Book 12: Chapter 23
Mommy Elizabeth was a remarkable dancer. I said that before if my memory serves me justice. She learnt to dance when she was a Princess. It was different to the elves’ innocent random bouncing around on the dance floor. Her dance prowess could be evaluated as superb. Her dance skills weren’t affected in the least after going through so much bloodshed and baptisms with the flames of war.
I held Mommy Elizabeth’s hand gently and wrapped her other arm around her waist. I followed along with her footsteps. My dancing was very stiff compared to Mom’s dancing, because my dancing lessons were crash courses. I didn’t get any further than the basics. Strictly speaking, I was lugged around by Mom as opposed to saying I danced the opening dance with Mom.
It was a ball for Elizabeth, so she danced the opening dance. Vyvyan refused to dance with anybody and was, therefore, left standing by the side watching us. Elizabeth’s image shocked everybody. News of the North and South should’ve spread around by that point. As a result, Mommy Elizabeth’s image as a tyrant reached the North. Everybody, therefore, thought she was an imposing and proud warrior, only to discover she was a goddess with a faint smile at my side.
That isn’t the real Elizabeth. If they saw how she was on the daily at Hilles City, they’d know that wasn’t how she was, especially when one committed a mistake in her presence.
I had my arm wrapped around Mom’s waist. In the midst of the soothing music, I smiled and apologetically said, “Sorry, Mom. I’m not very good at dancing.”
“It’s fine, Son. You’re not bad for somebody who has just started. After all, Mommy underwent special training in the past, just so that Mommy could dance well. I don’t think you would’ve learnt to dance when you grew up with the elves. It’s not bad that you can keep up with me, despite not having learnt it before. Moreover, Mommy doesn’t mind how you dance. Mommy is happy just to be able to dance with you. I always dreamt of dancing with your father in this sort of formal setting. I don’t ask for anything, but to dance in such a setting. To be able to dance with the one you love is the greatest bliss.”
Slightly unhappy with what I heard, I pouted. What she thought couldn’t be any more normal. I shouldn’t feel this way when I hear that my mother misses my father, should I…? It was the equivalent of Freya bragging to me how great Gerald was. I couldn’t accept it.
“But why do I feel this way now?” I wondered.
“Isn’t it nice to dance with you, too, Son?” Elizabeth tilted her head with a smile. I noticed a crafty look in her eyes. She asked, “What’s wrong, Son? Could it be that you’re somewhat jealous of your father?”