XII #2
It tasted heavenly. The taste of berries flooded her taste buds, and she chugged the entire glass.
She felt her muscles relax and her body grow warm.
With her mind feeling more at ease, she sauntered off to the dance floor.
There, she saw Lennox dancing with a woman with blue hair as dark as midnight and skin as pale as snow.
Her hair was pulled back into a voluminous, long braid that fell down her back.
And her matching midnight blue dress made her look like the princess of the night.
Someone scoffed next to her. "He always chooses Evangeline."
Another girl piped up. "What did you expect? They've been together for a while now; obviously, they would be dance partners."
Y/N's eyes widened in recognition. Evangeline Edison.
Daughter of Duke and Duchess Edison. Her family's ties to the royal family were unmatched by any other noble family.
She was said to have grown up alongside Prince Lennox, and it was believed the two were somehow romantically involved (this only being confirmed now).
Y/N had to admit she was impressed Evangeline had been able to tolerate him for this long.
A hand shot out into Y/N's field of view. "May I have this dance, my lady?"
Turning around, a man with silver hair and red eyes stood before her.
Y/N smiled. "Of course."
Grasping her hand gently in his, he led her to the dance floor.
With her right hand in his, he placed his other hand on her waist, pulling her in close.
She looked up at him through her lashes, and he smiled down at her.
They began to move to the music, and quickly it became evident that Y/N had no idea what she was doing.
While she did her best to follow his movements, it was obvious she was not as skilled as a noble lady her age should have been.
"Distracted, my lady?" he asked.
Y/N breathed out a laugh. "Just trying my best not to step all over your toes, that's all."
"Ah, yes. That would be very much appreciated. Tell me, are you not a very skilled dancer?"
Y/N shook her head. "I was never taught how to."
He looked at her in surprise. "A lady never taught to dance?"
"The decorations are absolutely divine this evening, are they not?" She changed the subject.
"Yes, they are. I hear the King and Queen went all out for this celebration. It's one of the biggest events for a future King to have, after all."
Y/N glanced towards Lennox, who was still dancing with Evangeline. The way they were so happily speaking to one another tugged at her heart. Lennox genuinely looked happy. Something she had never seen while he was in her presence. The most he could ever muster for her was a sneer.
"Yes... I suppose it is."
"Although I hear the King and Queen are growing weary waiting for the Prince's soulmate to be discovered. It's been almost 2 years since his mark first appeared, and nothing has transpired. While some have come forward claiming to be his mate, all have been lies.
It's unfortunate he's had to wait this long. I hear the current King found the queen within only a few months."
Y/N glanced up to where two figures were sitting on thrones, looking down at everyone. A blond man with the coldest blue eyes she had ever seen sat next to a stoic woman with long black hair and golden eyes. A chill ran down her spine. She could see where Lennox got his serious demeanour from.
The dance concluded, and the red-eyed man kissed the top of Y/N's hand. "I hope to share another dance with you before the night concludes. I am Sebastian Orlowe."
Y/N bowed her head. "Calypso."
"It was a pleasure."
——— ??ˋ ? ?ˊ? ———
The night continued with Y/N being pulled into a dance every now and then.
She couldn't help but notice how different every nobleman she spoke to was.
Some were polite like Sebastian, some were terrible conversationalists, and some were downright condescending.
The latter often got their foot stepped on more than the rest.
Y/N had also made multiple trips back to the buffet table to stuff her face with the tiny hors d'oeuvres and chug glasses of the colourful drinks.
So it was safe to say she wasn't fully sober anymore.
A few hours had already passed, and the King and Queen were expected to speak after the next dance concluded.
Deciding she had done enough eating and drinking, she looked around for an empty spot on the wall to digest everything she had inhaled.
She was delightfully surprised when she noticed a familiar figure surveying the ballroom, leaning against one of the pillars.
Y/N waved enthusiastically at him, catching his attention.
Kent smiled back at her and motioned for her to come over.
She lifted her skirt up so she wouldn't trip over it with her shoes.
When she was merely 15 feet away, a figure walked right into her path.
Not having enough time to stop, she ran right into them.
She felt herself lose balance and gravity pull her backwards.
Surprise filled her stomach, and she squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for impact.
But it never came.
A pair of arms wrapped around her waist, keeping her from falling flat on her back. She opened one eye in confusion and came face-to-face with Lennox. A bolt of electricity went through her body, and everywhere he was touching her felt hot.
He looked down at her in surprise. "Are you alright, my lady?"
Irene, how many times had she been asked that today? Her mouth opened and closed like a blubbering fish, desperately trying to say anything at all.
He tilted his head, waiting for her to speak.
Deciding her vocal cords were useless, she vigorously nodded her head.
She quickly righted herself and took one step away from him.
She bowed her head in respect and made to walk past him, but one of her many bangles snagged on the fabric of his sleeve.
Her eyes glanced down to where they were connected and internally screamed.
Are you serious!? She did her best to quickly release them from each other, so she missed the way he stared down at her.
His heartbeat became irregular, his eyes had dilated ever so slightly, and Irene he could not peel his gaze away from her.
The way her hands were shakily trying to untie his sleeve, her skin which had a slight flush to it, and her (e/c) eyes that refused to look at him.
All of it was so... captivating. He also began to pick up on a light scent of...
oranges? Something citrusy for sure. The longer he looked at her, the more he realized that he didn't recognize her.
While he admittedly didn't know everyone who had come to the event, he knew most.
And he certainly didn't know her. The mask that sat atop her face teased him, begging to be taken off. His fingers twitched at his side.
But just as the idea struck him, she managed to free both of them and took another step back.
She bowed her head again and rushed off.
Lennox stared down at the place where they had been connected seconds before.
He brushed his thumb over the string that had come loose on his sleeve.
And he was surprised to find he didn't feel the annoyance he would normally feel if one of his suits was damaged.
"Are you still on this planet with us?" Evangeline asked.
Lennox snapped back to attention. "Yes, sorry. I didn't realize you were back."
"Downing a glass of lemon ale isn't difficult after a full night of dancing," she joked.
Lennox nodded.
——— ??ˋ ? ?ˊ? ———
Y/N all but ran straight into the pillar. Kent was shocked by the absolute speed of the woman. She quickly shuffled behind it so she would be out of Lennox's view, and Kent breathed out a laugh.
"What did the pillar ever do to you?"
Y/N rolled her eyes, still trying to catch her breath. "Oh, please, you know exactly why I ran."
"Ah, you caught me. But I'm sure you're fine. You look surprisingly different tonight. If I didn't already know it was you under that mask, you could've fooled me."
"Let's hope you're right." Y/N sighed.
The string quartet quieted, signalling the beginning of the last dance. Kent outstretched his hand in front of Y/N's. "Would you do me the honour of giving me your last dance?"
An uncontrollable smile stretched across her face. "Why, I would be most delighted."
He grasped her hand gently in his and began guiding her towards the dance floor.
Y/N recognized Lennox's blond hair not too far away from where they were standing, but paid him no mind.
He was going to be preoccupied dancing with Evangeline if the blue head of hair in front of him was anything to go by.
Lennox, meanwhile, had been distracted ever since he had bumped into Y/N.
He couldn't help but feel like he knew her.
Had he seen her at a Ball before? Or perhaps a society function?
He suddenly hated the fact that his investiture was also a masquerade.
His sister had suggested the idea, and she and his mother had run with it.
And once they had their minds set on something, they never let it go.
But he wouldn't have to wait too long. The time was slowly creeping towards midnight, and soon enough, everyone would take their masks off to reveal themselves.
He would just have to search for the woman in the (f/c) gown.
That was another thing that stood out to him.
In the sea of traditional ballroom gowns, hers was different.
Lennox could admit he wasn't an expert on all Renetian styles, so he didn't know exactly which part of the kingdom her gown had come from.
But it certainly separated her from everyone else. The back of his neck tingled.
Evangeline tapped him on the shoulder. "Are you alright? You've been like this for the last 20 minutes. Where do you keep running off?"
Lennox peeled his gaze away from her. "What? Sorry, my mind is just sort of everywhere right now. I have my big introduction coming up."
Evangeline smirked. "Oho, is the great Lennox Hawthorne nervous?"
Lennox flicked her forehead. "The great Lennox Hawthorne doesn't get nervous, Lady Edison."
Evangeline stomped on his foot.
The quartet raised their instruments, and the final dance of the night began.
?────??────?