ooc; it's Lady Beauchamp :p

There it was. The stiffness and formality that had never been in Stephen when they had been young, but had started happening more and more when they had reached adolescence. When he had changed. Perhaps he thought she had changed, as well.

But couldn't he see she hadn't? That she was the same Ella she always had been? The one he had played with, the one who loved reading stories and singing songs and exploring the secrets of the palace? She had grown older of course, more mature as well, but Ella hadn't changed that much, had she?

Avril proposed that he asked her to dance, and Ella looked over at her in surprise. Where had that come from? She looked back at Stephen, who was offering her his arm, and noticed Avril gesturing for her to accept. 

For a moment she looked at her friend, surprised and confused over why Avril was being so insistent and enthusiastic about this. But then her brown eyes met Stephen's and she let herself smile. "I would be honored, Stephen," she replied as she took his arm.

Quickly shooting Avril a quizzical smile over her shoulder, Ella allowed Stephen to escort her from the balcony back to the hall. As she walked arm and arm with him Ella looked over at Stephen and felt herself smile. "This should be interesting," she said, "I think the last time we danced I was twelve and you were thirteen? I stepped on your toes." She smiled a littler wider, hoping the statement would get a smile out of him, as well.