The Butterfly Bracelet [Yandere Prince x Female Reader]

25. Final Dance Lesson.

In hardly any time at all, the evening of the Gala to celebrate the birthday of the prince was only a little over a week away. The castle workers had been caught up in a busy haze of cleaning and other preparations for the festivities to come. The Five Lords of Vascini would be in attendance as would the wealthiest aristocrats. There were even rumors that foreign dignitaries from Luccia would be visiting.

Amidst the turmoil and frenzy, two members of the staff were doing there best to remain undetected. The Royal Tutor and the soon-to-be consort of the prince had spent the previous days refining Y/N's form and social etiquette. Ilidoro had finally pronounced Y/N suitable for Royalty, and ready to marry the prince with hardly any time to spare.

The only thing left for them to do was for Y/N to receive a final dancing lesson from Ilidoro. It would be different because Ilidoro wanted her to get experience dancing in the full skirt of her ball gown before the eve of the Gala itself. Y/N agreed that it was necessary given that it was a very different feeling walking in that dress, let alone dancing in it, and the last thing that she wanted to happen was to trip and make a fool of herself after their many months of work.

The problem was that they lacked the space in Ilidoro's parlor to practice dancing properly. They normally used the ballroom without issue, but now, not only were the servants busy decorating the giant hall but they would also be very quick to notice Y/N entering in her full regalia. Not wanting to cause a scene, it was decided between them that Ilidoro would go ahead and clear the lingering servants from the ballroom. Meanwhile, Y/N would get herself dressed and wait until the evening when the halls would be more empty. Once the coast was clear, she would meet Ilidoro in the ballroom.

Y/N was out of breath by the time her nerve-racking trip came to a halt in front of the gilded double doors that led into the ballroom. She had worn Ilidoro's traveling cloak to conceal as much of her dress as she could, but she was still on edge, worried that someone would see her. It was a relief when she reached the ballroom unnoticed and could slip inside.

She discarded the heavy cloak on the floor and crossed the cavernous space tentatively. Her footsteps echoed in the silence of the great chamber, and even though she had been in there many times before, she couldn't help but tack a moment to admire the room's splendor. The floor was made from checkered white and black stone. Long red draperies hung along the two-story-tall walls. On one side of the ballroom were a row of tall glass doors that led out onto a balcony.

The room was lovely, but something about the silence and the unlit chandeliers made it feel distinctly lonely. Before Y/N could ponder over her strange feeling of loneliness she spotted Ilidoro's figure standing a good distance away and hurried towards him, her slippers making a soft tapping sound.

Hearing the footsteps behind him, Ilidoro turned around. His heart felt like it was beating somewhere in the vacancy of his throat as his eyes landed on Y/N. Crossing the ballroom in her beautiful gown, walking with the confident posture he had taught her, she looked exactly like some renowned dignitary.

He swallowed hard and tried to keep his knees from shaking as Y/N drew near and offered him a small smile. Ilidoro thought that Y/N would look even more perfect when contrasted against the other noblewomen with their bratty natures, but secretly, he was grateful that they were alone in the ballroom and no one could see Y/N but him.

Trying to ignore the burning in his ears as they flushed, he cleared his throat again and offered Y/N his hand. "Shall w-we?" The brunette asked finding himself tongue-tied and capable of only speaking a few words.

Y/N placed her hand Ilidoro's and smiled at him again, oblivious to the effect that her presence was having on him. They intertwined their fingers, and for the first time in his life, Ilidoro felt nervous about leading a dance. He rested his honey-colored hand on Y/N's waist and began to guide her around the room, keeping rhythm even with the lack of music.