First Dance #2
Already an area directly in front of the stage was being cleared of tables.
Aquilan’s expression brightened. He loved dancing.
He looked hopefully over at Declan and hoped that the young man might take a turn with him on the dance floor.
But Declan–understandably–was focused on Vex.
His green eyes were narrowed. He touched Declan’s elbow and the young man looked at him immediately
“How much trouble can he make playing music, remember?” Aquilan offered.
Declan actually gave him a small smile. “We are talking about the same man, aren’t we?”
Aquilan blinked. “You’re right, but...” He turned around towards the stage again. “He’s not the lead singer. He’s playing–”
“Electric guitar. How does he even know how to play one?” Declan murmured, but then shook his head. “What am I saying? Magic.”
“Actually, that stringed instrument is similar to several in Aravae culture. I’m certain that your father could be quite skilled at those and it wouldn’t difficult to extrapolate how the–the electric guitar works,” Aquilan offered.
They were keeping their voices low so that Rohannan and his boys didn’t hear. Their lips were near each other’s ears. Aquilan could smell Declan’s unique scent even above the smells of barbeque, which was divine. Not as divine as Declan’s spicy, woodsy scent but still.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Declan looked thoughtful. “He’s been alive for a long time, right?”
“An age,” Aquilan acknowledged. “Maybe longer. I’m not really sure.”
Ailduin had likely known. But those memories were completely absent from his head.
Vex had done an excellent job of cutting them off from his consciousness.
Did he want to remember? He should if, for nothing else, to gain access to all of Ailduin’s wisdom.
It was hard for him to think of himself as Ailduin though.
He imagined it would be like learning at the feet of a master teacher.
He was a very young monarch with many trials before him yet he had no desire to remember truly.
Because Ailduin had many sorrows as well. Such as why he and Vex became enemies. Yet he does not act like my enemy. And when he spoke to my mother he seemed to be making the deal to keep me safe…
Declan let out a soft huff. “So he’s likely been able to master just about anything he’s put his hands to. To think about having that much time.”
He blinked at that statement. But, of course, Declan couldn’t conceive of an elven life.
Immortality. Declan thought in human terms. A mortal life.
A few decades. Ten, if the human was very lucky, and the end of those would be spent infirm.
But that wasn’t to be Declan’s fate. No.
Yet realizing that wouldn’t happen overnight.
“You do have it,” Aquilan gently reminded him.
“I can’t quite believe it,” Declan admitted.
“It will take time, my Shadow, but that’s something you have in abundance,” Aquilan told him and tenderly squeezed his arm.
Declan met his eyes and time seemed to slow.
The sounds of the excited crowd dimmed. It was as if it were just the two of them.
Color flared across Declan’s pale cheeks.
His pupils expanded and his eyes dropped.
His dark eyelashes fanned across those pinked cheeks.
His lush lips opened, revealing a snippet of white teeth.
It was then that Aquilan noticed that like Vex, Declan’s incisors were sharper than human or Aravae ones.
It was a part of himself he’d not thought to glamour.
What would it be like to see him without the glamour in this space? Starlight hair. Burning crimson eyes. Pointed ears. It is wrong that he has to hide who he truly is.
But it wasn’t just prejudice that caused Declan to hide. There were those who would go after him because he was the Night Prince.
But I must, at least, prepare the way here for Kindreth to be accepted. If one person can do such a thing. Undo millennia of prejudice? That seems impossible. But I must try. Nothing will change for certain if I do not.
“You really think he’s going to behave himself up there?” Declan asked, cheeks still flushing, before he tilted his head to Vex who was tuning his instrument.
Vex’s black hair shone under the electric lights that illuminated the stage.
In truth, he looked so much like Declan that Aquilan’s heart twisted a bit.
The Night King was smiling and talking companionably to the other band members.
The girl behind the drums was grinning back at him.
The bear-like man accepted a ruffling of his beard from Vex.
Then Vex gently shoulder bumped the skinny bassist before he conferred with the singer.
“It appears that they are friendly?” Aquilan made that into a question even though it appeared to be so. Yet Vex being friendly like this was… unusual? He wasn’t sure. “So he wouldn’t want to disappoint them by ruining the performance or–”
“Pied Piper,” Declan muttered.
“What?” Aquilan’s eyebrows lifted.
“There’s this fairy tale. Basically about a piper who was hired by this city to get rid of their rats with his magical music, but when he did as they requested, they didn’t pay him.
So he used his magic to lure their children away.
The kids were never seen again,” Declan grimaced and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Oh, that’s… that’s… surely he won’t do something like that?!” But despite his words, Aquilan couldn’t quite help the alarm in his voice.
The singer was once more at the microphone. The tables had been cleared away. Already people were glancing at the makeshift dance floor and then at those at the tables with them. Shy and yet eager.
“All right, everybody,” she said in a warm drawl. “Let’s get this party started with an oldie, but a goodie, Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus!”
“Now you’re in for a treat, Aquilan! Cynda can really sing,” Rohannan grinned.
The band immediately launched into something toe-tapping.
Aquilan brightened and found himself moving slightly in his seat with the music.
Vex’s playing was excellent. He wasn’t attempting to overshadow any of the other players, but appeared to be having fun.
Declan glared at his father, at first, but as the songs continued and no children–or adults–were led off into the darkness that scowl began to fade.
Well, that wasn’t one hundred percent true.
There were quite a few of them that were heading to the dance floor.
Soon it was crowded with people who were spinning each other around.
Aquilan couldn’t blame them. His little shifts on his seat became swaying.
He loved human music! There was this beat that just moved through the soles of his boots to the top of his head.
The music veered from bright and brilliant like diamonds to deep and dark like black velvet.
Cynda’s singing was quite good and the band was excellent.
“Your dad can really rock, Declan,” Rohannan chuckled. “Looks like he already has groupies. Look at all of them.”