Venomously, yours

19

Stepping outside the ballroom suddenly felt like the biggest mistake of my life. I felt like I was missing some important sign. I was having a weird feeling as if I was walking right into a trap. The anonymous prince was still out there and I was really worried he would do something crazy. What if he did something when I'm not there?

I look around to see if I could find Oren somewhere, but he wasn't around. Where did he go now? I walked forward, looking for him. I was so confused, I turned around, going back to the ballroom....Maybe he's still in there.

Cool hands suddenly covered both my eyes, "Guess who?" Oren's familiar voice whispered in my ears. I smiled, easing back into his arms.

I turned around and he released his hands, "Hi!" He smiled, looking me up and down and I did the same for him. He was wearing a black suit with a black shirt underneath. It clenched around his waist. His hair had just the right amount of gel. Simply, he looked dashing.

"You look stunning, princess," He complimented, making me blush. "Right back at you," I joked, trying to cover up my blush. He smiled, although it didn't reach his eyes.

I pulled him to a giant balcony, near the ballroom, closing its door. We could see everything from there. It overlooked the rose gardens which looked absolutely breathtaking in the moonlight. We could hear muffled chattering and muffled music from the ballroom.

He looked at me, "You didn't call me here to murder me, did you?" He asks, his voice slightly heavy. I chuckled, looking at how perfect he looked under the moon. I wiped my palms on my dress. Why am I so nervous? It's just Oren!

"No...actually, I have to tell you something," He raised his eyebrow. "I-"

"Wait! Do you want to dance, Princess," he said, extending his hand out.

"No, I have to tell you someth-"

"Can you tell me while we dance?"

"Yeah well there's no music," I replied.

"Yes. There is." He smiled, "Listen closely." So I did. He was right, there was, in fact, muffled music, from the ballroom. I smiled, "Okay."

He took my hand, pulling me closer. Both of his hands went around my waist. I put both of mine on his shoulders, interlocking them behind his head.

It felt...good. Dancing under the moonlight, with my future partner. But something still felt off. Like a weird feeling in my stomach that I couldn't really shake. Something's going to happen. I don't want to be gone from the ballroom for too long.

"Listen, Oren, I'm supposed to choose someone today," I started, not knowing what to say. He laughs lightly, "I know."

"Well...you might've guessed by now who it is," I continued, looking into his beautiful brown eyes. "Who? Me?" He exclaimed as if he couldn't believe it.

I chuckled slightly, but then looked into his eyes, completely serious. "Yes."

"Oh wow!" It looked like he didn't know what to say as he pulled me closer. My head now rested on his shoulder and he rested his head against mine.

We swayed lightly, enjoying each other's company. This felt perfect but not quite. The sinking feeling in my stomach grew stronger.

"I have something to tell you too." He whispered, sounding like he had been waiting for this for a long time.

"What is it?" I whispered, genuinely curious. We both were whispering into each other's ears, talking normally felt too loud.

He tightened his arms around me, "Are you ready for the final showdown?" The words sent chills down my spine. They felt familiar. They were the same ones written on the paper.