Royalty, being one is a rather exquisite title. In the old times, royalty was about money which Cerise thinks is the only thing she qualifies for. Her family is rich, practically billionaires as they used to spend days together to waste their cash before the incident happened. Queen, why must her alter self call them like that?
There's no guarantee that she's the new Queen, there are tons of aurums out there that are much more powerful than she is. Yet Cerise flushes at the thought, being Queen meant she had an advantage over everyone else. she had a title to uphold.
Cerise shakes her head, feather pen dropped from her delicate fingers as she adjusts her dress. From the drawer, she takes out a ticket, covered in white petals and golden linings. Addressed to her by her father, "This is an exclusive ball, you must attend as Rubylust's and our family's representative."
Mild excitement can be heard from her squeal, it's been a while since Cerise has been to a ball, the last one counted to be her graduation.
"Jean?" Cerise had just dialed him on her phone, he immediately picks up. Cerise paces as she thinks of how to invite him as her partner. "Call my manager please,"
Cerise looks at her phone in disbelief, "I am your manager moron."
Immediately, she hears shuffling from the other line, followed by a grunt as Jean says with a smile, "Ah lady Cerise, what can I do for you?"
Said person rolls her eyes with a grin plastered on her face.
"I need you to come with me to a ball, bring 20 grand since you're not invited," Cerise pauses, "And don't worry about your schedule I've already checked and you're free this Saturday night."
"Dress code?"
"Fancy."
Cerise ends the call, making sure to book a limousine to pick them up by 8 pm.
She paces around once more, thinking about the Royalty title along with hopelessly imagining her and Jean slow-dancing to a song. "Ah stop!" She throws herself on the bed, and her head hits something hard. She groans before lifting up the pillow to reveal the dreaded law book. Cerise realizes, she's an aurum, she has abilities!
Cerise searches it up on her phone and after a few minutes she's meditating, trying to teleport as she did on the day of the fight. Her senses are wide awake, breath labored as she's been trying for about ten times now. "Work!" Instead of her living room, she suddenly thinks about Jean, all of her focus transferred onto the thought of Jean, Cerise nearly screams when she feels herself go through five different dimensions, a neon blinding her closed eyes. She slowly opens it, hoping for it to have worked. There, she spots Jean in his bed. in his condominium, staring at her as if she'd grown two heads.
Mission Failed Successfully.
And Saturday comes just like that. Inside the limousine, Jean is peppering Cerise's hand with kisses. "You look lovely" Jean states, observing how Cerise's gown falls from her curves onto a blue mermaid tail. "Will you stop?" Cerise hides her flustered self with an annoyed tone, eager to exit this situation with her and Jean alone.
They arrive at the destination, and outside were several photographers, taking pictures of people that arrived dressed in high class suits and dresses. "Take my hand and we'll walk together." Jean prepares himself, looks at his reflection in the mirror and brushes his hair back, another hand offered to Cerise as they make their way out of the limo. Jean steps out first and he earns a loud applause which is quite unusual for a red carpet. It must be the classy way of being excited or shocked. Cerise steps out next and they're immediately blinded by flashes of camerawork. Jean continues to wave to the photographers while Cerise squints her eyes with a forced smile. Her hand gripping Jean's arm tighter when he walks forward, Jean notices the action and places arm around Cerise's back instead, hand making its way to her waist.
"Keep your cool we're almost at the entrance." Jean assures.
They enter the modern palace and a giant chandelier greets them along with embellished decorations hanging from the walls and ceilings. It seems like the party coordinator had a thing for aurum shades, the hall was covered in golden cloths and floating golden statues.
The event starts off calmly, violins emanating an elegant melody and the choir singing in gentle harmony. The coordinator introduces different people and only one person catches Cerise's attention. Up on stage was the same man who had tried to attack Jean in Joy's sweet shop. Throughout the entire hour of conversing with other rich people and business people, she has kept an eye on him.
"Hey, loosen up." Jean nudges her from the side, placing his wine down on the table.
As if on cue, a slow dance song starts. A melodious piano resonates within the hall. Jean grabs Cerise by the waist and proceeds to make their way to the middle of dancing aurums and swans. "Sorry, I'm just distracted" Cerise looks down at her feet, not visible due to the long gown.
"It's okay, you're all good." Jean assures, swaying himself and Cerise along with the beat of the song. He places Cerise's arms on his shoulder and his hands tighter on her waist, pulling them closer together.
She can hear their heartbeats. What exactly is with Jean that she seems to forget all her worries whenever he's near? Sometimes she doubts. Cerise gazes up at Jean who she catches staring back at her.
"Jean?" Cerise lets out, almost a whisper but Jean hears and his eyes soften at her tone.
"What is it?"
"I feel at ease with you." Cerise blushes and continues tracing Jean's features with her eyes, waiting for a reply.
Jean chuckles. "Me too." And Jean does the unthinkable, he plants a kiss on her forehead before placing his against hers and closes his eyes. The song slows to a stop and to ruin the majestic moment, someone starts speaking into the mic in a foreign language.
The lights turn off and ammunition is fired, with lighting travelling across the room. Cerise's eyes adjust to the dark and she goes back to back with Jean in fighting position.
Shouts can be heard and it isn't long before she sees someone hurdling towards her. Jean twists his hand and immediately, anyone coming for him falls to the floor, anyone that gets past him using his abilities is kicked by Cerise. "Don't use your power, you're gonna get caught!"
Jean begins fighting hand-on-hand. Anyone that he feels nearing them he automatically knees them on the stomach and twists their arms away. Cerise punches someone on the face, and when she leans down she feels a gun on the floor. Something she doesn't know how to use so she uses the grip to hit the attacker and presses the front sight to their temple, pretending to shoot before the attacker runs away.
The lights turn on and everyone is overlooking the chaos on the grounds as their attention is on stage. The host leader is dead. Laid out on the ground in his own blood.
But again, the host is a swan.
"We have to get out of here." Jean pulls Cerise to the exit and they begin running on the dark sidewalks.
"I'm not gonna lie, that was a tad bit fun." Jean says with a smile, Cerise however isn't sporting one. Her thoughts are left on the swan who died. No justice will be given to them.
Jean slows themselves down, and holds Cerise's hands and brings it to his chest.
"Hey" Jean whispers.
Cerise is crying. "Can I stay with you tonight?"
Jean is reluctant at first but remembers Cerise and Sal aren't on good terms, so he places his arms behind her legs and carries her. They hail a taxi and it's silent on the way to his apartment.
Sunday went by in a flash, it's already sundown and her, Trinity, Jean, and Janoir are left sipping their caffeine in Jenny's coffee shop. Cerise had near forgotten about the incident at the ball, and she starts a conversation she'd remembered something important. "Trinity…" Trinity's head perks up from his phone, "Yeah?"
"I'm making you a titan."
Silence engulfs the table, and Trinity and Janoir burst out in laughter. "Just because you're an aurum doesn't mean you're Queen" Janoir teases, but he's immediately silenced by the aggressive looks Jean is shooting him.
"It's true." Jean sips on his drink, crosses his legs and glares at Trinity who he knows, knows what he knows.
"Cerise is Queen."