Whispers Of A Dragon

No One

"Tell me your name."

A deep, melodious voice Kaida hadn't expected spoke from behind the dragon themed mask that had done well to conceal the identity of the person behind it.

Towering over her confidently, they gave nothing away. But from her insane obsession with details, she could tell that even though the person had gone to great lengths to hide their true self, she at least knew this much.

They were definitely high born. She would have said royal, but the fact that the royals in the great dragon kingdom of Govalon didn't bother about such events, ruled them out. And with the royals out, her guess of a noble family sounded about right. It fit well with what she could see too.

The mask he had on was of no ordinary cloth and if she was not mistaken, it was pretty close to the real thing. Real dragon scales. Which obviously didn't come cheap in these parts. Unless one was of royal descent. The only family with close ties to dragons.

With that thought, Kaida observed him yet again. Just to be sure. But nothing else said royal, so she put that thought away permanently as her gaze settled on his hair. The way it was styled, his beard that had been expertly trimmed, with no traces of scars from a razor on his very defined jaw, spoke of having very highly skilled servants. A luxury only noble houses could afford.

Then there was his scent. The fragrance that surrounded him was of the highest quality too, which tended to fill up her nostrils. She was not about to complain about that, however, as it drowned her own scent of cheap perfume and sweat. Something she was grateful for while she stood so close.

Her little notes of details ended with his garments. The fabric of his very clothes screamed riches, which in the end Kaida decided was a poor way for him to actually think of concealing himself totally.

But she didn't linger on that matter too much. After all, neither of them was in this place trying to know anyone. All they wanted was to have a good time without their status in society weighing them down. Even though she couldn't help but wonder what kind of troubles someone like him who seemed to have it all could be running from.

"What is the point of a masquerade ball if I am to go around introducing myself, hmmm?" Kaida curtsied gracefully, almost passing for a noble woman of the dragon kingdom as her dress flowed according to her actions. Thanks to whoever had thought of owning a second hand gowns shop down in her small village, she was able to pick out a decent gown that she could say was working perfectly tonight. As perfect as her surroundings.

The great hall was enchanting as always. With the soft glowing flames placed on the walls flooding the whole place with a beautiful golden light. And whether one was a commoner or of high birth, the atmosphere gave to each a sense of belonging as the hostesses treated each person that walked through the hall's doors as their esteemed guest.

Done with her curtsy, Kaida held out her hand and the stranger spun her around, making her land into his arms. She couldn't help but note a few more things. His arms were strong, making her guess him to be a warrior too. A rather odd combination. Just because, in Govalon, many nobles preferred hiring men to fight for their houses instead of tainting their own hands with blood. That in itself added to the intrigue and admiration of her dance partner tonight or more like partner for the moment. That and his deep gaze that tended to pierce her to her very soul each time he held hers. And while it was unusual for her to spend more than a few moments to interact with anyone at these balls, Kaida was more than surprised to have spent way more than a little more with her masked partner who also seemed to have chosen to stay right by her side. Thankfully.

"It's only your name." His whisper just below her ear made her shiver at his closeness. He held her tighter too, making Kaida gasp at his boldness. Not many boys her age were that confident around any woman and she was surprised that he did it so easily and that in front of everyone in the room. Someone skilled in pleasing maidens, perhaps? The thought made her blush and she was grateful for the mask that hid the evidence of it.

"Well, even then, I can't just go on telling strangers my name now can I? And besides, you know what they say about names..." She gasped yet again while she got pulled closer into his hard chest. Only this time she managed to put her free hand between them and it saved her from rubbing against his body that even though clothed, had been letting out enough warmth that drew her attention to it. To him as man. A first for her and it left her feeling weirdly excited.

"Do you still consider me a stranger even after all this time we have spent together?" His question was accompanied with a raised eyebrow that made Kaida wish his face was not concealed at all.

"I’m afraid that not even a couple of days would be remotely enough to make you an acquaintance of mine." She switched from her left palm to her right as they circled, dancing, with her leading man doing his job perfectly. Or perhaps it was her hours of practice that enabled her not to miss any step, making them dance like they had been partners for longer than the fleeting moment they had been on this dance floor..

"Then how can I see you again, so I cease being a stranger?"

"You can't." Her answer was swift, knowing how impossible that was in her world.

"And why not?" The edge in his voice surprised her and made her dream. What if…?

"Because I am promised to another." She felt him stiffen at her confession before continuing their conversation.

"What if I can change that?" His voice held so much promise and she really wondered if he could do just what he said. Could he make possible what she had long wished for?

"You would have to be a prince or at least a royal for you to make such a decision. Or better yet, make that a king." She mumbled, feeling her chest tighten at the thought. It was her sad reality. One that she knew her partner would really not understand, but she'd long decided to let anyone showing interest in her know how unavailable she was. That was the reason she loved attending these balls. Because here, she could be anyone, have her fun and get back to her life that was really not her own without regrets at all. Even though tonight, she felt a little different. Regret would haunt her the moment she stepped away from him and out those doors.

"And what if I am?" Her partner looked at her thoughtfully.

"I would say you are certainly different from the stuck up royal bunch that we are forced to bow to every time they are passing." A bold statement on her part, but then that was the beauty of these masquerade balls. As far as her partner was concerned she was no one, so she could speak her mind.

"Is that so? You think the royal family is a bunch of stuck up individuals?"

"Well...I haven't really been that close to make a more definite conclusion, but just the way they carry themselves with their noses high up in the air is kind of stuck up, don't you think?" She quirked an eyebrow at him and a hearty laugh escaped his lips. A sound she found herself falling in love with.

"What about the crown prince?" Her partner suddenly asked.

"What about him? Isn't he a part of them?" A frown made its way to Kaida's masked face at his question.

"Well, yes, but I want to know what you think of him."

It was an odd question, but glad to stir away from her sad life, Kaida grinned. "If you insist, the handsome jerk is–"

"You think he is handsome?" Amusement laced her dance partner’s voice, making her decide to indulge him.

"Yes. A jerk, but definitely handsome." She shrugged, making her dance partner chuckle heartily. The sound stirred feelings of warmth in her heart and for a fleeting moment Kaida found herself considering his suggestion to see her again. Just so she could enjoy that sound once again. Without the masks and perhaps as friends or as something even more?

"That would be foolishness." A sensible part of her was quick to remind her of her reality that had never included such mundaness. She couldn’t just fall for anyone as their journey would only lead to heartbreak.

"I see." Kaida got spun around yet again and she landed back in those strong arms that should not have felt that good. The action also made her aware of everyone else passing them by as every spin was meant to have her land in different arms, which hadn't been the case from the moment she was spun the first time. Not that she was complaining. Her partner was the first person in these events to intrigue her enough to want to stay and chat with them.

"Aren't we supposed to be switching partners?" She raised a brow.

"We are not done yet."

She laughed at his answer when she realized there was displeasure in his tone. Choosing to indulge him some more, she decided it didn’t matter if they kept to the tradition of how this dance was done, but just then the music ended and sadly for her it was her time to leave too.

"It's been a pleasure." She smiled genuinely behind her mask as she curstied gracefully and when she looked up, his gaze was fixed on her, the intensity of it making her heart flutter terribly.

"Your name….please." Her partner begged and her answer was at the tip of her tongue as she dreamed of what could be. But this was not the time to complicate her life with what she knew was coming ahead. She had finally accepted her fate after being unable to fight it. All she could do was be no one in these balls and that was all.

"Forgive me...another time, perhaps?" She turned to escape before the fire in his gaze made her act stupidly by revealing her identity. Kaida found herself being held back, however.

"Give me something...anything…" His warm breath down her neck made her hold on to her dress a little too tightly as she fought the urge to connect her lips with his that were now dangerously close.

"My lucky number is three." She whispered.

"What?"

His surprise made him loosen his hold and gave her a moment to step back. "That is something." Grateful for all the space, Kaida grinned as she curstied one last time before turning to leave.

"Uther.."

At that she stopped and frowned until realization that he was giving her his name instead made her smile. "It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Uther." Finally walking away, Kaida knew she would treasure this moment for a long time to come even when something about that name mildly bothered her with how familiar it sounded.