[Disclaimer: Will attempt to write in a more detailed manner and will add some additional point of views. Hopefully it won't be too disorienting! ]
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Isn't that Annette?
Emal stared at the blonde at the other end of the ballroom. She wasn't wearing the usual gaudy clothing. Instead, her curly hair had been tied up with bejeweled hairpins. She was wearing a navy blue gown with a darker bodice that was adorned with strings of pearls. A simpler outfit than what he was used to seeing her in. Had she really changed her style to catch his eye again? She kept telling him that she'd changed and wouldn't bother him, but here she was. Surely, she'd done this to gain his attention. Why else would she change?
"Emal." A deeper voice brought him out of his trance.
Emal turned to face his brother, Enucd who was standing beside him. "Yes?"
"What has you so distracted?" Enucd swirled his glass of wine before taking a small sip. "Lady Penelope's been calling for you."
Emal raised his eyebrows. "O-Oh she has?" He turned to where Penelope had been chatting standing. Not finding her at that exact spot, he looked around.
Enucd sighed. "She's near the wine stand."
"Right. Right. " Emal quickly glanced towards the wine stand. There, Penelope was waving at him with a smile. She was wearing the floral gown he'd gifted her the night before. His lips grew into a smile and he could feel himself relax. She looked beautiful as always.
Emal nodded at her and took in a deep breath, straightening his chest as he walked over to her. She had two wine glasses in hand. One red for her and the white one for him.
"Thank you, Lady Penelope." Emal took his share of the wine, his smile softening as he looked at her with warmth. She always put his mind at ease. To have such a caring, beautiful woman at his side made him feel blessed. If only she'd been his fiancee, and not-
Emal stopped, the moment the thought of Annette flooded back in his mind. He looked around, searching for the figure of Anne, as he had before. However, it did not garner any success. There were far too many people in the ballroom for him to spot her successfully. Could it be that he had been mistaken then?
"Prince Emal?" Penelope looked at him as she noticed him searching around for someone that wasn't her. "Is anything the matter?"
"No... Not really." Emal said but he was still looking. After all, Annette was nowhere to be seen. She wasn't here then. Of course, Emal realised. Why would she be here? She was supposed to be sick or something. In reality, she was probably moping over the fact that he hadn't given her the time of the day. "I apologize, Lady Penelope. I was just-" Emal was about to return his attention to Penelope when something caught his eye. The Crown Prince stiffened, his gaze now fixated at the middle of the dance floor, unmoving.
Penelope would only grow more agitated at this. She placed her hand on his arm, giving him a gentle shake, in the hopes that he'd tell her what he was so distracted by. "What in the world has you so disinterested in me?"
"Annette."
Penelope sputtered. "P-pardon?"
Emal turned completely to face what he was looking at, not noticing that Penelope was calling out to him. "Annette, she's dancing with the Marquis. How dare she! "
Penelope's eyes darted to the dance floor. The Marquis had his one hand on Annette's waist and was holding her hand with the other. Annette was smiling at him as they danced in sync at the very centre of the floor. The Marquis gently took her hand, raised it and twirled her twice before pulling her closer to him. She seemed to be having fun. It was rare for the blonde to look this carefree.
Emal could only fume. He felt betrayed. This wasn't what he wanted to see. It made something disgusting in his gut churn. How could she do this to him? She was HIS fiance. If she wanted to dance this bad, she should've asked him for it. What would others think? Now that Lady Nachtnebel was dancing with another man despite having a fiance? Had she no shame?
Emal felt blinded by the anger that surged through him. All he could hear and think of, was Annette and the mess she was publicly making of their reputation. The audacity of that woman! And now... she was even allowing him to guide her into his gardens? If people realised what was going on, the kingdom would erupt in a scandal! How could she allow him to hold her hand like that?
Not hearing another word that Penelope said or Euncd was calling for him, Emal had made up his mind. He did not acknowledge Penelope's pull on his arm and instead, in his distracted irritation, yanked her hand away from him. Taking long strides, he began to cross the room, his eyes never leaving his fiancee who was being usurped by the Marquis.
Behind him, Enucd followed. Partly out of concern and partly out of curiosity. "What has gotten into him?" He quickly glanced at Penelope and said. "Lady Penelope, please dont follow us. We'll be right back." And he ran forward to keep up with his agitated sibling.
"Dammit!" Penelope hissed through her teeth. "Why is are they so interested in that wench all of a sudden? I won't let her-"
"Lady Philanderer!" There was a voice and Penelope cringed internally as she saw multiple people approach her, their gazes sharp and almost hungry.
With her being the Saintess and a woman of the Crown Prince's interest, many people were interested in 'befriending' her. So as soon as the princes left, everyone was onto her. As she drowned in the mass of unwanted attention, she could only grit her teeth and smile with force, while the princes disappeared in the direction of the gardens.
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Euncd grabbed Emal by the arm as they entered the hedge maze, north of the mansion. "Where are you going?"
Now, it wasn't particularly hard to see. Liittle lanterns of glowing crystals surrounded the flowerbeds around them, thereby illuminating the garden with a multitude of colours. Even so, Emal gaze was affixed on his targets, worried that they'd disappear into the darkness at any given moment. Emal wouldn't let the Marquis do this little rendezvous meeting with Annette.
"I don't have time to explain!" Emal snapped, tearing his arm away from Enucds grasp as he jogged over to where his targets had taken a turn. He peeked out and upon noticing the two, sighed in relief. His body relaxed as he straightened himself and continued his trailing.
"You... Why are you following them?" Enucd said, his voice low, as he kept up with Emal's pace.
"I want to know what the Marquis thinks he's doing with my fiance." Emal replied sourly.
"You think they're seeing each other?" Euncd asked and Emal shot him a glare.
"I won't let her be if she dares to go behind my back to be with the Marquis." Emal said. "I'll see to it that she regrets eyeing another man."
He picked up his pace again when the Marquis along with Annette, started walking faster. In fact, this time, it looked as though Annette was the one taking the lead, walking ahead of the Marquis, who tried to keep up. They would soon emerge out of the hedge maze and into the open. The path now was unpaved. So when Anne tripped on a rock, Maurius rushed in to catch her.
Euncd had to hold Emal back, to avoid him running at the two and potentially causing a fight. "Don't." Euncd warned. "You don't know where they're going and why. "
"Isn't it obvious where they're going?" Emal struggled in Euncd's grasp. "They're going to go somewhere dark and... "
"Don't jump to conclusions. " Euncd interrupted him. "If you're so sure of their intentions, then catch them in the act. For now, not much of what they're doing is suspicious. "
"How is it not suspicious, Euncd?" Emal was heaving and shaking. "It is in fact, very obvious! Why else would an engaged woman be out alone with another man?!"
"You spend a lot of time alone with Lady Penelope too, you know."
"That's- that's different!" Emal raised his voice at the statement and Euncd had to place a hand over his mouth to avoid him from giving their position away.
"Shush." Euncd said. "Let's keep going. If you dilly-dally here, you'll really lose them. "
Emal wrangled himself out of his brother's grasp and scowled at him. "Fine. But don't you dare try to cover up for that women, unless you also-"
"Shut up, let's go." Euncd dragged him along.
Annette and the Marquis, Maurius, stopped before the maw of a gaping cave. It was huge, easily twice the height of an average human and expansive. Remnants of human labour were strewn about this entrance: some tools, wooden planks, stilts, rags and mine carts of indecipherable ore. The cave entrance had wooden stilts propped against its sides to held keep it in place.
"See! I told you! They're trying to enter some dark space and make love to each other!" Emal only grew more firm in his own beliefs. "I won't let her touch another man!"
"But why a mine?" Euncd pondered out aloud. "If they really did want to do... what you think they will, then wouldn't it be better to do so in a discreet but a more comfortable environment?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's some weird roleplay they wish to undertake in there!"
Euncd felt like facepalming.Why is he so insistent? "Brother, you- you might be overthinking things. Annette has been in love with you since you two were children. She went to lengthy heights to have you notice her. Even bullied Lolo for it."
Emal stopped for a second. "... Lolo?"
Euncd blushed realising his mistake, his cheeks and ears turning bright red. He raised an arm to cover his flustered face as he looked away from his brother. "I-It's nothing. Please forget about what I said. I didn't mean to... "
Emal rolled his eyes as he turned his gaze back to the cave. "!" The two had already made their way inside. "Damn all! They went inside!" He sprinted towards the entrance.
"Emal! Emal!" Euncd took off after him, trying his hardest to reel back his short-tempered elder brother. Internally, he cursed Annette. If she really had taken a lover and Emal caught them in the act, then all of Euncd's plans would go down South!
The two brothers entered a warped game of cat and mouse with Emal attempting to apprehend Annette while Euncd moved in to grab hold of Emal. As Annette and Maurius had made good progress in the time that the brothers had been conversing, their chase continued for another few minutes.
Finally, Emal caught up to Anne. He was just five feet away from her when he called her name. "Annette Nachtnebel!" He roared, his voice echoing against the precincts of the void-like passage. He momentarily doubled over, panting as his chest burned from the exercise before he stood straight, glaring at Anne.
Anne jumped. She looked surprised and even confused. It was evident that she hadn't expected to see him here, of all people. "P-Prince Emal? " She noticed Euncd behind Emal and grew even more alarmed. "Prince Euncd? What... What are you two doing here?"
"No, Lady Annette." Emal's words came sharp and biting as he began to slowly take steps towards her. "What are you doing here?"