Elegant

Elegant

(this is kind of a backwards Cinderella story. I OWN NOTHING!!! also, thnx to my friends for all their great ideas! i'd be sooooo stuck without you guys!!! and i kno that Darien's character isn't as in-depth as Serena, but i don't really kno how guys think!!!)

Her long dress swirled regally around her ankles.

She was the most beaustiful woman he had ever seen. Her hair was up, but there were a few strands hanging down to frame her face.

Her dress was a deep red and clung perfectly to her curvy figure. The straps were thin, barely visiable against her darkly tanned skin.

Her eyes were ringed with a dark eyeliner, making them the focal point of her face. Her lips were full and colored with a red that acccented her dress. In her ears were diamond earrings. They were simple, but still suggested that she was royalty.

"Introducing the Princess Serena," a tall servant with a deep voice boomed throughout the room.

The Princess walked slowly down the stairs, careful not to step on her dress, so as not to ruin it.

As she neared the bottom of the stairs, the rest of the gentleman moved and parted, but he was too stunned to move.

When she reached the aisle the men had made, she did a slow scan of the room, looking for someone to dance with.

In the middle of the aisle, still gazing at her, was the most handsome man she had ever seen.

He was dashing in a fitted suit. His hair was black and was slicked back from his face. The buttons on his jacket were silver and glinted in the light. His tie was a deep red, almost the same color as her dress.

She walked slowly up to him and curtsied. He bowed hesitantly. "May I have this dance?" she asked politely and heard the other gentlemen around her grumble.

He could only nod his head. She took his hands in hers and put one on her waist and kept the other in hers. She moved her hand to his shoulder and the woodwind quartet in the corner took their cue and started to play a waltz.

Princess Serena and Darian had eyes only for each other the entire night. Darien could feel the other mens' eyes on him, glaring. Prnicess Serena could tell that everyone else was jealous, she didn't care.

After about an hour of dancing, Princess Serena led Darian out onto a balcony outside of the ballroom. She sat gracefully down on the railing and folded her hands in her lap. "You know," she began, trying to make polite conversation, "my mother hates it when I sit on the balcony railing. She thinks it's common."

"If just sitting on the railing is common, then why is she holding a ball full of commoners?" Darian asked before he realized it was impolite, then quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's fine," Princess Serena hurriedly assured him. "My mother wants me to find a husband. THere are also princes from surrounding kingdoms in attendance. She wanted me to choose, instead of Father arranging a marriage for me."

"Oh," was all he could say.

They sat on the balcony for a while longer, neither one knew just how long.

Suddenly, and almost deafeningly, the clock above them struck twelve and startled them both.

"I really must be going," Darian said, standing to leave. He was nearly half-way across the ballroom floor before she said anything.

"Wait! What is your name, good sir?" she knew most of his life story, but hand't bothered to ask his name.

"Darian!" he turned back, yelled, then kept walking.

"Darian," she whispered to herself.

That night, neither the Princess or Darien got much sleep. They lay awake most of the night thinking about each other.

Darien's POV

The next day, Darien grudginly dragged himself to his apprenticeship at Mr. Brown's blacksmithery.

He arrived to find Mr. Brown sitting outside of the shop with his head in his hands. "Mr. Brown, whay aren't you in the shop? What's happened?" Darien asked, truly concerned.

"I'm out of business. The place I get my metal from went out of business, and I don't have any metal left to use until I get another shipment. I'm sorry, Darien, but you're out of a job," Mr.Brown explained, getting up and putting and "Out of Business" sign on the door.

Darien's first thought was to try and get a job at the castle. If he was smart, he would be able to see Princess Serena everyday. If not, well, he would be no worse off than he already was.

Serena's POV

Princess Serena woke up with he sun in her face. She had fallen asleep just before the first light of dawn, feeling like she had a hangover. She had danced all night with Darien, then wan't able to sleep most of the night.

She sat up lightly and placed her feet on the floor, testing the temperature of the stones.