeling the music.

He seemed to break out of his trance as the music slowed to a stop, panting in my arms. He smiled when he saw me. My hearts warmed.

"Aita." I whispered.

"Did you see me dance?" He was smiling, wildly, still.

"Everyone saw you."

"But did you?" He pressed.

We began to move again, this time he let me lead, following the steps I took. "No, but you showed me. You let me join."

His lashes closed and rested on his flushed cheeks. "I haven't danced like that before." He sighed, then chuckled. "I can't believe I was actually dancing."

He looked back up to me. In his eyes I could see more meaning to his words. He wanted to tell me something through his eyes but I couldn't decipher what it was.

"You were flying." I whispered.

I watched a tear trail down his cheek. My heart picked up and I raised a hand to cup his face and wiped at the tear with my thumb. "Why are you crying?"

His lip trembled and his eyes flashed with so many emotions. "I—" he swallowed, "can we talk? Not now, please, just let me dance for an hour more. But—soon I'll explain everything."

My stomach dropped. Explain everything? Did that mean what my father had said had truth in it? I looked back to Aita's face.
I knew with the same certainty I felt leading armies into battlefields that whatever Aita had to tell me would tear us apart and would require the hand and grace of the goddess to hold us together.
And looking into his eyes, that blue I knew so well, that I had fallen in love with, that I saw my future resting in— I knew it could wait and I could pretend that we were all alone and would be for eternity...

I could show him all the pure love I had, worship and guide him in our dance... until the moon reached its zenith and midnight came.

A|N:
Okay so sorry about not updating... it might be a bit until the next update too, I got a new phone and don't have a pop socket yet so it's hard to write and hold onto my phone with my puny hands... :(
But yeah lmk what y'all are up to, all my friends are busy so I'm lonely.
Also hella sorry for all the inconsistencies in this story I started with .5% of a plan so it's all been made up on the spot for the most part
Anyway thx love y'all :)