Burning for Love by Evangeline Anderson
7
The Ballroom was entirely too hot and crowded, in James’ estimation. He also didn’t like the fact that there were seven visible exits that he could immediately count in the form of archways and doorways. The whole area was unsafe and difficult—if not impossible—to secure since he was only one male working alone.
Just have to stay right by her side, he told himself grimly, as he followed the Princess through the crush of bodies that milled around the dance floor.
But that proved difficult once she nodded to the musicians sitting in the corner and they began to play and the dancing started.
James frowned as he watched a young nobleman ask Princess Ka’rissa to dance. She nodded gracefully and they squared off opposite each other, standing in a long line of other dancers of both sexes. Then the music began and the dancers began moving in an intricate pattern, Back and forth, to and fro, up and down the long line they went. James stood back and kept his eyes on the Princess, though he was also trying to watch for threats at the same time.
In order to facilitate the process, he extended his ocular scanner, using his enhanced right eye to scope out the room and his left to watch Ka’rissa. He could hear people murmuring around him, but he paid no attention to their chatter.
“Look at his eye and arm, he really is a robot,”one girl whispered to her friend.
“He must be—look at all those metal parts!” the friend whispered back.
“And did you see how he jumped right over the guards’ heads? Like he had springs in his feet!”
“I wonder how strong he really is? The way he twisted their pain spears together made me shiver! And then he lifted the Princess and held her in one arm, though she is not light.” This was said with a mean-sounding giggle.
“Do you think he’ll hurt her?” the friend returned. “I mean, he’s meant to be her Constant Companion and chaperone now, isn’t he? So doesn’t that mean he’ll be bathing her? But how could something so horribly strong be gentle enough to handle the Princess without injuring her?”
“Is that even right, him bathing her? He’s a male and she’s unmarried—won’t it ruin her reputation?”
“But he’s not a male—not really. He’s a robot. Just because he doesn’t look like our kind of robot doesn’t mean a thing.” The girl giggled. “Might as well have our Butler-droid back at the country mansion give you a bath. It would mean as much, I’m sure.”
The giggling girls moved on, but James frowned at their conversation. He was glad, at least, that Princess Ka’rissa’s reputation seemed to be intact, because a female’s good social standing was obviously very important here at the High Court. But it was disturbing to think that anyone might believe he would hurt her because of his enhanced physical strength.
He wondered, suddenly if Ka’rissa was worried about the same thing. Did she fear to have him take care of her? To be honest, he hadn’t known that bathing and dressing her was part of his duties when he had accepted this assignment, but he didn’t mind in the least. He would do whatever was necessary to keep her safe and that included being with her every minute of the day and night and taking care of her in whatever way she required.
He was so distracted by the question, that he nearly missed the end of the first dance and the beginning of the second. This dance wasn’t another line-formation, however—it appeared to be one where the males and females partnered together as couples.
As he watched, a male about twenty years older than Ka’rissa came up to her and made a low, sweeping bow. He had long, drooping, brown mustaches—two of them. They didn’t meet in the middle, under his nose—that area was clean shaven. Instead, the odd facial hair started at the upper corners of his mouth and drooped down to below his chin where each one ended in a stylized curl. An elaborately styled brown wig that matched his facial hair exactly sat on his head. His frock coat was of sky-blue velvet and the buckles on his high-heeled shoes gleamed golden in the light from the chandeliers.
But it wasn’t the male’s style of dress that caught James’s eye—it was the smirking way he addressed the Princess as he bowed and asked for her hand. James also didn’t miss the look of distaste that flitted briefly over Ka’rissa’s pretty face before she nodded and allowed the male to lead her to the dance floor.
Frowning, he watched carefully as they spun around and around, the male holding Ka’rissa much closer than the other dancers were holding each other, at least in his estimation. She didn’t look comfortable in the male’s arms, he thought, studying how stiffly she held herself. But she kept her chin high and danced regally, a tight smile fixed on her face the entire time.
Though she appeared to be safe—if rather uncomfortable—James felt the urge to go and take her away from the other male. He shouldn’t be holding her so tightly, damn it! And he didn’t like the sight of her in another male’s arms.
Suddenly he realized what he was thinking—was he actually getting possessive of the little female? And why did he not like the sight of her with another male? Was this what the humans called “jealousy?”
Don’t be ridiculous—you’re not jealous. You’re just concerned for her safety, that’s all, he told himself uneasily. You’re not having emotions—you’re doing your job!
But still, he had to clench his hands into fists and force himself not to go and take the Princess away from the other male.
The strange sensations—James refused to call them emotions—made watching Ka’rissa dance extremely difficult, but there was nothing he could do but endure them as she spun around and around the dance floor.
