Starfall. |Lee Know

Four.

Centering the dance floor, Dabin allowed Christopher to pull her closer to him, and place a gentle hand on her waist while his other held hers. Her free hand fell to his broad shoulder and with that, Christopher took the first step to lead their dance.

"How did he get you tricked?" The King started a light conversation as they danced to the slow music playing.

"I don't know." Dabin chuckled embarrassingly. "I guess I'm easy to be tricked."

"But he did a good job in bringing you with this time." He gave her a wide smile before twirling her and then bringing her back into his arms.

"This time?" Dabin questioned. "I was never invited before."

Christopher let out a frustrated sigh. "My invitations always included the whole Royal Family. I'm sure the other kingdoms did the same. It's just you never received the invitations."

Dabin nodded silently. She knew what he meant. It was obvious that Dabin was kept away from the public and she never even received the invitations that were sent to her. She knew it was totally her mother's deed. The ones who saw her as a jinx and nothing else.

"Still, I'm grateful for your invitation, Your Majesty." She gave him a grateful nod.

"Spare me the honorifics shit, Dabin." He chuckled. "You are, unfortunately, Changbin's little sister, which makes you a family already. Plus, it's not our first time meeting." He smirked.

Dabin almost stopped in the middle of the dance, not getting what he was talking about. "Did we meet before?"

"We did, twice."

"And how could I not remember?" She questioned, even confused for more.

"Hmm, I'm sure you won't remember the first time, but I doubt the second. The first time was at your eldest brother, King Hyunbin's wedding ceremony."

Dabin rolled her eyes. "I was like two years old at that time!"

Christopher giggled. "You were. You were very short, very chubby with rounded cheeks, and hair longer than any other girl your age." He smiled fondly. "You were dressed in the cutest white dress I've ever seen. You looked so adorable that I couldn't forget the baby you. When I saw you for the second time, long years after that, in your eldest sister, Princess Eunbin's wedding ceremony, I was shocked!"

"What? Why?" Dabin was taken aback.

"You were a young beautiful lady, around twelve years old at that time, no longer the adorable baby that I wanted to squish her cheeks." He pouted.

"Oh, God!" She scoffed. "This is so odd." She shook her head, trying to push the embarrassment away. "Why do you remember that?" She whined.

Christopher let her go for a second before pulling her in again, swaying her lightly to the slightly now more hyped music. "Cause I envied Changbin for having you. I've always wanted to have siblings. But as you see, I'm all on my own. I have only that group of punks now." He chuckled.

"So, you wanted a little sister like me?" She quirked a brow. That was odd to be said on the dance floor while dancing with some he had chosen in front of all of these attendees, knowing what that meant.

Christopher flinched but collected himself quickly. He just realized that in others' eyes, that was a dance between the king and the future wife he had chosen. "Oh, God! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to lead you on. Actually," He smiled sheepishly. "I had my eyes already set on a certain someone. So, this dance doesn't mean what you think it means."

Letting out a very loud sigh of relief, Dabin chuckled. "Thank God! I've been thinking of how to reject a king without starting a war."

Christopher stilled for a second and looked at her with amusement. He chuckled too. "Am I that unattractive to you? You feel relieved that you don't have to reject me?"

"You said I'm allowed to speak frankly, right?" She asked, earning a nod from him. "You are the definition of attractiveness. You might be everything other than unattractive to any living creature. You are handsome, young, powerful, full of manners, and obviously muscles." She talked freely and he couldn't help but chuckle at her straightforwardness. Now he could see the similarities between her and Changbin. "But I don't know why from the moment I laid eyes on you, you oozed a brotherly aura for me. It's like you are a safe territory. I don't even feel nervous around you. So, I guess that's how I see you. A friendly attractiveness and a brotherly figure." She shrugged.

"That's the sweetest rejection I've ever received." He commented.

"As if you were rejected before." She scoffed.

"Got a point." He chuckled.

"So, why are you dancing with me instead of your lucky lady?" Dabin asked him.

"She's the one who asked me to dance with you. She could read the situation so well. She told me if I didn't show my acceptance of your uniqueness in this ball, you might be in a tight situation. So, here I am."

"She's so thoughtful and kindhearted." Dabin smiled. "Just what a powerful king needs by his side to keep his kingdom well ruled and his judgments always balanced." She paused when she noticed the blushing in his ears. "I guess it's not love at first sight, is it?"

"No," Christopher shook his head shyly. That side of him was something Dabin doubted the others knew of. "I've already known her for some time."

"Then, what's the point of this ball?" Dabin questioned.

"Formalities." He shrugged. "Just to amuse the elders."

The music came to an end and it was time for them to end their dance too. It was Dabin's first time dancing with a stranger, other than her dance teacher, yet, she was feeling so relaxed. That King really felt like a family.

"It's a shame we can't dance for more." Christopher said, now holding her two gloved hands and standing face to face with her.

"It was lovely to dance with you, Your Majesty," Dabin commented.

"Honorifics again? Are we going to be strangers or what?" He joked.

"It was lovely to dance with you, Christopher." She corrected with a smile.

"Much better." He smiled back. "I'm happy that you are here tonight. Really. Hope you are present in all the upcoming events."

"I will try my best. Thank you for having me and for being considerate regarding this." She looked down at her dress before looking at him again with an apologetic look

"You look beautiful, Dabin." He caressed her hands that he was still holding. "They are looking at you because you are standing out. Not because of the dress, but because of you. You are shining. And I'm sure that very soon you'll be dancing with someone who wouldn't make you feel brotherly attracted to, or would make you think of how to reject him without starting a war."

With a final kiss to the back of her right hand, Christopher let go of her, both bowed to each other before turning around and walking in different directions, leaving the dance floor.