A light blue light glistened in the small enclosed cell Prince Angelus bunked at. Cassiel appeared out of the shadows with a bright smile on his face.
"Seems everything is going according to your plan," he let out, he pulled Angelus off the ground by the hand and stood face to face with him, separated by a few inches.
Prince Angelus happily took his hand, he stared into Cassiel's eyes, finding peace in his beautiful brown eyes. It brought back sweet memories of his birthday celebrations with the man.
A slow romantic tune started playing in the background. Cassiel set his free hand in his pocket and retrieved the purple rose hairpin Angelus fancied from the market.
"I don't like losing," he said, Cassiel positioned it on Angelus's hair. He stood still for a moment to take in how gorgeous Angelus looked.
Angelus nibbled at his bottom lip. Feeling shy at Cassiel's intense gaze, the butterflies in his stomach did flips as Cassiel gifted him the pin Lady Catalina snatched from him at the market.
"How does it look?" He quietly asked.
"Like it was made with you in mind," Cassiel answered. He felt it was an understatement to how blooming Angelus looked but he couldn't think of any other words to describe the prince. "Do you wanna dance?"
Angelus nodded. He took Cassiel's left hand with his right hand and circled his left hand over Cassiel's shoulder. With Cassiel's right hand positioned by his waist, Angelus leaned his head on Cassiel's shoulder.
They closed the distance between them and swayed side to side to the music. He wrapped his fingers firmly around the nape of Cassiel's neck.
The embers in his body exploded. A new flame of forbidden passion ignited in his chest. Angelus was hesitant to acknowledge the beautiful feeling in case he got hurt again.
His experience with Gael left him a little scared. It terrified him to put a label on his emotions.
Angelus lifted his head from Cassiel's shoulder, rested his forehead against Cassiel's forehead, and rubbed their noses together.
Cassiel tinkered his fingers in the air; fireworks went off above them, and purple rose petals fell from the air.
Angelus took in the magical scene, it was a glimmer of hope in his dark day.
"I touch your skin and my entire body ignites," Angelus said, "Is that part of your magic?" He innocently asked, Cassiel gave a lopsided grin to his question.
"The only magic I see here is you," Cassiel invited.
Angelus blushed, and the corner of his lip turned up. He simpered at the flattery.
"Is everything ready for the next part of my plan?"
"I've got you the support of a mercenary guild, most of the royal guards, and a large band of pirates. You now command a fleet of twenty thousand men," Cassiel reported. "They are stationed all around the city putting your plan into action."
"I suppose then I should thank you for standing with me and using your resources on me," Angelus's voice fell a notch lower than a whisper.
He tipped he stared down bashfully, strands of his black hair tucked away with the pin Cassiel gifted him. Angelus struggled to blink away the tears in his eyes.
He'd always imagined Gael in the spot where Cassiel stood. With the male using his wealth to back his claim for the throne and his stance in Sevigoria. Little did he expect things to change so hastily.
The dreams he had turned into dust. A magical shapeshifter he encountered accidentally when he hit rock bottom veered around to become an important person to him. Giving him all the support he lacked from his family.
There was an innocent shift in his movements. A longing playing at the corner of his eyes. His smile became razor-sharp when he spoke, "I'll paint a world in Sevigoria with the blood of my enemies."
Prince Angelus closed his eyes, he recalled the union between Gael and his sister. He slowly mourned for the life he could have had. Forever resigned to the role of a bystander in his own love story.
"All of my loved ones have left me, and here you are, someone I can count on. You're the light in my dark life, Cassiel. "
"I'll send down an army to find you in the darkness. I'll always rescue you,"
"I dont know how to give you all of me when I'm half of myself," Angelus cried out. "I don't know how to open myself to love when I'm not sure I love myself anymore."
Cassiel touched and caressed Angelus's cheek. He gave him a sweet, warm, and kind smile. Cassiel forced Angelus to meet his gaze and spoke, "I'll open myself to loving every part of you until you're ready to love yourself again," he heartily confessed.
Angelus almost melted on the spot. What he wouldn't give to be Cassiel's ideal partner. But Angelus didn't feel worthy of being with him. He decided to enjoy every moment with Cassiel even if it won't last.
"Something of mine for you," Prince Angelus removed a silver, round ring with a purple heart-shaped emblem on it from his finger. He helped Cassiel wear it on his left-hand ring finger.
"A perfect fit," Cassiel said, he raised his hand to his lip and kissed the ring. Angelus blushed.
The atmosphere Cassiel set was seasonally warm, so even the breeze off the window near the ceiling wall wasn't too chilly. Angelus was pleasantly tipsy and happier than he ever remembered being in his life.
He and Cassiel were in their little bubble, a world where the cruelty of the royal family couldn't touch them.
"How about showing me your place when I get out of here," Angelus said, in what was likely the boldest statement of his life.
There seemed to be a million stars twinkling in Cassiel's eyes at the invitation. "Adar is beautiful this time of the year. I can't wait to have you over," he said with firm conviction.
"You should go before someone sees you," Angelus spoke; he didn't make a move to break free from Cassiel's hold,, and Cassiel stood stil,l, unfazed by Angelus's worries.
Cassiel leaned in, his hot breath ghosting over Angelus's skin, sending shivers down his spine. Angelus's nerve endings sparkled with sweet tingles.
He placed both his hands on Angelus's cheeks and looked directly into his piercing hazel eyes. "Can I kiss you?" he asked.
Touched by his sweet thoughtfulness of asking for permission, Angelus accepted with a slow nod.
Cassiel gently kissed him on the mouth. Their lips touched, forcing Angelus's breath to come fast as his nerve endings electrified.
He tilted his head to the side, breaking the kiss, and spoke, "I should go," his breath hot and heavy as he panted.
"Yeah," Angelus agreed half lucid from the amazing sensation of the kiss.
Cassiel retreated from the shadows from which he came and disappeared from the room. The blue lights dimmed down and faded away, the purple rose petals ceased falling from the air, and the room regained its former bleakness.