The man who spoke wore a mask of plain white silk and a simple dark-blue coat. No jewels. But there was no mistaking the soft golden hair, and the voice.
"Your Highness," I whispered, and sank into a curtsy.
"Please, not so loudly. I am supposed to be in ." Prince Adrian held out his hand, smiling under the mask. "Everyone has already guessed, of course. But it is polite to pretend."
I put my hand in his. The music had changed to a slow , and the floor opened for us like a river. Hundreds of heads turned. I felt them: the pointing fingers, the whispers behind fans.
"They are all watching," I said.
"Of course. It is the first time in my life that the girl I am dancing with has refused me twice." His eyes laughed. "I am the most envied man in the room."
We danced. He was a very good dancer, light and sure, and he led me through the turns without ever stepping on my feet. Under the chandeliers, the room became a of gold and silk.
"You wear a fox," he said. "How appropriate. Everyone says a fox is clever and a rabbit is kind. I have always wondered which is better."
"A fox, I think. Rabbits get eaten."
"Ha!" He laughed out loud, and a lady nearby jumped. "You are right. But foxes are lonely. They hunt alone."
"Not always," I said, before I could stop myself.
His eyes went soft behind the white silk. "No," he said. "Not always. I hope you will not hunt alone, Elise. Not here. Not in this house."
It was very quiet, that sentence. I looked at his face, and I saw no cleverness in it, no act. Only a kind of tiredness.
"May I ask you something, Your Highness?" I said, as we turned. "Lord Pryce. The man in black by the window. Who is he, to you?"
His step did not change. But his hand, on my back, tightened just a little.
"He has served my father since before I was born," Adrian said in a low voice. "He manages the palace money, the guest lists, the servants. When someone needs a letter written, or a problem solved, or a secret kept, they send for Lord Pryce. He is very, very useful."
"Do you like him?"
"It does not matter whether I like him." Adrian smiled, but it was a thin smile. "No one in this court has ever asked my opinion on Lord Pryce. They only ask me to thank him."
"I am asking."
He was quiet for the length of a long turn.
"I think," said the Prince at last, very low, "that you are the only person in Aldermere who would."
The music slowed, and ended. The dancers stopped and clapped. The prince bowed to me, and I .
"Thank you for the dance, Elise. It is the best one I have had in years."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
He did not let go of my hand at once. He leaned down, and, under the sound of the , spoke quickly and quietly.
"At eleven, the east balcony. Alone. I must talk to you. I have asked Lord Pryce to arrange it, so that he thinks I am planning a proposal. Please come."
"A proposal?" I said, with a .
"A ," he whispered. "Please. It is important."
Then he , and bowed again, and said aloud, for everyone to hear, "Lady Elise, you are a delight." And he walked away through the crowd, the white mask shining.