LUCIA BUZZES WITH EXCITEMENT as she rushes to get ready as if that would make the time fly by when she had put together her outfit days in advance. She could hear Elena and Tahani running through the halls with a shout, something about Elena not wearing her corset again, but she ignores their shenanigans.
Nerves are buzzing under her skin as she fusses with the folds of her yellow dress endlessly, wanting to look perfect for every eye that would catch even the smallest glance at her. Especially for a certain pair of eyes that she wants to catch the attention of.
Before getting ready, she agreed with Seokjin to meet him by the windows after entering separately, as they couldn't enter the ball together due to appearance's sake. Seokjin is still a Solarian knight after all.
Staring intently at her reflection, Lucia runs through her mental outline of how the night is to play out. Enter the ballroom with her sisters, do some courtesy greetings and welcomes, go to the window and meet up with Seokjin, dance, chat, and then... Lucia's face bursts with emotions she tries to shove down in an attempt to keep calm.
Tonight is the night she plans to confess to her beloved, and she is nothing short of nervous. She knows she has no reason to but she is nonetheless, and she has practiced how to go about it millions of times over in her head. Trick Seokjin into leading her off the dance floor, consequently lure him outside into the garden under the cover of darkness, and then let her fluttering heart go into a lovely cardiac arrest with nerves before Seokjin inevitably laughs and soothes her nerves with his undisputable charm.
Okay, so maybe that was a little played up at the end of the outline but the plan still stands.
All that was left was to wait for her sisters to finish getting ready and running around the halls. Lucia might die from nerves before then if Ellie doesn't hurry and put on her corset already.
COUNTLESS CRYSTALS and priceless gems and glasses of champagne glimmer under the light of dozens of chandeliers. Playful trades of wits, questions, pleasantries fill the golden ballroom with life not unusual for this kind of event.
Her sisters have long dissolved into the crowd, blending in with the crowd of royalty and ambassadors from dozens of foreign countries. Lucia is not entirely interested in playing the game of pleasantries and guess who but is quick to be swept up in the tide of excitement nonetheless.
Although she is quickly pulled from pair to group to pair and so on, Lucia has her eye out for one person in particular.
Lucia is not far from shaking as she thinks about her plans for the night, but she tries to swallow the lump in her throat as she looks around for Seokjin, waiting for him to appear from the crowd.
"Looking lost Lulu," a familiar voice instantly brightens the room (really it just brightens her heart) with a soft chuckle.
Lucia whips around to see her beloved dressed in a deep black suit with accents of red, orange, and gold hidden throughout in the cuffs and lining of his suit, proudly representing his Solarian colors. The late evening sun did wonders for her beloved, highlighting his jawline while sparkling in his teasing gaze.
"Says the knight who let me wander unprotected for so long," Lucia huffs playfully, handing Jin a glass of champagne to be neglected.
"Only a dozen minutes at most. Didn't know you were the champagne kind of person," he teases further, taking the glass with a grateful smile.
"It's only for the aesthetic dummy. Gotta look the part of a fancy royal and not a runaway every once in a while."
"What a surprise. Never knew you had it in you to do that," Seokjin grins behind the lip of his glass, tasting the bubbly beverage briefly.
Lucia slaps Seokjin's arm with a huff, relishing in the sound of his laughter. The next thing she knows, Seokjin is sweeping her from the table onto the dance floor with a mischievous grin on his face as he holds her close.
"Didn't realize you could dance sir knight, I didn't ask you to save you from the embarrassment of admitting you couldn't dance."
"I am Prince Hoseok's most trusted knight, it was inevitable that I learned to dance so I could accompany him to important events."
"Understandable, but I had not expected your steps to be so smooth."
"Practiced extra hard just for you dearie," Seokjin playfully winks, setting her face on fire.
"You aren't allowed to say stuff like that out of the blue," Lucia huffs, looking away from the obviously grinning man.
"Like what, dear?"
"I'm going to kill you," Lucia grumbles, making Seokjin laugh and pull her as close as he dares to try in public.
Lucia barely notices her surroundings as Jin leads her endlessly under the glistening crystals until she sees Tahani pass by with someone that Lucia can only assume to be Jimin, as what other man could dare make her dear sister smile so brightly.
"How did Jimin get here?" Lucia mutters, drawing Seokjin's attention to the eye-catching couple.
"I saw Princess Elena help sneak him in earlier today."
"The matchmaker never fails to surprise me," Lucia matches Seokjin's smile as she thinks about her only little sister, just as mischievous, if not more so, than Lucia. The only difference between the two was definitely the fact that Elena is more scheming and prone to dealing with affairs of love. Lucia, is simply a wild child, and she is proud to admit it.
The night is gentle as Seokjin leads Lucia to and fro across the smooth marble floors. Lucia could have sworn that anyone could hear her heart beating in erratic patterns as Seokjin intertwines their fingers and smiles fondly at her starstruck expression.
"You look dashing, milady," the words leave Seokjin's lips, soft as a whisper as a faint blush flares across his cheeks.
Lucia grasps desperately for any response, blushing harder when Seokjin when he realizes she's too flustered to think straight.
"Ah, how lucky you are that we are at such a formal event," he chuckles and Lucia is a hair away from smacking him at the implications.
"Jin! You can't say that!"
"But I did," a lazy smirk stretches across his face with a chuckle. Lucia's face drops into one of irritation, causing Seokjin to muffle a laugh behind his hand.
"I'm kidding, I swear, I swear!"
"I will kick your butt into tomorrow," Lucia mumbles with a huff, making Seokjin laugh even harder.
The other nobles around them glance over at Seokjin's laughter, making Lucia both blush in embarrassment and squint in irritation. Screw etiquette, Lucia likes Seokjin's loud, boisterous laugh, even if it draws unwanted attention. If those prissy nobles could get over themselves already and let Seokjin laugh in peace, it would be greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, Lucia can't say as much to their faces.
Seokjin, thankfully, doesn't seem to mind the side glances being sent their way as he twirls Lucia and pulls her back in close.
"Ah, screw what's proper and appropriate," Seokjin sighs with a fond grin, and Lucia is confused for a moment before she realizes Seokjin released her waist.
His now free hand drifts, softer than a feather, across Lucia's exposed, blushing cheek and Lucia's breath stills in shock and out of nervousness. With a lingering touch, Seokjin tucks some stray hairs behind Lucia's ear with an ever-so-enamored shine in his eyes.
"Jin," Seokjin's name leaves Lucia's lips in a breathless gasp, making him chuckle, yet again.
"Lucia," he hums back, returning his hand to her waist to lead her through the next series of steps of the waltz.
"People are staring," she weakly protests, glancing down at her feet to make sure she doesn't step on Seokjin's toes.
"Then let them stare. Let them see."
Lucia pouts in protest, looking back up at Jin who looks to be in utter bliss. Lucia can't help but share his happiness, like always, and smiles back with a roll of her eyes.
"Okay, they can stare at the most charming knight they'll ever meet."
"The most?" He grins with a small tilt of his head, curious at her sudden compliment.
"The most," Lucia nods, chewing the inside of her cheek before continuing, "and they'll know that he's not interested in anyone else other than the runaway princess."
And Lucia combusts in embarrassment at the taken aback look that takes up the whole of Seokjin's expression. Ducking her head quickly, Lucia braces for any light rejection only to hear a quiet chuckle from Seokjin.
"Yes, they'll know the knight will never even glance at any other than the runaway princess. The knight is all hers," the words tickle Lucia's ears as she realizes he ducked his head down to her ear to whisper to her.
Feeling the brush of Seokjin's lips against her ear, Lucia has a mini cardiac arrest for the umpteenth time that evening. Regardless of Seokjin lifting his head back up, Lucia has a hard time meeting his eyes again as a strange, yet comfortable, silence envelops the two. With the orchestra of strings and piano, the two breeze through step after step, and turn after turn, slowly beginning to crack a few jokes here and there about how close one or the other is to crushing some toes again as if nothing had happened moments prior.
"I haven't seen Tahani in a while," Lucia tries not to frown as she spies Zoe with whom she can only assume to be King Yoongi of Daelor, and spares them a brief, polite smile to hide her bewilderment.
"Jimin isn't around either, they must have stepped out," Seokjin hums unconcerned, lightly elbowing Lucia in hopes of distracting her from her worry.
Lucia tries to shake it off, instead, summoning the will and confidence to continue the next steps of her plan to lay out her heart in its entirety for Seokjin to see.
Muhaha... If you haven't read @-hyungnim's Eclipse then you might be a tad bit confused after this chapter but it won't be too much of a problem! I do heavily recommend hopping over and reading it nonetheless!!