Ash was the only thing on Aura's mind as she walked down the staircase and into the ballroom. She nervously fiddled with her white silk sash on her golden ballgown as her long blonde hair swished from side to side. She entered the ballroom and noticed the other Heirs were already seated, waiting for the other guests to arrive. She also noticed that the only free seat was the one next to Ash. As she sat down apprehensively, she felt her heart beginning to beat faster and faster as he glanced over at her. She tried to look away but found that she couldn't, his icy eyes just seemed to draw her in until she felt she was drowning in them.

"You know," whispered Ash so Enya and Laec wouldn't hear, "that's a very pretty dress."

"Thank you, Asher," Aura mumbled, feeling her cheeks blush beet red and looked at the floor in the hope that he wouldn't see.

"Don't call me Asher, call me Ash," he grinned, "it's so much less formal I think. My parents hate me shortening my name though; they keep going on about holding up the Kingdom of Erydon's name and all that rubbish, but I prefer it."

"It's ironic I think," Aura whispered,  "you call yourself Ash,  but your eyes are the exact colour of ice."

"I never noticed," Ash replied, glad that Aura seemed at ease finally.

"I read a story about someone called Ash once," she said, slightly absentmindedly, "he was the hero, and he saved a princess from eternal darkness."

"I need to read that sometime," Ash smiled, taking her hand that was resting on her chair. Aura inhaled a breath sharply. "Aura, would you allow me the honour of your first dance?"

"The pleasure would be mine entirely," Aura replied, knowing that she had never been happier.

The guests had long since arrived, and they stood up, walked to the dance floor and began to waltz.

All this time, Enya and Laec had been sitting in silence. Enya still didn't know what to say, or think, or even feel. She knew that she didn't want to fall in love, but she felt that her resistance was slowly but surely crumbling...

"You do realise that we can't just sit here the entire evening," Laec said quietly. Enya didn't reply,  she just stared at her shoes in silence, trying to hold back a tear. "Enya, please, talk to me. What's wrong?"

"I can't do this," she choked.

"Can't do what?" Laec was genuinely concerned about her.

"I can't be the perfect heir my parents wanted. My brothers would be better than me, but it's not experience or anything. I just can't be perfect for them."

"I know exactly how you feel. My father thinks I'm pretty useless too."

"I'm just not pretty enough, or clever enough, or -"

"Stop Enya." Laec decided to tell her everything he had been longing to tell her ever since he saw her for the first time at the medallion ceremony. "No, you're not pretty. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met. And judging by the tests us Heirs have to get through,  I'd say you were damn clever enough."

"But, I'm not -"

"Enya, if you weren't everything I said you were, I would hardly be asking you to dance with me would I?"

"Laec -"

"Please," he pleaded. "I think I'll go mad if I don't get to get at least one dance before this night is over."

Enya took a deep breath, and for the first time in her life, she let her heart take the lead. She took Laec's offered hand, and felt like she had entered a whole new world.