Demon's Confession

A small orchestra in the corner of the room readied their various instruments at the wave of the conductor’s baton. Elegant music flowed through the room, perfect for the waltz Lilac and Alan had been practicing. Many couples beelined for the open dance floor.

“Shall we dance?” Lilac asked her partner.

“I’m probably going to make a floor out of myself,” Alan responded. “But I can’t let all our practicing go to waste.”
Lilac smiled and took him by the hand to the dance floor. “Just like we practiced,” she said, placing one hand on his shoulder and the other outstretched to the side.

Alan slipped a hand on her waist and extended his arm to join his hand to Lilac’s. Other couples closed in around them, locking them in a throng of waltzing guests. His head turned to observe the crowd around them, unease written on his face.

“Hey, don’t worry about them,” Lilac used the hand on his shoulder to turn his head back to her. She gazed up into his eyes with a sincere smile. “Just focus on me. Ready?”

After a brief hesitation, he nodded. “Ready.”

Lilac made the first move, guiding him into the waltz they had spent many hours to perfect. Their feet moved in harmony with the beat of the music. Lilac’s eyes never left Alan’s as they glided across the dance floor. A couple times, Alan would get temporarily distracted by a couple that danced a little too close, but Lilac returned his attention to their dance.

Though they had spent several hours practicing the dance, it felt different this time. Lilac’s body tingled with warmth under his touch, and her heart was about to explode out of her chest and launch itself at Alan. She found herself lost in his eyes, forcing herself to rely on muscle memory to complete the dance. From their shared gaze, it seemed to her that Alan felt similarly.

The gaze of a crowd rested on Lilac, and some onlookers began to whisper among themselves concerning the dance of the hero and the girl he was with.

Despite his fears and worries, Alan didn’t make any mistakes during the waltz. The music faded to a pause, signaling the end of the first dance.

“See? There was nothing to be afraid of. You were perfect,” Lilac said.

“Not as perfect as you,” he complimented her back.

She instantly became a strawberry. Steam exploded from her flustered head. “W-w-what does that mean?”

“Exactly what it sounded like,” he said.

Lilac never felt so shy in her life. “I-I’m going to get a snack…” She hurried away to the farthest refreshment table, her mind reeling from Alan’s praise. Ahead of her, she saw Prince Glenn walk up to Scarlett. She was too far away to hear what they were talking about, nor could she pay attention if she did. But it was nice to see Scarlett with her crush.

She stopped next to the table and scanned it for offerings. On a bronze tiered stand near the center of the table were cupcakes topped with fluffy white frosting. Lilac plucked a couple from their nest and scarfed them down to distract herself. It didn’t help that her heart was running faster than a cheetah.

“Is something the matter, Lilai? You’re all red.” Emmalyn stepped into her view, snatching a glass of the peach-liquid from its spot on the table.

Lilac jumped out of her skin. “Emmalyn!” She took a moment to recover from her fright. “I’m okay, don’t worry.”

“Hmm… Did Alan say something romantic?” She took a sip of the drink.

The blush returned in full force as his words rang through her head again.

“Ooh, he did!” Emmalyn giggled. “How does it feel to have your own romance story?”

“I-I’m not sure you could call this a romance story…”

“Don’t you like him?” She tilted her head. “Why else would you break tradition to ask him out to the ball?”

“Well…” Lilac paused to think. She placed a hand on her chest to feel her beating heart. “You’re right,” she breathed. “I knew about these feelings for a while, but… I didn’t know they were this strong…”

“And… Do you think he might feel the same way about you?”

“I don’t know. Maybe? It’s so hard to tell…” She sighed.

Emmalyn finished the last few drops of her drink and set the glass down on the table. “You should confess to him tonight.”

“What?” Lilac’s eyes widened.

“Otherwise, you’ll continue to be plagued by your feelings. If you think there’s a chance he might like you back, take it. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

A tangle of thoughts raced through Lilac’s head. She stood there in silence for a couple minutes before coming to a conclusion. “You’re right… I should tell him.”

“Excellent!” Emmalyn clapped. “I know the perfect spot.”

“You do? Where?”

“You see that door up there?” Emmalyn pointed to a door on the mezzanine that was directly above the spiral staircase. “Past that door is a hallway. Turn left, and you will see a balcony overlooking the grounds. That’s the place.”

“A balcony…?” Lilac nodded to herself. “Yes, that would be a good place. Thank you, Emmalyn. I owe you if this goes well.” She rushed off to return to Alan.

“When it goes well!” Emmalyn called after her.

Lilac returned to the dance floor and bounced on her toes to attempt to see over the dancers. From where she was, she couldn’t find Alan. Again, she tried from another angle. Still no Alan. Panic started to settle in. ‘Where is he? Am I not meant to tell him after all?’ The thought nagged at her. She started frantically searching the ballroom for signs of him.

Eventually, she spotted him standing by a wall talking to Vance. Relief flooded over her, but the thought still plagued her from the back of her mind. “Alan!” She bounded up to him. “Do you have a moment to talk? In private?”

Vance gave him a solid pat on the back and left them alone to regroup with Emmalyn.

“What’s going on?” He asked.

“Let’s go somewhere else,” she reached for his hand and led him toward the spiral staircase. Blush filled her cheeks as she thought about what she was about to do.

“Where are we headed?”

“To the balcony,” she responded.

“The balcony…?”

Once they reached the stairs, Lilac let go of Alan’s hand and held to the railing for stability. Just as Emmalyn said, through the door was a large hallway, decorated with paintings of the royal family and an occasional potted plant nearly as tall as Lilac. A little down the hall, large glass sliding doors revealed a stone balcony.

Alan jumped ahead of Lilac to slide the door open for her.

“Thank you,” Lilac dipped her head as she stepped out onto the balcony. A chilling gust of wind blew against her skin, causing a shiver to run through her body.

After closing the glass behind them, Alan stepped next to Lilac and stared out at the view of the lantern-lit city beyond the castle gates. The moon seemed to smile down upon the two, bathing them in its light.

Lilac leaned over the thick rail that was held up by short yet stout pillars, folding her arms over the cold stone. “Thank you for coming out here with me,” she said, gazing up at the stars.

“No problem,” he replied. “So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?”

Thump, thump, thump. The heart in her chest quickened its beat. She gently bit her lip, steeling herself for what was next. “Alan…” Lilac glanced back at him with tender eyes. “Do you enjoy the time we spend together?”

“I do,” he said. “You’re fun to be around.”

Lilac rested her back against the railing. “Why did you say yes when I asked you to the ball? I’m sure there were countless other girls hoping you would ask them.”

“It was to make up for injuring you, remember?”

“I know, but you could’ve asked me to request something else. Why didn’t you?” Lilac leaned forward, itching for a response that could reveal how he felt about her.

Alan was silent for a moment. “I don’t think there was any particular reason,” he said. “I wasn’t all that interested in going in the first place, but when you asked, it felt like I suddenly had a reason to go.”

This was getting nowhere. She couldn’t tell which direction his answers to her probing questions were pointing.

“Why do you ask?” He wondered.

“Well… The reason I ask is because…” Lilac took a deep, shaky breath. It was now or never. The stage was set. Ella wasn’t there. It was the perfect moment. Another deep breath. She met Alan’s gaze with a quivering determination. ‘How is this so hard…? I read so many confession scenes in books. Shouldn’t I be a master at confessing by now?’ Any longer and she would die from anticipation, yet the words wouldn’t come out. “Alan, I…” Her gaze dropped, her hands balled into fists.

Then her gaze snapped up to look at him with more earnest emotion than she had displayed in a long time. “I like you!”