To her great surprise, the brother of the Queen of Kane, John Phillip, asked her
to dance. Joanna thought him a handsome man and a good dancer. He was a
pleasant fellow and had a good jawline, but his nose was wrong for a royal, she
thought. He was a half-brother and the lineage for ruling the kingdom belonged to
his half-sister.
John Phillip told her a wonderful tale about his sister’s coronation brunch when
he went fishing for catfish and fell into the water. He arrived there wet and smelly
and had to sneak out and change before the guests arrived. She thought it a funny
story. The music finished and she thanked him for the dance.
He moved on and danced with the Princess from Segal, the curly haired girl
Joanna thought the Duke of Seine would marry. Princess Ella was by far the
prettiest girl William could marry. She was a popular partner because she danced
lithely.
Duke William danced with Princess Ella next. Joanna watched them as she sat
on a bench. Princess Ella’s gown was made from a fine red silk and had a petticoat
under it that gave it a fullness that looked graceful as she glided over the dance
floor. It seemed that she wore a dress too short for such a formal occasion, but if
Joanna would be fair to the Princess from Segal, it was the latest fashion. Perhaps
she was being too critical because the Princess was so very pretty and dancing with
all the eligible men.
The Duke seemed almost smitten by Princess Ella as he smiled at her while they
danced. Joanna only danced with William once and it wasn’t a pleasant experience.
He had offered to marry her, after all. Joanna thought William to be a selfish man,
yet he did possess all the social graces young girls would admire.
She thought he would dance with Ella later in the night as the first few dances
were more obligatory affairs. Balls were the best means for young royals to
evaluate potential marriage partners. The dance became a serious means to find out
if a gentleman or lady would be a suitable partner.
William was, as always, very handsome, and the two looked splendid together.
His black suit looked sleek as he twirled Princess Ella around. Joanna noticed that
William’s father, The Grand Duke of Seine, seemed pleased that William was
dancing with her. The Lady of Seine, William’s mother, seemed less pleased. She
wondered if they would announce an engagement.
Maria returned from floating about the ballroom and brought the two of them