Page 100 of Songs and Spun Gold
You don’t know what I’ve done;
There’s time,
I might betray you
By the rising of the sun...”
The song continued as Lars talked Astrid down. They parted, came together, and separated again, their dance a mix of individual movements and paired as the music drew them inexorably together, no matter how they fought it. Katy’s face was earnest, the song pouring from her as if the lyrics were her own words. Axel matched her; if he was going to defy his father byjoining in this performance, he might as well make it memorable.
He was going to miss Katy when she was gone. For so many reasons.
Finally, he spun her in so that she landed with her free hand against his chest. Searching his eyes, she sang,
“If I can’t convince you
To let me be alone,
I’ll stay,
No longer fight it,
Accept your string of stones…”
Axel wrapped his free arm around her waist as they joined their voices for the final lines.
“Where’er you go
Is where my heart shall call home;
Tell me not to leave you anymore.
At your side is right where I belong.”
As he held her tight, the truth of the words echoed in his mind as the musicians played the final few measures. Katy’s hand slid up to the back of his head. He leaned down, expecting her to use her hand to hide the gap between their faces, just as the actress playing Astrid had done.
Instead, she reached up and pressed her lips to his.
She lingered just long enough to leave a faint hint of moisture behind, then gave him a shy smile and buried her scarlet face in his chest. Axel stared at her, every thought in his head stalled, as the final notes released and the guests began clapping. His mind remained blank as he led Katy off the floor, his left arm still wrapped around her waist and her left hand still in his right.
His smile felt silly, and the little he registered suggested that his guests were a mix of disapproving and amused. But he didn’t care at the moment. He continued to smile and nod ashe wended his way through the crowd, heading for the relative privacy of the balcony. A small bubble of hope blossomed in his chest, widening his smile and sending a single thought through his reawakening mind.
“So,” Axel began as he ducked behind one of the handy wall protrusions, “was that an answer?”
Katy turned in the circle of his arm to look up at him. “Yes.”
“So that’s your answer? Yes?”
“Yes,” she repeated, squeezing his arm and biting her lower lip against her smile.
If his grin grew any wider, it would split his face. Tugging her close, he leaned down and kissed her again. It was as awkward as the first time, but at least it wasn’t in front of a crowd. “I think we need more practice,” he murmured against her lips.
“Well, I still think it was scandalous, even if she didn’t kiss him as brazenly as she did onhisbirthday.” An annoying voice cut through the silence of the late evening. “It’s no wonder he was willing to give up his original peasant girl after a kiss likethat.”
“It was part of the dance,” another female voice replied, a shrug in her tone. “Actors do it all the time on the stage.”
“Actors!” the first speaker replied scathingly. Ah, yes, Lady Ilsewasgood at scathing, wasn’t she? “That may be fine for some poor village girl, but what about our prince?”
“Yes, our prince,” a third voice sighed. “Would you have imagined that he had a voice like that? I wish he would sing at all of the castle events!”
