Prince Maximilian left to bring his beloved a glass of sparkling wine. Ursula, blurred in a sincere childish smile, swayed slightly intact with the music, watching a friend dance with Prince Batillos. She found a mazurka much more interesting than a waltz or a French quadrille. Kicily saw the dance with very different eyes. He noticed Madeleine's coquettish looks, he saw the prince's hand sinking below the proper one, and saw as if by chance, Yamin pressed the princess to his excited chest.
- You're so tense," Ursula said. - Now I see how displeased you are with the mazurka.
- I said that the dance was bad - Kitsiliy found out how his eyebrows frowned, and hastily drove away from his face, traitorous emotions.
- And yet you dance the waltz beautifully.
- I find it simple of all.
- And I confess, it is difficult for me. Waltzing, I often get confused about the steps. Although Maximilian never showed any discontent, I often stomp on his shoes," laughed Ursula.
- He loves you very much," a slight smile changed the general's face.
At the end of the dance, the friends returned hot and shining. Kicily kept an eye on the radiant princess Vespera, which couldn't take her breath away.
- I'm sorry I couldn't please you with the mazurka. I dare you to ask me to give me another waltz.
- I'd love to," Madeleine's voice reflected a note of doubt. Not because she didn't want another dance with the general, or because she was afraid of the coming wave of discussions, which would certainly be born in society, but because she didn't understand why Kitsiliy was forcing herself to do something undesirable.
Princess Vespera went up from her bow, opened the fan, and began to smile at her friends. She only wanted to breathe a little freer and, at this point, really, with all her heart, hated the hard corset. After reading the dry red lips and running cornflower eyes, Kicily turned to Madeleine:
- Your Highness, may I offer you a glass of sparkling wine?
- I will be immensely grateful to you.
Kitsiliy immediately withdrew and left.
- And yet that evening you are my lady. I'll bring you everything you have to say - Yamin fell with his lips to Madeleine's fingers and hurried away.
Prince Batillos did not hurry by chance. He caught up with a good friend when he was already holding two crystal glasses. Yamin licked his lips nervously and looked at his brother with suspicion:
- I don't recognize you today. You don't dance! But what do I hear? Invitation to the second dance of my lady!
- I have to save her from your society. You are condemning the young princess to become a victim of the rumors that your ladies are learning. What have you turned the mazurka into?
- Did you watch? - Yamin was surprised. - It seems to me that the young princess was not against my strong hands...
- Leave the habit of thinking about yourself. She will be judged.
- And they will not groundlessly condemn, friend. Do you know how Madeleine is called by the people? "The frivolous Vesper!
- She is not to blame for what the evil tongues bust out of her mouth! She only avoids unwanted marriage by faithfully following her dreams. Her position deserves respect, not condemnation.
- Bullshit! She is an ordinary woman, begging for my beauty and sweetness. Pacifier!
With a glass out of his hand and letting him break, Kitsiliy grabbed the prince by the magnificent jabot on his chest. Drawing inevitable attention to himself, the general had to let Yamina go. Unfortunately, the title limited his actions, and to succumb to the impulse, to paint the perfect face of a friend, Kicily could not. This would have brought about irreversible bad consequences for the whole family of Boers. With his teeth sliced through, the general lost his anger in one breath, but the hot lump continued to press somewhere in the heart. The society's views were quickly lost. Most of those present were aware of the strong friendship between Prince Batillos and Count Borey and therefore limited themselves to the meager speculation of an easy squabble.
- Ha!" a small sign of Yamin's insight broke out. - Are you in love with her? - The prince's face was covered in a sneaky smile. - But, of course, she doesn't know about it. You think a confession is meaningless and in vain! In the case of the "frivolous Vespera" that as a girl dreams of love, although you do not get it as a wife, you could take full advantage of the feeling and enjoy the royal flush.