The Life of Anna, Part 1: Enslaved (18 page)

I looked up into the faces of my parents; they were so beautiful. Pictures hung on the wall behind them of some of their many performances together. A plaque announced their names, their accomplishments, and a brief story of their death. I stood there for an eternity, gazing into the faces of people who no longer existed.

My back became pleasantly warm as someone walked up behind me. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Alex. His voice was low and gentle. “I’ve heard amazing stories about them. I wish I had been here to see them dance.”

Loneliness stung my heart as I stared up at my mother
’s face.
Beloved and long gone.

“Anna, are you...why are you crying?” Alex turned me around by my shoulders. He looked at me, looked at the statue, then back at me. His face paled slightly. “Anna, you look....”

“Those were my parents,” I said, turning back to the statue. “They died when I was eleven.” I wiped a tear away. “I’d forgotten this was here. I’ve never seen it.” My voice had dropped into a whisper. Jenna had told me about it.

“As I understand it, it was put in on the first anniversary of their death.” He paused. “Didn’t your guardian bring you to the ceremony?”

“No.” I looked up at him. “How did you know when it was put in?”

“I’m on the Board of Trustees.”

“You are?”

He nodded staring at the statue.
“For some reason I’ve always had an interest in Ballet. A good friend of mine back in Frankfurt was a principal dancer there. My best friend here is a principal.” He looked at me. “You look exactly like your mother.”

“Thank you.” I looked back at the statue wistfully. “I loved watching them dance.”

Alex opened his mouth, as if to say something, but Kirsty walked up to us and he closed, and took a step back away from me.

“Hey, sexy,” she said, kissing him fully on the mouth.

He stiffened, but returned the kiss.

I turned away and walked back to where Wilhelm and Kurt were talking. Kurt put his arm around my waist and kissed me.

“Are you having a good time?” Wilhelm asked me.

I nodded, pushing aside the nostalgia that the statue had stirred up inside me.
“Yes, this has been a wonderful day. The best I can remember in a really long time.”

“
Gut
. I’m glad.”

Alex and Kirsty walked up to us.
“Shall we go in?” Alex asked.

Kurt held my hand as we followed the others to the end of the lobby and up a marble staircase.

“
Vati
, we will follow in a moment,” Kurt said. He pulled me through a pair of doors that led to another set of stairs, though it wasn’t as nice as the steps we’d just climbed.

He pulled me into his arms and kissed me.
“No one uses these stairs,” he murmured against my mouth. I kissed him back, parting my lips for his tongue to slip through. He thrust sensually in and out of my mouth, making me think of sucking his cock the night before. I moaned and pressed my body to his. I felt him hard against my stomach.

“Have you been hard this whole time?” I asked and nipped his bottom lip.

I felt him smile. “Mmm. Mostly. All day, anticipating tonight.”

He trailed kisses down my neck and to the tops of my breasts. I leaned my head back and moaned again. He pulled at the top of my dress, exposing my breast to the cool air. I gasped as he took a nipple into his mouth and sucked.

“If your dress was not so long I would push you up against the wall and fuck you right here.”

I could feel my body respond with dampness between my legs.
“I’d like that,” I said hoarsely.

“Are you wet for me,
Engel
?” he whispered.

“
Ja
,” I replied, trying out some German.

He groaned into my breast.
“I like you speaking German.” He sucked my nipple again, biting gently.

“Oh, Kurt,” I moaned. I could feel my pussy swelling, ready to take him inside me. He pushed me against the wall and began pulling up my skirt.
Oh God. He’s going to fuck me right here.
“Oh, please,” I moaned again.

Suddenly, the door beside us opened. Kurt leaned forward, sheltering me partially from the door, and we both looked over to see Alex standing in the doorway, frowning.
“It’s about to start.”

“Do not look at me that way,
Brüderlein
.” Kurt glared at him. “You have used this area, too.”

Alex growled something in German.

Kurt looked a little startled and helped me fix my dress. He kissed my cheek and winked. “We will continue later.”

Alex snapped something else in German and Kurt dragged me out of the stairwell. I gave Alex an apologetic look as we passed him. He shook his head and frowned as he closed the door behind us. Kurt led me to one of the center boxes and into the first row of seats next to Wilhelm. Kirsty was sitting in the row behind and Alex sat next to her.

I looked around, enraptured. The gigantic, round chandelier that hung in the middle of the sky-blue ceiling had always reminded me of the sun. The carvings around the stage were the same gilded horses and warriors that Jenna and I had made up stories about when we were younger and waiting for the performance to begin.

The lights faded, the music began, and the golden curtain went up, transporting me into the story. The dancers were beautiful. The music was beautiful. I felt alive for the first time in years. There was no one here but me. My heart danced alongside Princess Aurora and the fairies. I felt my body straining to be free. Free to dance. Free to fly.

Too quickly, the first act ended. The curtain slowly closed and the music faded away. The lights came back up and I blinked, trying to gather my senses.

“Intermission,
Engel.
” A voice and the sensation of someone touching my arm invaded my hazy thoughts. I looked to my left and blinked, the face slowly coming into focus. Kurt was staring at me with an amused expression on his face. “Are you back on Earth,
Engel?
”

I blushed and nodded.

He held out his hand and we stood. “You enjoyed that,
ja
?”

“I did,” I said softly. My heart was dancing in the clouds. “It was amazing.”

Kurt smiled. “Let us get something to drink.” I followed him into the mezzanine where drinks were available. Wilhelm was sipping a glass of wine and talking with a couple near the stairs.

We walked by Alex surrounded by a small group of women, including Kirsty. He gave them all a brilliant smile and said something, and they all giggled. Alex seemed very at ease around the opposite sex. Something told me he had charmed countless women over the years.

Kurt handed me a glass of iced tea and got a glass of wine for himself. One of the women standing with Alex glanced over and waved at Kurt. He smiled and raised his glass in greeting.

“Do you want to go over there, Kurt? I don’t mind.” I didn’t want to keep him from socializing.

“
Nein
, Anna. It would be unwise to leave you alone. Someone might steal you away.” He grinned and took a sip of wine. “I am glad you are enjoying yourself. Devin said that you danced when you were younger?”

I nodded looked at the floor nervously.
“Yes. I mean, I still do. I take a couple classes a week, but nothing like I used to.”

“Jack let you take dance classes?
Interesting.”

I nodded.
“But he wouldn’t let me perform. I was just thankful he didn’t completely cut me off from dancing.” I gave him a half smile. “Devin told me that he’d let me take more classes during the week and, if I was good enough, start performing again.”

“Are you any good?” he asked teasingly.

I blushed. “I used to be. My parents are-” I stopped before I said they were the statues downstairs. “My parents both danced and were very good. People used to say I danced like them.”

“They danced professionally?”

I nodded.

“Where?”

“Here.” I motioned in the general direction of the stage. “They were principals here...before they died.”

Kurt nodded thoughtfully.

“Excuse me, Miss.” A man in a blue and gold uniform approached me. “Are you Anna Perkins?”

I took a nervous step back and nodded slowly.

He handed me a folded piece of paper, gave a little bow, turned, and left.

I glanced at Kurt,
then frowned down at the paper before slowly opening it. Who could have possibly sent me a note?

Anna!

I saw you sitting in Alex’s box. You’re out in public! Without Jack!

Come backstage after the performance! Please
!!!!! I miss you!!!!

             
Love, Jenna.

“Who is Jenna?” Kurt asked.

I folded the note and pressed it to my lips. “My best friend. She’s a dancer here. We’ve not spent more than a few minutes together here and there since my parents died. I haven’t talked to her in a few months...,” I trailed off. We only were able to talk when we happened to meet somewhere in the studio. Usually the bathroom because I didn’t have to worry about being seen. Jack’s spies were everywhere. But Jack didn’t own me anymore; at least that’s how I understood it. Devin owned me.

“Do you want to go see her after the show?”

“Oh, Kurt. No. I don’t want to inconvenience you-”

“Nonsense, Anna. If she has taken the time to write you that note with all those exclamation points....” He laughed. “You should see her while we are here.”

I looked up at him and smiled gratefully. “I would like to see her.”

“I will ask Alex if he can help us get back there after the performance. He knows the mazes back there. I have been back a few times...” He
shrugged, mischief in his eyes again.

“I used to know my way around back there, but it might have changed.” I smiled at the memories. “Thank you, Kurt. You’re wonderful.” I leaned up and kissed him.

We finished our drinks and the lights flickered. Wilhelm walked with us as we made our way back to our seats. He and Kurt were talking about something but I stopped paying attention once I walked back into the theater. I was lost in the beauty of it again, happy memories filling my heart like they hadn’t in years.

“Alex,” Kurt said, sitting in his seat and turning to his brother. “Can you help Anna and I get backstage after the show? A friend of hers sent her a note asking her to see her afterwards. I do not remember how to get back there.”

Alex looked at me and smiled warmly. “Of course. I’d love to.”

“Alex, I have to get to the airport after the show.” Kirsty pouted at him.

Alex frowned at her. “This will only take a few minutes. I’ll make sure you’re not late.”

She narrowed her eyes at me and then looked away as the lights dimmed.

I gave Alex a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

I tried to contain myself as the music began anew and the lights dimmed, but within a few minutes, I was soaring in rapture yet again.

Prince Désiré walked out on stage and I leaned forward in my seat and stared.
He looks so familiar....
I quickly opened my program to see the name of the dancer.
Aaron Schroeder
. I knew him. I danced with him in my last performance. Once he got over the fact that he was dancing with an eleven-year-old at his graduation performance, he was kind to me. I liked him a lot.

“What is wrong?” Kurt whispered in my ear.

“I know him. The prince.”

Kurt cocked his brow with amusement in his eyes.
“Really?”

I nodded and looked back at the stage with affection. Aaron had always been an amazing dancer. Eight years of maturity had made him even better. As he danced, I could almost imagine being on stage with him again. I sat with my chin in my hands and watched him dance with his partner, enraptured by his grace and amazing agility.
Lucky Princess Aurora.

When the performance was over, I clapped as hard as I could and stood with the rest of the audience when Aaron came out. It was a wonderful performance.

While we waited for the theater to clear a bit, Kurt stood behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He swept my hair over my shoulder and nuzzled my ear.
“Oh, Anna, I cannot wait to take you home and make love to you,” he whispered.

I smiled and tilted my head. He nibbled the back of my neck and I let out a little sigh while pressing my hips into his. I could feel his erection against my rear.

He groaned and pressed back. “That is what you do to me,
Engel
.”

I giggled.

“
Mein Gott,
Kurt. Can’t you keep your hands off her for one second?” Alex stood with his hands on his hips frowning at his brother.