Once their eyes locked again, Amber felt a tug towards the elven sitting across from her. There was something entrancing about him. Something dangerous and tempting that she couldn't easily ignore. When he reached out a hand towards her, she allowed the tips of their fingers to barely touch. She didn't really know what was coming over her, but she was sorely tempted to explore it.
When their fingers touched, Amber felt odd. It was almost as if she were experiencing a massage. Like something was feeling her out; reaching out to her. Trying to make a connection and discover her secrets. After a moment of staring at him in confusion, she pulled her hand back.
She saw on the elfin man's face a brief moment of clarity and disappointment that their connection had been severed.
Amber felt an inexplicable regret that she had disappointed him and frustrated that she missed their connection. This was dangerous. These feelings were too strong and sudden.
He gave her a pained smile and pulled his hand back to his lap. Amber noticed that there was a brief glow coming off the tips of his fingers and wondered what that could be from. It was possible that he'd used some sort of magic on her, but she didn't feel any hostility from him. Thinking about it, she decided to ask him once she had an opportunity to speak privately. Although the very idea that she was engaged to the First Prince was repulsive to her, it was nevertheless the case. Secretly performing magic on a member of the royal family was a crime punishable by death. This also included their intended and concubines, unless that person held a higher status than them. It would bring nothing good to cause a scene here.
"I find myself so utterly enchanted by you, that I have apparently forgotten my manners, and your country's customs. My mother would feel horrified if she were here. I am Prince Elystar Althea from the elfin kingdom of Althea. If I may be so bold, I'd be honored if you would accompany me for a walk around the gardens and that I may learn your name," he said with glistening eyes and a charming smile.
Confidence rolled off of him, but not in a conceited sort of way. He seemed very steady and mature. It felt as if he was certain of what he wanted and fully capable of pursuing and obtaining his desires. His attitude was incredibly sexy, but it was so tempting to play with his confidence; poke at it. Amber waited a few moments, as if she were debating on how to answer him. As soon as she noticed his charming smile start to slip, she smiled with a slightly mischievous air.
"I am Lady Arabella Amber Frost, I typically go by Amber. I'd be delighted to accompany you for a walk around the gardens," Amber said.
As Amber stood up, she felt a strong tug on her sleeve, yanking her roughly back into her seat. Her tailbone screamed in indignation at the rough treatment and her teeth rattled. As soon as her eyes could focus again and her head stopped pounding, she looked over at First Prince Macallan with eyes like daggers. If laser vision was one of her magical powers, he'd be dead. Which would in a sense be a shame since she hadn't had the opportunity to make him suffer enough to appease her irritation with him.
Her venomous stare was wasted on him though, because he didn't bother looking her way. Instead, he continued to glare daggers at Prince Elystar and then had the nerve to lift up his nasty arm and wrap it around Amber's shoulders. Amber tried to shake him off, but he tightened his hold around her to a painful degree.
"You may not go anywhere with my fiance. If you want to take her anywhere, you have to first ask her owner; which is me! She certainly won't be seen gallivanting around with a lowly elf who shouldn't even be allowed to sit at my table." said First Prince Macallan. He tilted his nose up at Prince Elystar and squinted his eyes in distaste.
"That's right! You should feel grateful to even be seated at our table, you aren't even our kind. You should feel honored that Prince Macallan is even allowing you to talk with him. Your kind isn't good enough to lick the bottom of his shoe!" The woman who was sitting in between the First Prince and the young elf girl spoke up for the first time.
She had a slight blush on her pale cheeks while looking at the First Prince in adoration. Her thick light brown hair was meticulously done up in braids and strands of pearls with some tendrils down the front of her delicate heart face. Her large baby blue eyes were fanned by thick light brown eyelashes. Her little upturned nose was just above her cute lips and high cheekbones. She wore a light blue and white dress that matched her eyes. The dress was quite form fitting around the chest to show off her very thin waste. Her dress was low cut to show off what little cleavage she possessed, with white lace around the neckline. She was a petite woman who appeared to be close to Amber's age. She gave off the feeling of a delicate young maiden, which contradicted the poisonous words spewing out from her mouth.
The man sitting across from her didn't say a word. He was quite handsome in a brooding sort of way with a strong jaw and prominent cheekbones. His short dark auburn hair was almost black and he had serious looking emerald green eyes. His nose was straight and well formed and his lips were the perfect balance of thickness. He was wearing a black suit with a gray vest that had several metals pinned to it, making it obvious that he was a general. It was clear to Amber that this man was none other than Duke Dreyfus, the male lead in the story 'Duchess Dash.'
Duke Dreyfus stared at the scene in front of him with too much interest, making Amber feel nervous. He was a private man who typically kept his personal business to himself. However, Amber knew him quite well from reading the story, before she transmigrated into this world. He was determined and absolutely vicious to his enemies. He was secretly a bit of a sadist and quite dominant, which extended to his personal life.
This was not a man Amber wanted looking her way for any reason. Most of the story of 'Duchess Dash' was reading about how cold and determined Duke Dreyfus was while he pursued Cray Silver and she continued to run away from him. By the end of the story, he'd become much more gentle towards her, but being gentle, and patient wasn't normally in his nature. However, his newly gentle nature only extended to Cray, and no one else. Torture was almost like a hobby to him, since he often chuckled while extracting information from his enemies.
Thinking about it, the Royal Tea Party that they were currently attending was exactly where Duke Erin Dreyfus and Lady Cray Silver met for the first time. He was supposed to feel a strong initial connection with Cray that would eventually lead him to pursue her relentlessly. However, he continued to watch the scene playing out in front of him with a strange glint in his eyes. Amber felt a chill travel up her spine when his emerald green eyes locked onto hers. In that moment, she became determined to practice her magic more diligently. As it was, she knew that she was no match for him.
"No offense, but I believe that's the Lady's decision. Although, according to you, you are engaged to her, I don't believe that makes her your property. In my country, we honor women and hold them in high esteem as the heart of our country. Although I'm aware that things are done differently here, I am from a matriarchal society where my mother Queen Kelila currently rules. I would never presume to say that I own a Lady and certainly not if that Lady were my fiance, who should receive my highest regards," said Prince Elstar to First Prince Macallan.
Amber was startled back to the conversation between the two princes and with relief, yanked her attention away from the Duke.
"Matriarchal! I'd heard that you elves were backwards and barbarous, but I keep being astounded. If I'm forced to brand her, I will. She belongs to me and no one else. No matter what she or anyone else says, she's my property to do with what I choose!" First Prince Macallan yelled.
Amber could feel his hand digging painfully into her arm and had enough. She carefully slipped her fingers into the top of her dress's secret pocket and took hold of an ice needle dipped in poison, out of her little metal pot. She carefully slipped her hand out of her pocket while holding the needle, slowly so that her movements wouldn't be detected.
Then her world was full of searing pain as Jenna dumped a pot of boiling water over her.