dance one: belle rose fleur
Altas attempted to cover up his expression of irritation at the prince’s name. He could not let Belle know that he was holding yet another secret from her, but there were certain things that not even his closest friend could know. Atlas was concerned that Belle would begin to question whether he was the man she believed she knew well. But he knew all too well that her words were true; the prince was not a man of marriage, and he definitely knew that he would never allow Adeline to fall in love with the prince.“Right…” was all he could say regarding her remark about the prince, but he smiled once more as she finally changed their conversation.
“Oh, alright, I will let you believe that. But remember, I was there; I knew what I saw.” Atlas teased her before he too dropped that subject and continued to dance. His eyes couldn’t help but wonder at that moment as they searched for the person whom he wanted to see the most that night. Lydia. She looked stunning in that dress she wore, her beauty captivating him from across the room. For a moment, she was all he saw, until he realized she was already with another man, Lord Augustus. He did not know much about him, but he knew his family name. Atlas’s heart sank as he watched Lydia laugh and engage with him, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy, but he knew he could not do much as he and Lydia had not officially declared their relationship. “I sent you some books; did you read them? And if you did, then tell me what happened.”Atlas looked at Belle once more with a guilty smile, “I promise I started, but you know it is very challenging for me to sit and focus on reading a book for a long time, but I am happy to hear that even when I am not by your side, you still think of me, dear.” He said with a small chuckle. He recalled how, in the early stages of their friendship, he and Belle would sit in his family’s garden while she read to him and he listened. He despised reading and would always make an excuse when it was his turn, but Belle eventually caught on and insisted that he read to her for all the time she had to.
“Oh, do not fret, my dear Lady Belle, for no one can fill up the space you have in my heart,” Atlas spoke softly with a smile as she planted a quick kiss on his cheek. It was true; he could not, or actually did not want to, imagine a life without his other half. Belle was the light that guided him through the darkest of times, especially in his childhood when he needed someone the most, and he cherished every moment they spent together ever since. Their friendship was a bond that could never be broken.