Nearly an hour later, and Ashton’s session was finished. He had washed his makeup off and had put on his regular clothes again.

Now he made his way through the busy streets to his manor home, keeping his head down as he went

My name is Ashton Lucius Miles, and I am a lord, born of purple blood. My family is large, and we as children are born into roles, and expected to follow the path laid out to us by our parents.

My sister married for financial benefit, a decision that was not her own, and I know that one day the same will be expected of me. I am older than my sister, but I have not been useful as a piece to marry off, not yet anyway, because of my preferences, which are not exactly a secret anymore.

But I want none of that, all I want is to live a normal life, and to dance. That’s all I want; I want my life to be my own.

Ashton clutched his bag to him, standing at the traffic lights by the side of the road, and waiting for the man to turn green.

There were several people either side of him waiting to cross the road also, and as Ashton stood there, he noticed an older man watching him.

Ashton was used to this, because of the way he dressed. He was of purple blood, a lord, and people always treated him differently, be it good or bad. He always drew attention. High borns lived in a different world to the ‘common’ folk, and they stood out amongst the others, and not just for their clothes, but the way they spoke and acted. It was obvious.

Ashton always resented this about his life, but never spoke his thoughts out loud to anyone, save for his sister.

Ashton glanced towards the man who stared at him, meeting his gaze only briefly before looking away, clutching the strap of the bag he carried over his shoulder a little tighter, shoulders hunched.

When the traffic slowed and the man turned green, Ashton was the first to make his way across the road, moving quickly at a jog.

He was eager to get home, and always felt a little out of place in the outside world. The only times he felt at ease, was around people he knew, or when he was dancing.

Ashton began to feel a little sad then, a little anxious. He loved to dance, it lit a fire in his heart, but he also was afraid at the same time, and lived in fear of his family one day finding out that he snuck out often to do such a thing.

No one knew, save for his teacher Michelle, her two daughters who also danced, his friend Lucile, the only other male dancer Ashton knew, and his sister, whom he adored above all else.