Loria pulsed with an energy that ran through Gigi's veins. Lights burned from windows and sent golden shadows dancing in the street. Vibrant streamers crisscrossed overhead, like strips from a stolen rainbow.

Music paraded through the city enticing the world to let go of their struggles. Cheers rang out from open doorways, tangling with laughter and boisterous voices. Words clogged the air like pipe smoke. The constellations peered down, for once the envious ones.

Gigi made her way through the mass of people, her ears leading her. There was a lift in her steps as if her happiness barely kept her from floating off. Thayer walked next to her, his eyes darting every which way, cautious. She was unconcerned, enthralled in a place that felt foreign and familiar all at once.

The edge of her skirt was held in her hand, swishing in time to the music. Heat and the smell of ale hung heavy about them. The hard stone underfoot made Gigi feel as if her cracked heart was starting to mend.

The crowd was like a coursing river, rushing, splitting, colliding. A group of burly men appeared from a tavern, the smell of fish and liquor swimming around them. Their half blurred gazes latched on to Gigi, intrigued by the wild look of her.

Thayer caught the glances and took command of her elbow. The touch startled her. She looked at their joined arms then followed Thayer's hard gaze to the men.

"You will give yourself away with your formality," she teased.

He ended his battle of stares to look at her.

"Either take my hand or my waist," she said.

He hesitated, his arm hovering over her waist then he settled it on her. A warmth spread through her at the contact. The action was enough to break the men's attention.

"This was foolish of us," Thayer breathed out, jaw flexing.

"Maybe," she laughed, "but I have no intention of turning back now. Come on."

Quickening her pace, she dived further into the mayhem. Thayer muttered under his breath and hurried to keep up. The music was a beacon, guiding them to the city's main square. The open space was packed with carts bursting with savory food. Jugglers entertained while magician's entranced. At the center, couples danced and twirled to the high-spirited melody. The scene contrasted the Court's uniformity, dancers moving like sparks from a fire.

Gigi stopped on the edge, her breath catching as excitement choked her. Thayer stood by her side, stiff with uncertainty. Looking up at him, she beamed. He swallowed and she grabbed his hand pulling him into the chaos. Unprepared, he stumbled, for once his composure cracking.

"Take my waist," Gigi said, pulling her arm to her side.

He wrapped his arm around her, as she adjusted their hands.

"Don't worry, feel the rhythm," she said.

His movements were awkward and clumsy, lost in a world he didn't know. Gigi laughed off his mistakes, talking to him, encouraging him to forget what he knew. They stopped, Thayer, shaking his head.

"I have no understanding of this," he said.

"There is nothing to understand," she said. "It is a feeling. It is how you feel when you are happy. You do not think about happiness, you simply feel it."

Thayer stared at her, his eyes showing his bafflement. Taking a step back, Gigi shrugged, her body still swaying to the beat. She had barely given him space when a curly-haired young man approached her. He gave a playful bow and she returned it with a careless curtsy.

Taking her in his arms, they spun away. Gigi forgot about Thayer. Tossing her thoughts away, she was only aware of the freedom she felt moving to a melody that had no destination, focused solely on enjoying the journey.

They were stopped in their path when some tapped the man's shoulder.

"The lady is already spoken for," Thayer said, his commanding tone leaving no room for argument.

The man looked between Gigi and Thayer. Realizing it wasn't worth a fight, he relinquished her. Thayer took his vacated spot. She raised a taunting eyebrow.

"I was not about to be bested by a dance," he said.

Gigi laughed and the beginnings of a smile appeared on Thayer's lips at the sound.

"I'm pleased you are not so easily beaten."

With determined confidence, he slid his arm around her waist and took her hand. 

"It is simply feeling," he said.

She gave a nod. His fingers gripped hers as if already fearing for what was to come.

"Don't think."

He frowned. "I find it difficult not to think."

"Then think about me. Forget steps and follow my lead."

"Following. Another thing I find hard to accomplish."

Reaching up, she gently took hold of his chin with her fingers tips. Their eyes locked with each other.

"Look only at me," she said.

"I fear that would negate all logic and cause us both to stumble about. Especially taking into consideration the steps are unknown and I will be striving to not injure your feet."

Gigi shook her head in amusement.  "Very well, dance with me as you would back at the palace."

This eased Thayer. Comfortable in something he knew, they danced. With each step, he fell into the grace that she knew him to dance with. She softened into his hold, letting herself be whirled around. It felt as if she were dancing with the wind, guided without caring where she went. Thayer's eyes stayed glued to her, watching as a contented smile overtook her face. A mystified spark flickered in his eyes, his own lips wishing to return her emotion.

As the rhythm of the night sank deeper into their bones, he pulled her closer. His structured movements tumbled away until they found their own blend of Court and commoner. Gigi shifted her hold, closing the space between them. Her eyes glowed up at him.

Thayer smiled, a look she had only seen once before. In that moment it felt as if he was feeling the same freedom that was coursing through her.

"You're not so terrible for a Prince," she said.

A laugh lept from Thayer's lips, the sound deep and throaty as if rusty from non-use. The sound surprised Gigi almost as much as it surprised Thayer.

"It seems you are feeling rather than thinking," she said.

"I fear you are to blame."

"We Eldin have been blamed for far worse. This accusation I will gladly take responsibility for."

A somberness came over Thayer at her words, but she shook her head.

"Stop thinking, Thayer."

The look vanished. "Pardon?" he said, the edge of his lip curling.

Gigi's spirits were too buoyant to let social customs pull her down. She laughed, the sound carefree.

"I told you to stop thinking, Thayer."

His smile took complete control of his lips and set off something in his eyes. The last sign of his rigid manner was thrown aside. They moved together like they had found a missing piece of themselves in the other person.

***********

The city was darkening, candles blown out as contented people fell into beds. The music had long since faded into the sky. The moon was slipping away as stars were winking out like slumbering workers. Thayer and Gigi wandered through the emptying streets, making their way back to the palace.

Gigi's feet hurt and she savored the feeling of it. Holding her skirt, she swayed back and forth to a melody that only she could hear. Her smile had never left but had slipped into a sleepy grin. Thayer watched her, his own smile peeking out.

From a tavern four men staggered out, their footsteps heavy with intoxication. Their voices cracked the silence of the dimming city. Instinctively, Thayer moved closer to Gigi and slid a hand around her waist. At the touch, she looked up at him. Light from the tavern caught on the gold flecks in his eyes.

He gave a nod and they quickly moved on, leaving behind the riotous men. When the voices had become distant echoes, Thayer let his hand fall away. The spot where his arm had been felt oddly cold, even as she was surrounded by the warm night air. Their arms brushed as they walked, neither seeming to notice or noticing and not wanting to move away.

"Is that what it is like at your encampment?" Thayer asked.

"No, there is very little hard drink."

He shook his head and gestured back to the square. "I mean the dancing. Wild and..."

"Wonderful?" she asked, her smile waking up.

His smile stepped out to greet hers. "Yes, wonderful. Is that what it is like?"

"Yes, but sometimes we go days without music, instead someone tells stories of the pirates that run the seas or the battles that were fought a long time ago." Stirred by memories, Gigi skipped forward, her black hair bouncy around her. She spun on Thayer and walked backward. "We have one man whom I believe is as old as the sun. He has more stories than anyone. I have never heard him repeat a story."

Thayer slid his hands into his pockets, the move startling in its casualness. "What is your favorite story of his?"

"The day my father broke his first horse," she said.

He raised an intrigued eyebrow.

"As it's told, my father broke the horse not by strength but by words." Images swirled in Gigi's mind, picturing a scene that she had never even seen. "He spoke to the horse in Eldin, calming it until it was completely under his control."

"It is true?"

"My father says it's not, but I believe it is. I have seen the way he is with horses and know there has to be truth to the story." Her gaze went unfocused for a moment, an ache gripping her heart. Blinking, she forced it away. Thayer was staring at her, trying to read where she had gone. "My mother says it was the beauty of his voice that stole her heart."

"And that is why she ran away with him?"

Gigi nodded. "She would say yes as well as other reasons."

Thayer was quiet, his expression thoughtful.

"What is it?" she asked.

He dropped his gaze as if he couldn't look at her and voice his thoughts.

"I found it amazing that she would give up so much to marry a man who would be seen barely above a criminal."

"It wasn't always that way," Gigi said. Thayer looked at her, curious. "I have been told that there was a time not long ago when Eldin weren't seen as the scoundrels we're regarded as today. We were accepted where ever we went. Towns and cities welcomed our services and paid well for it."

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure. I never asked fearing it was something too difficult to talk about."

They fell into a solemn silence, the patter of their footsteps the only sound. All the lights around them had gone out. The only guide they had were from the lanterns in the palace's guard towers on the wall.

"Gigi..."

She smiled up at him, liking the way her name sounded in his deep voice. "Yes?"

"I was a fool for my accusations and I regret the way I treated you on our first meeting. You saved my life and I acted like...well an ass." Laughter tickled her lips. "I hope you will accept my apology as well as my gratitude."

Quieted by his sincerity, she dipped her head. "It was an honor to save someone like you." 

He gave her a half bow in thanks.

Layers of light were beginning to appear on the horizon as they made it to the palace. They paused on a corner, staring up at the marble walls. Neither of them spoke, neither of them moved. Thayer turned to Gigi, his shoulders seeming to return to a rigid state.

"I am not sure how I can return," he said.

"For one, you will need to stop smiling," she said sternly, though her eyes hinted at amusement.

Contradicting her command, he smiled.

"I am serious," she said, "they will never recognize you if you keep doing that."

"I find it hard to believe they will recognize me even if I do not smile. I am dressed like this and am not sure what state my hair is in."

"That is true."

Her eyes darted up to his tangled hair. The familiar sight made Huck came to mind. Without thinking, she reached up and combed her hands through the thick black strands.

"You take liberties most would not," he said.

Startled, Gigi snatched her hands away.

"But it appears I do need your assistance."

Thayer smirked and bent his head forward. Blushing, Gigi ran her fingers through his hair, taming the wild mess. So close, she could feel his breath against her skin. Thayer looked up at her and their gazes met. At the expression in his eyes, her breath caught in her throat.

He leaned in and kissed her.

Gigi didn't have time to register the feel of his lips before he pulled away. He ducked his head in apology.

"Forgive me," he said. "That was not appropriate."

A flood of emotions collided inside her. Nerves sparked and exploded. She reached up and gripped the edge of his shirt, bringing his mouth close to hers.

"I'm a vagabond remember. We don't care for rules."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him.

He hesitated then all of his reserves disappeared. He held onto her waist, her body pressed against his. There was a freedom in the kiss as if all the restraints on him were broken. He kissed her like it was the last time he would know such intense emotion and wanted to hold onto the moment, to each sensation.

The world around them blurred. Fingers digging into his hair, Gigi found her lungs wanting air but she didn't want to stop. She held onto him, aware of the strength and certainty in his arms as he clung to her.

The rattle of wagon wheels jolted them from their moment. They broke apart, short of breath. For a long time, they remained locked in each other's embrace. Gigi felt her heart hammering away, the sound so loud she wondered if he could hear it. Or even feel it as it knocked against his chest.

The clopping of horses' hooves tore them from their last bubble of peace. The blaze of emotions in Thayer's eyes dimmed with a look of sadness. It was a look that could only be brought on by the harsh truth of their reality.

"We should return," he whispered, his hold on her slowly loosening.

Swallowing hard, she untangled her arms from around his neck. For a heartbeat, they lingered in the feel of each other then let go.

Without another word, they returned to the palace. Vic assisted them to their rooms, leading them through the servants' passages. All through their journey, their thoughts were intertwined with each other, though not a glance was shared. At Gigi's door, Thayer finally spoke.

"Thank you for tonight, My Lady," he said.

"It was a pleasure, My Prince."

Thayer took her hand and kissed it, Gigi's heart climbing into her throat. When he let go, their eyes met. Words that were never to be spoken shown there. Steeling herself, she slipped into her room and closed the door. She leaned against it, feeling as if her heart hurt more than it had before she left the palace.

**********************************************************************

WHAT THE SHOOTING STARS!! 💫

They 😳...AHHHHHHH!!! OH MY GOSH THEY KISSED!! *runs around screaming like a mad woman* I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY!! AHHHHHHHH!!! *runs into wall and blacks out*

Gosh I'm glad she's down, 🙄 she was a bit dramatic. But I mean they did kiss so AHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Sorry I had a little bit of a scream left in me.

Moving on! Are you breathing? Please tell me you're still alive? Are you in possession of your mental facilities? Hand me ice cream if you're still conscious! 😏 Well, I had to try.

So there you have it! They kissed pretty much said they loved each other but can't be together! 😭 Oh gosh why is the world so cruel! They should have just run away and never come back! Who cares if he's the prince he deserves to be happy and that means being with Gigi!!

What did you think of the chapter?

Technically this is my second earliest kiss! Did it feel like you waited longer or shorter than the other ones?

Rank the top best kisses of all time!

I say that Ross and Rachel's from FRIENDS has to be up there, it's pretty epic. I'm blanking on what the best book kisses I've read has been. Maybe your answers will help me remember.

Cheer, Dance, Scream! (Or vote, comment, follow!)

Also how amazing are these! ReynaInfernos drew Gigi again and then two versions of Thayer! Gosh they are just freaking amazing!!! I LOVE THEM!!! Comment and share some love with her!