Simon's statement took aback George and Charlie. 'His guests? And since when did the commander care enough to accompany two girls like this?' Their questioning glances at Eliana and Georgina weren't surprising. Eliana never spoke of her accommodation at the palace except to Nigel and knew she had to explain the situation before they misunderstood. "Yes, Gio and I are currently guests of the princes and live in the palace due to a chain of coincidences. But it is a long story." she finally said and, with her last remark, made sure that no more questions were asked.
George and Charlie looked shocked and didn't know what to say until Nigel butted in and lifted the awkwardness. "It would be an honor if you joined us, Prince Simon. We were about to go to the city center for the performance."
"Great, I know a shortcut. Follow me." Simon didn't lose any time and walked ahead. To his pleasant surprise, everyone followed suit like little ducklings.
At the very back, Nigel walked beside Eliana and whispered his remaining question. "Is Georgina the one who is in a relationship with one of the princes? Is that why you two live in the palace?"
"What? NO! How do you develop these ideas?" her head snapped in Nigel's direction.
"You don't seem to know much about Prince Simon. He never appears at these gatherings and is famous for being a ladies' man. So, him coming along with us is rather odd. It could only be explained by his interest in one of you two girls."
It took Eliana a few seconds to digest what he just said. "Nothing is going on between them, Nigel. Neither am I having an affair with one of the princes, so please drop it." She tried to convince Nigel of the opposite of what she believed. What he said made sense, and she had seen how Simon looked at Georgina, which seemed too affectionate. She never thought about it before, but now that he openly stated it, it sparked her interest. Deciding to observe their interaction in the future, she focused back on her surroundings but was stunned when Nigel suddenly held her one hand.
"I hope I didn't offend you. It is hard to see through you, and I would love to get to know you better, Eliana." He looked at her with longing eyes, making Eliana pull away her hand abruptly.
"Did I do something wrong?" Nigel knew that he had to be patient with her because he guessed that she was still innocent, plus she was a human. She probably felt overwhelmed by a werewolf like him, but it was hard for him to keep his distance.
"No, you didn't do anything wrong, but let's catch up with the others so we don't lose them." Eliana didn't want to be alone with him.
Approaching an enormous square with a significant stage in the middle surrounded by towering sandstone columns, Simon led the group through a secret passage so that they could get closer to the center of the stage without going through all the people. Once they arrived at the designated spot, he told them to stay put until the show ended. He had seen a couple of officials he had to greet and would return later to introduce them to some fantastic street performers.
Georgina was sad to see him leave but composed herself quickly. She had many goals in life and didn't want to lose sight of them on account of a man. It wasn't worth it, so she scolded herself for being easily smitten by the prince.
Next to an internally battling Georgina, the boys were sullen with displeasure by the prince ordering them around, but they had no other choice. He was their superior, and as werewolves, their wolf would not allow them to disobey unless it was a life-threatening matter. Trying to stay positive, four group members kept themselves busy chatting and laughing while waiting for the show to begin, except for one whose eyes relentlessly scanned the area in search of one explicit being. She had pondered whether he was already at the fest and, if so, when he would find her.
The cheering screams brought Eliana's attention back to the stage. The band and dancers were taking their place. Eliana was mesmerized by the beautiful creatures standing on the stage. They had much darker skin and long black hair and looked incredibly beautiful. "These are the werewolves from one of the colonized areas. It is said that they have the most gorgeous women amongst them and have impeccable artistic skills." Nigel explained to the girls.
"How come we haven't seen anyone else like this before? We have been in the city for a while now." Georgina commented.
"Not many settled here in Lothaire, and they have their shops on the outer part of the city. I would assume you haven't been there yet?"
The girls shook their heads. "Then the boys and I can take you one day."
"Hmmm, sure, why not," Eliana said in an irritated tone because she didn't feel comfortable with Nigel's advances which didn't go unnoticed by Georgina. 'Did something happen between these two?' – she had been confident that Eliana fancied Damien, so Nigel's attitude confused her.
The music started, and the singers' voices carried across the city, blending seamlessly with the rhythmic beats of traditional instruments. The performance captivated all the spectators, their eyes locked on the dancers. The crowd's energy was palpable as people from all corners of Agora clapped and swayed to the music, celebrating the unity and diversity of their desert home.
After a couple of upbeat songs, the music stopped, and the performers were exchanged so that only one singer and two dancers were left. She was sitting on the floor with her long dress laid out on it. Her waist-long charcoal black hair was braided, and flowers were pinned into it as decoration. In front of her, one female and one male dancer took their positions, looking at each other as if nobody else was there. It was a hair-raising scene with the sun setting behind the city buildings and the torches around the stage lit.
The crowd hushed down as the singer's soulful voice started to soar through the air. Her words seemed to weave a tapestry of love and longing, reaching deep into the hearts of those who listened. Each note was filled with raw emotion, evoking a sense of yearning that seemed to touch the very core of their beings.
Accompanying the singer, the couple gracefully danced intimately, their movements fluid and sensual. Clad in flowing garments adorned with intricate embroidery, they glided across the stage as if weightless, their bodies perfectly attuned to the music. Their choreography told a love story, intertwining with the singer's voice as if engaged in a passionate dialogue of movement and song. Each lift and dip spoke of desire, heartache, and the unyielding power of love.
Eliana's entranced state was interrupted by the feeling of being observed. It was a strong presence, and she examined her surroundings one more time to figure out where this feeling came from, and the moment her eyes met his, time stood still. The music faded away, and the dancers turned blurry as Damien's clear green eyes and the endearing expression he carried enchanted her immediately. They both didn't move or utter a word but only stared, drinking in this precious moment where their heart beat as one. Their look could only be described as two people deeply in love with each other, scared to lose one another.
Their feelings were so intense that it became difficult for Eliana to breathe, and all too soon, the moment was destroyed by none other than Nigel, who put one arm over her shoulder. Eliana instantly felt uncomfortable and flustered. "Nigel, what are you doing?!" She said harshly while taking his arm off her shoulder.
"I apologize. I just got caught in the moment." He didn't push her any further and pulled back his arm. It hadn't been his intention to force himself on her, but he wanted to show her how much he cared for her. Maybe he was moving too fast?
Worried that Damien had misconceived the situation, Eliana looked back at where he had stood just seconds ago, but he was nowhere to be found. She didn't understand where Nigel got the spirit to act like this since she had never told him she was interested in being more than friends. Maybe she had to openly communicate her thoughts so he would stop acting like this.
The intimacy of the performance created an almost tangible connection between the performers and the audience. Hence nobody from the group realized what had happened other than Georgina. Eliana's reaction verified her suspicions and her senses were alert to protect her best friend.
Once the performance was finished, the four friends waited for Simon as he had ordered, but he didn't show up even after most of the audience had left. "Should we go ahead? Maybe he got caught up with something?" Eliana wanted to look for Damien and was getting anxious the longer the wait endured.
"We cannot defy a commander's order. If you want, you two can go, and we will meet you later once Simon has shown up." Charles said, understanding that the girls wanted to experience the rest of the fest.
"Ah, is that a wolf thing? You must do whatever an Alpha or Beta tells you?" Eliana's curiosity was switched back on, and Nigel was happy to answer, seeing her enthusiasm.
"Yes, we must abide unless it is life-threatening to us or our mate. But Charles is right. You don't need to wait with us. I'm guessing you also want to change for the party."
Eliana wanted to keep asking about the wolf urge they had but was simultaneously aching to go and see Damien again. Besides that, it was true that the girls wanted to change before the party, and it was getting late. Feeling a little guilty about what she was about to say next, her voice turned soft and apologetic. "If you don't mind, we would love to go change."
"No problem, we will see you later."
The girls didn't waste any more time and left the three boys by the stage. On their way home, Georgina probed Eliana regarding Nigel and whispered in her ear as the guards were still walking behind them. "Did something occur with Nigel today?"
Usually, Eliana hid her feelings and thoughts, but this time she was happy that her friend had realized something was going on. "I don't know. He held my hand and put his arm around my shoulder. It was a little weird."
"Hmm, I think weird is the wrong word, but I understand you. You should tell him your intentions before he does something far worse." Seeing her mood shift, Georgina hooked her arm around Eliana's and changed the topic.
"How rude of Simon not to return, don't you think?"
"He probably had a good reason. Why would he deliberately let us wait there?"
"I don't know, but he is manipulative and cunning. So yes, I think it is possible that it was on purpose, even though I couldn't say why."
Eliana was perplexed by Georgina's conclusion, but before she could overthink it, Raya greeted them by the entrance to the palace, waiting for Damien.