Alaric was smiling down at her as if he had just won the lottery and it made Morgianna uncomfortable. Still she played the gracious host and smiled at him as if she too were pleased to find them dancing. "You seem to be quite sought after tonight, I feared I would miss my chance to sweep you off your feet if I did not act fast." He looked off to the side where it seemed a line was forming.
Morgianna followed his line of sight and felt like her soul left her body. Yes, there was a line forming but right there at the front stood the remainder of the princes, their eyes locked onto the dance that she and Alaric were performing as if it were a riveting play. She reluctantly pulled her eyes away to find Alaric studying her expression, searching for a reaction that she refused to give him.
She looked back to him her face a mask of indifference which caused his smile to widen his teeth straight and white, the little points of his canines easily distinguishable. Looking at them she felt her own lengthen as if like calling to like and internally cursed. She had never wanted blood before, so why now? She looked at his neck and felt a hunger forming in her stomach, the smell of the best meal of her life inches from her face if she so wished it. While her face was a mask her eyes showed all her emotions and Alaric was pleased.
With all the mixing of the races there were some things that were not known by everyone. If a vampire is attracted to another vampire their fangs lengthen. It doesn't have to be love, just one being finding the other to have pleasing qualities, everything else could be built from that.
The song was slowing down and coming to an end. Soon another suitor would make his way up to her and cut her escape route off. She badly wished to yank her hand from Alaric's grasp, but he held firm as if he knew that she would run. Of course, he knew, he had watched for years as she ran at the sight of any of the Princes, he was no exception. He thought at first that it was because they were candidates for her hand, but when she treated him just the same it piqued his curiosity. He was 15 this year, the oldest of the crown Princes, and was told that soon he would need to get engaged. The problem is that he did not want any of the choices that had been decided. Looking at the wide mismatched eyes in front of him he slowed their pace letting the last few notes play and decided he would have to visit his father soon.
Almost instantaneous the moment his hand had released hers another had taken its place. Alaric gave what looked like a sad smile and nodded to Alistar. They were friends, but would a friendship hold up under the weight that is a love rivalry?
"Until next time little bunny." She heard his last words whispered under his breath as Alistar pulled her away and into a new song.
They were already twirling around the room, their song fast-paced just like her heart. She had many conversations with the boy before, but it had not been her conversing with him for most of them. In the ones that she had spoken while as Morgianna he had steered all the conversations, the only time she had felt like she had been able to be in full control was when she had acted as Little Red. As he spun her around the moon on his forehead kept catching her attention, but remembering the story he had told her when they were younger she blushed.
As if he could sense where her thoughts had gone he smirked leaning closer to her face. Having nowhere to escape all she could do was stare into his eyes as he continued pulling her along. "Are you thinking about how this moon will look on your forehead? I personally think it will be a spectacular sight, nowhere near as amazing as your eyes, but still spectacular in its own way."
If any more blood could rush to her face she felt she would surely die. Her heart was beating at a ridiculous speed, hammering her ribs as if looking for an escape from its confines.
"You wish, I was just thinking that whatever girl ends up with this mark would have to deal with you." She admitted her comeback was lame, but being lightheaded was causing her brain to not work at full capacity.
Another smirk was shot down at her, amusement clear in his eyes. "I think you meant that they will be lucky, I am quite the catch."
"Narcissist." She felt the twitch of her lips and blanked her face before a smile could form. She swore his ego made her want to slap the boy in front of a bunch of witnesses.
If he heard her, which she is sure he would have had to at this close proximity he did not react negatively, only letting his smirk stay firmly on his face. "Well my Queen it seems our lovely time is coming to an end, at least for now, but what is days or months when we will have a lifetime to make it up?"
He stepped back, his hand still holding hers firmly and bent to kiss the back of her palm. She wanted to scoff at his self-confident attitude, but could only watch as he passed her hand to the next in line reluctantly. 'Did they have some unspoken agreement to not let me flee the room?'
Looking at her next dance partner she wanted to roll her eyes. Thadeous had one hand around hers and the other running through his hair as he gave her a smile filled with mischief.
Another fast song came on and Morgianna was swept away being held by a boy who's personality was just a fiery as his hair. "I figured if everyone else was going to dance with you I would need to as well or it would not look good for you."
Her eyes widened in shock. She had heard the way he spoke earlier but his cockiness was astounding. "You act as if you are doing me a favor, when I do not remember asking you to drag me onto the dance floor."
If possible his Cheshire grin grew wider. "Sweetheart, I am doing you a favor. I am giving you the chance to fall in love with me, isn't that enough? Or was you perhaps disappointed I did not do a little more?" He wiggled his eyebrows his smile not faltering in the slightest even when Morgianna was sure she was wearing a look that bordered on shock and disgust.
Yes he was attractive but his attitude was not. All night she had been holding her tongue and he was one sentence away from making her lose her cool. Especially after all she had already endured. She could not afford to start a war but why were all these boys so infuriating.
She put a sickeningly sweet smile on her face and pulled one of her hands away from him so that she could run her fingers down his face. His mouth snapped shut and his eyes widened at her touch. "Silly boy, I am disappointed, but it is more that I have no choice but to spend my birthday here with you."
Without Thadeous being aware the song was already ending, all his time gone in what felt like the blink of an eye. Before the last few notes could play she had used the distraction to slip from his grasp and begin walking in the opposite direction of her admirers. Thadeous stood rooted to his spot one hand touching his pink cheek a dazed smile on his face. Morgianna heard a call from behind her but she did not turn or even slow her step. The person giving chase however was not deterred.
She had almost made it to the edge of the room, a new song already starting. She was just about to sigh in relief when her hand was caught in a firm grasp and she was pulled back into a dip, her long black hair brushing against the floor. Looking up at Caspian his blue hair framing his face with the lights behind him gave him an ethereal glow.
He pulled her up and glided them across the dance floor avoiding the other dancers with ease. He moved fluidly as if swimming through a wide expanse of the sea. "You know, I was hoping that you would come back to my Kingdom this year for your birthday, but before I could send out an invitation I received one to come here instead." He stared into her eyes never once looking away, not bothering to watch the people around them as if they were unimportant.
He did not even let her reply, instead spinning her in more elaborate moves. Out of all of the guys she had danced with that day, he by far was the most... eccentric when it came to his choice of moves. She was sure that if she could look around without risking biting off her tongue she would see nobody else dancing the way he was.
"Do you like the dance? I am quite sure that none of the other guys was able to give you a dance like this one." He gave her what she assumed was his attempt at a gentle smile. "To be honest, I was slightly jealous of those that danced before me, do you think that later tonight I could have a little more of your time?" He was the first to straight out and ask her for more time, but she had no intention of staying around any of them longer than she had to. Thinking about his request she hatched a plan.
"Well to be honest I was hoping to stop dancing with everyone else, so do you think you could help me escape from this room. I cannot promise you that I will meet up with you later tonight, but maybe we could meet some other time?" It was a noncommittal answer that was open-ended enough that he could not be upset it if was a year or thirty before she followed through.
Once again she found the music to be slowing. Any minute their time would be up and she would be taken by the hand by the next in line. She waited with bated breath for Caspian to respond, his eyes roving over the remainder of boys who waited for their turn to swing her around. "Alright, but on our next meeting you have to let me take you to lunch or dinner." His blue eyes locked onto hers, and she saw that he was ready to play dirty to win.
She would have laughed at how ridiculous the whole situation was if not that it was currently her life. Young boys all fighting for a girl, her life was a soap opera. She nodded her agreement, only focusing on the ending of the song. All at once Caspian released his hold, darting his eyes to the right as if telling her a direction to head in. Giving him a small smile she quickly slipped away thanking the gods and goddesses that she may finally get a reprieve of the torture that was her own birthday party.
No hands pulled her back this time and she was sure that whoever had tried to follow must have been thrown off by Caspian's intervention. Her smile was growing and she was sure to all that could see it that she probably looked crazy.
Slipping to the edge of the room she looked behind her but did not see any of the Princes immediately on her heels and breathed a sigh of relief. Making a snap decision she decided that since she could not go to her bedroom the next best destination would be the garden. At this time of day the sun would be setting and making the whole garden look ablaze.
Quietly shutting the door behind her Morgianna snuck through, not wanting to risk catching the attention of any of the guards who would be patrolling this part of the estate. If she was noticed she was sure her mother would have told them to make sure she stayed inside and mingled with their guests. After all her proper lady lessons that had been the sole reason she had not locked herself in her room the moment she found out who her surprise was.
Just as she rounded the next corner she came face to face with one of the six last people she had wished to see. Gabriel seemed as if he had been heading back inside when they quite literally almost bumped into each other. Behind him the sun causing his blonde locks to look like a golden halo around his face. There was a sadness in his eyes that Morgianna could not help but stare at and for some reason she felt herself reaching out.
"Are you.. okay?" She felt stupid the moment she had spoken, her question seeming pointless. Of course he is not okay. Nobody sits alone in a garden during a party with that kind of look on their face if they are okay.
He barely glanced at her before he blanked his expression. He made as if to walk past her but stopped, a contemplative look spread on his face. "You can say no... but would you like to go for a fly with me?"
He looked at her with an expression that almost broke her down. She needed to avoid these boys yet every now and then...
"It's fine I understand." Taking her silence as no he once again turned away planning to head inside.
"Wait." Morgianna was surprised at her own voice, but it was too late to take it back. "I will. Go on a fly with you that is."
Whether it was the light playing tricks on her, or the real deal she thought she saw relief flash in his eyes.