The Girl with the Fire Heart
Chapter 7

Finally, he sees her. She is standing behind two girls, one in a deep green dress that flares out in a princess style who he assumes must be Callie and another in a silky off white shimmery dress that molds to the girls frame who he assumes to be Brielle, Valentina's two friends.

Valentina stands still, like she doesn't want to cause any commotion. He notices that while all the other village girls are fighting for his attention, she seems to be shrinking away from everyone’s eyes, not just his.

From where he is standing, he can just make out the deep V neckline of her dress. He can see some kind of embroidery that lines the form fitting top, but the colors of the stitching blend into the pale blue of her dress well enough to hide its definition. His watchful eye follows the cinched waist of the dress and he lets his gaze roam the fall of her full skirt. More of the hidden details line the bottom of her dress and onto the short train in the back.

He snaps out of his trance when his father claps him on the back, raising a glass he doesn't remember him having, and gesturing to his son. Damon bows in appreciation, unable to recall anything his father said. It is evident that his father spoke long enough to get his son’s attention again, as he was distracted by the beautiful woman in the corner of the room.

Joaquin announces that his son is now going to select his partner for the first dance. The nobleman looks to his son and smiles encouragingly. Damon doesn't spare a glance at any of the other village girls in the room.

He knows he wants to dance with Valentina and he doesn't want to waste this moment with anyone else. Tonight is the night he makes the past right again. As he steps in Valentina's direction, he feels the pressure of all the eyes in the room lock onto his moving frame, wondering silently, who he has chosen.

Valentina watches as Damon's gaze bypasses every girl in the room. She watches as he turns towards her general direction and marches straight to her until he stands directly in front of her, peering down at her with a hand outstretched.

She looks up at him and feels the entire room grow cool with ease. She stares up at him for a moment longer, mentally debating if the risks of dancing with him are worth it. But all she feels is tired, tired of pretending. She has spent a lifetime skirting around people, trying to blend in and making herself small under the guise of protecting others. She only allows herself to be open with her friends and family.

She has always felt so alone and for the first time, she doesn't feel that way. She's done running and pushing him away. Something about him is drawing her in and she is going to let herself fall. She puts her hand in his.

His hand tightens around hers as he escorts her to the empty dance floor. He turns to face her, holding one hand and guiding her other to his shoulder. He wraps his free arm around her waist, tugging her to him as the music begins. The shock in the room is palpable, but the two are lost in each other.

This moment isn't for anyone else but them. Yes, this is a birthday celebration for Damon. And yes, this is the first time that Valentina is being noticed by a whole kingdom of people as a person and not because of her element. But neither of them cares.

As the music crescendos, the pair dance around the room, their eyes never straying from each other. Damon leads, Valentina follows. The crowd slowly inches back as the pair spin wider and wider. As much as the two are strangers, there is a tether between them that has them whispering to each other.

Thankful for the music and its winding score, the two talk as much as they can, the conversation consistently flowing. Damon has danced to this waltz plenty of times before so he knows they have a few more moments on the dance floor before they have to part.

At some point during the waltz, he spins Valentina away from him, his eyes falling on his father. The nobleman is in awe of the perfect match they are. For every step his son leads, the shepherd’s daughter challenges and follows. They are equal parts in sync and against each other, making the dance more graceful and elegant than it really is.

The nobleman can see how enamored his son is with the shepherd’s daughter. Carmen leans over and whispers to her husband to leave the boy dancing with the shepherd’s daughter. So the nobleman gestures for the conductor to blend the waltz in with another song.

When the nobleman locks eyes with his son, he can see the appreciation in his son’s eyes at the gesture. Damon and Valentina dance, even as other couples join them on the dance floor, until eventually, they stop to take a break.

When Valentina glances over to the clock that is hanging above the doors leading to the exit of the ballroom, she sees it is almost midnight. At the sudden realization of time, she feels the weight of her exhaustion settle into her bones. She is all too happy to keep dancing with Damon, but she is also relieved at the opportunity to leave.

Damon returns to her side after fetching them drinks and is about to ask her to dance again when he sees the weariness in her eyes. Instead of asking her to dance, he grabs her hand ever so gently and tugs her out of the ballroom, sticking to the walls and towards the kitchens where they can make their escape.

Damon is sure they won't be witnessed leaving his birthday ball, but he still looks back to make they sure they aren't being followed as they slip away. She doesn't ask where he is taking her, she only knows she is grateful for the safe reprieve.

They make their way through various hallways, sidestepping expensive tables littered with important artifacts, not stopping to look at the paintings and drawings hanging on the walls. Finally, they make it to one of the lesser known areas of the house that takes them to the nobleman’s wife’s personal garden. It is an enclosed space, intentionally constructed so that the nobleman's wife can a place of refuge and privacy.

They step into the garden and Valentina is in awe. She walks around the garden, admiring the display. She smells and caresses the flowers before dropping onto the stone bench on the opposite side of the garden facing the door. Damon makes his way to her, kneeling in front of her and helping her take off her shoes.

He rises and sits beside her on the bench, staying silent while she breathes in the flowery scents permeating the air. Valentina asks Damon why he brought her here.

He tells her that he is tired of his own birthday ball and that while he has enjoyed dancing with her, he could see the dancing had worn her out and he didn't want to abandon her to the vultures.

She smiles softly at him. It's the first time she does so in the presence of someone she barely knows. He is awestruck at her beauty. He has never seen her smile that way before and something in him wants her to smile that way again. He arbitrarily decides to tell her stories of his childhood, talking softly about his wild days as a child, the trouble he caused in his home kingdom. He tells her about how he learned how to harness his element.

He tells her how, for so long, he felt he was the only person of his kind, having a heart made of an element and not of silver or bronze or wood or metal or gem or crystal or stone. As he speaks, Valentina listens intently, feeling like she finally found a kindred soul in her silent suffering.

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