Clara tried each of the treats the pixies brought over, and we made our way into the party. When we got to the dance floor, she stopped and stared. There was a longing in her eyes that had my insides clenching.
"I hope you know how to dance, Princess." I pointed out the dance floor and the merrymakers already doing a few steps around the edges.
Clara stopped and stared. "Dance? You want me to dance?"
"I want to dance with you, love." I could hardly wait to hold her in my arms and let the magic inside of her free.
DANCE OF THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRY
CLARA
For the two whole days that I had been in the Winter Realm, all I had experienced was war. I wasn't even sure if anyone in this place knew how to do anything but fight. Well, and have super amazing sex. Maybe it was because the first people that we visited were the gingerbread Vikings and they were clearly built for battle.
The Sweet Fae we'd met so far looked more ready to eat my face off than throw a party, but that's exactly what was happening. It took me months of planning, calling caterers, getting in a tree and a professional decorator, cleaning the main floor of the house, sending out invitations, and a million other preparations to throw our annual Christmas Eve party. The Sugar Plum Queen put this feast, with an entire symphony, and dancing together in, what, like thirty minutes.
"Come, Princess of Spirit and Magic and let me look at you." The Queen pulled my hand away from Zucker's and had me doing a little twirl for her. "You are quite beautiful, I can see why my Zucker is taken with you. But your dress is a bit in tatters. That just won't do."
She clapped her hands, and a dozen ballerinas in every color, shape, and size, dressed in fluffy pink tutus surrounded me in an instant forming a wall around us. They fussed over me, with someone pinning up my hair, another patting my face with powder, and a half dozen of them with hands flying over my dress and fabric whooshing around me. I almost felt as if I was caught up in a bippity-boppity-boo of a fairy godmother.
I honestly never even felt my dress come off, and I was never naked, but within a few moments and a lot of squeals, I was in a similar outfit to the women around me. Except the bodice of mine was encrusted with sparkling jewels, and the skirt was covered in an intricate hand-embroidered design. I even had pointe-shoe-like slippers on, with ribbons beautifully wrapped around my ankles. They were pretty, but there was no way I'd be able to walk around in them all night.
The Sugar Plum Queen tipped her head to one side. "Go on, try them out."
My toes weren't taped, I didn't have my little lambswool half socks to cushion, and I'd be tumbling over in pain within a millisecond, but I did as she asked. The Queen wasn't someone to say no to. I took a couple of steps, and it was as if these were my own pointe shoes from my bag at home. The elastic and ribbons were cut to the exact right length and everything.
I popped up onto the points and tip tapped a few steps. Someone had already banged the toes out, so they weren't overly loud and there was just the right amount of support in the box. I couldn't believe how comfortable they were. It was like dancing on clouds, or puffs of cotton candy.
This was the most fun dancing I'd ever had and all I'd only taken a few steps. I did an extra twirl and landed right in Zucker's arms. "You're a fucking gorgeous dancer, Princess. Shall we?"
Oh goodness. Tittering about was fun, but to do a real dance with a danseur? I'd never. No one ever wanted to be partnered up with me.
The other ballerinas clapped and took up positions all around the edge of the dancefloor, ready to support the leading role, I'd apparently just been cast in. I glanced over at the Queen, and she gave me a nod of encouragement.
What in the world would have happened if I hadn't been trained in dance? It was clearly a part of their culture and expected of me. God, I hoped I didn't make a fool out of myself.
I dragged my feet. "I look ridiculous in this costume. I'm like a parade float."
"I don't know what a parade float is, but I assure you that ridiculous is not what you are. I on the other hand have a ridiculously hard cock just thinking about getting to dance with you, and if you'll notice so does every Sugar Fae man here."
I glanced around the gathering of Zucker's people, and he was right. Every man had a bulge in the front of their pants, and some were even stroking themselves. A few were partnered up with other men or women and they were, umm, enjoying each other's bodies too.
"This isn't a giant sex party or something, is it?" I was just getting used to the idea of bonding through sex with more than one man. I wasn't doing it in front of a crowd.
The other thing I noticed this time around was that none of the women here had that tall, ultra-thin body of a ballerina. Yet, they all looked like beautiful dancers to me.
Most of them had bodies similar in shape to mine. Thick thighs, a belly, a big round bottom, and actual breasts that filled out the front of their costumes. Was this why I was curvy yet still felt drawn to dance? Even the Queen was lush and round, just like Mother Gingerbread had been.
I couldn't quite fathom that kind of dissonance from the world I grew up in that told me that a larger body wasn't meant to be a ballerina or a soldier.
"Later tonight, I'll explain in more detail the intricacies of the Fae's sexual culture. We are much freer with the pleasures of the flesh than say the Lan of Snowflake, and apparently the human realm." He winked at me, and took a place beside me, holding out a hand to begin the dance. "But don't worry, this isn't an orgy. Those are only for special occasions."
"You're a tease." Which I was starting to like very much.
"Anticipation is half the fun, my lady." Instead of starting us in a traditional stance, he pulled me to him, and wrapped one hand around my waist and held my other up as if we were going to waltz instead of perform a Grande pas de duex. "Ready?"
"Zucker," I didn't want to screw up what seemed like an important moment. "I don't know the choreography. I can't just go out here and dance."
He ignored my protest and led me to center stage. "The dance will come from your spirit, pretty princess. Every Winter Realm borne has that inside of them. I promise you'll know what to do."
