Markus stayed at the edge of the room and watched as the noblemen asked ladies to dance. After a long wait while the dancers arranged themselves and the remaining women were shepherded to the sides of the room, a band began playing from somewhere above them and the dancing began. It was just as beautiful as Markus remembered, but made even more enchanting by the colours and the number of people dancing at once – although many could have benefitted from a few more dancing lessons. He smiled and closed his eyes for a moment, savouring the moment.

“Are you alright there?” inquired a loud voice from his right, and Markus opened his eyes to see a very tall lady with an elegant green dress and a matching pair of glasses.

“Er… yes, thank you, I’m fine. Just glad to be here, you know.”

“Are you? Well that’s good. I’m rather annoyed, actually. I came all this way and no one asked me to dance. What’s the point, I ask you?”

“It is only the first dance. And after all, there are a lot more women than men here. Which is good, because if everyone here was dancing there’d never be room.”

“Humph! I suppose you can’t dance, then? You don’t seem like you mind at all. Only here for the prince, is it?”

Markus was about to object when a girl of around Isabelle’s age joined them. She was wearing a dark blue dress which trailed on the floor and seemed rather inconvenient, at least in Markus’ eyes.

“I’m only here for the prince, you know. Although I’m quite an excellent dancer. I don’t think someone who can’t even dance would be right for the prince, do you?” There was no contempt in her voice, but it was obvious that her words were a challenge to Markus.

“You’re welcome to him, and you’re quite right about the dancing,” he replied with a disarming smile. “I can dance, actually, but I’m sure you’d outshine me. Anyway, which prince do you mean?”

“What you mean, which prince?” the girl asked incredulously. “The Crown Prince, of course!”

“Well, it’s just that there are two princes, you know… It’s doesn’t seem very fair to say ‘the prince’ when there’s more than one…” He trailed off, aware that neither of them were listening to him anymore, and turned his attention back to the dancing.