22. the gala: part three

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𝖉𝖚𝖘𝖐 • the ballroom━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

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𝖉𝖚𝖘𝖐 • the ballroom
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Dusk had not yet realised that it had been an hour since Aurora had gone into the bathroom. He had waited and waited and waited without question, warding everyone who came near away and sinking to the floor eventually to lean against the door after his legs had grown bored of standing.

The gala went on around him and he watched, head thrown back against the door while music danced around his ears and people became blurred flurries of one before him in the waltzes and slow dances they took part in. Conversation flew around him, vague and distant but other times crisp and clear. He paid no heed to other people's businesses.

For the time he sat on the floor, he busied himself with the details on the marble floor beneath him, running his finger along the gold designs that drew him in into their abyss. He had painted something inspired by the palace's marbles, by its gold and luxury. Once on a canvas and another on one of the clay bowls Aurora had created in the art room, only ever used by the two of them.

A faint smile flickered on his face at the thought, pulling him deeper into his world of memories and distant thoughts.

Mindlessly, he looked up for a change, doing a double take when he saw the golden-rosiness of Aurora's gown and sheer of her cape fly past the arched entrance, guarded double doors thrown open to let guests in as well as the warm air. She was running right, chasing after someone, he assumed.

His face fell when it hit him-when he realised he had been standing in front of the bathroom for (probably) an hour like a fool while she had been enjoying herself out there.

Not that he minded she was, but he hated she felt she had to trick him to experience that. He would have accompanied her if she had asked, or gotten Dawn to take her if she didn't want him with her.

Yes, he had reservations about Elara, but he was going to take Aurora to her... eventually. As hesitant as he was. It would have made her happy, and yes, perhaps he might have stalled a bit, but he was going to take her the second she'd eaten and gotten her energy up.

"No wonder she's been gone so long," he mumbled to himself, climbing off the floor, his shoulders slumped.

He had probably made her feel trapped, and the thought sank and then broke his heart.

Cassius approached, eyes focused on the drink in front of him.

"Hey," he said. "You... have been standing in front of the bathroom for quite some time. Are you sure you don't want to go and enjoy yourself? Maybe mingle? Maybe your soulmate might be here tonight. Does me trying to coax you with that at every social event stop working at some point or... What?"

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