A/N: As usual, I would recommend putting the video on loop.
Lucian and you followed the rest of the crowd into the ballroom. Entering the space, you examined your surroundings and were surprised at how dark the ballroom was. Nevertheless, the ballroom was beautiful. The walls were of a pale grey and had a light gold trim. These walls all met at an elliptical ceiling, which was of a crème color. Delicate painted details covered the ceiling, which were illuminated by the two greyish-gold chandeliers. Polished hazelnut brown tiles reflected the ceiling while simple candle wall fixtures highlighted the room further. Arched paned windows let in the pale evening light while there were multiple arched doors throughout the room. On the right side of the room was a grand piano with coloration matching the tiles. Several mahogany chairs were on the left side of the room in case one wished to sit.
Already the ballroom was filled with sorcerers and sorceresses. Lucian guided you through the crowd and to the front of the ballroom. Reaching the front, you saw several mages, who held themselves with power and authority. Assuming that these were other council members, you found yourself looking down, not wanting to meet their curious eyes, though you found yourself soon casting your gaze back upwards. In front of you, the ground started to shake and you were wondering what was going on. No one else in the room seemed concerned about the shaking ground. To your utter shock a part of the ground started to rise above the rest of the floor, forming a stage. On top of the stage stood a man with long bleached blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. His brown eyes held the look of someone who had stood in power for the duration of their life. Even though he wore a simple black suit and golden tie, he seemed to be wearing one of most elegant outfits of the evening. A gold mask covered part of his face.
Silence swept over the room, as his voice spoke, "I welcome you all to the Venefici Ballatio this evening. I hope you all enjoy the dance that was started all in celebration for taking the Veneice family out of sole power. Now I believe we need some more light."
He snapped his fingers and suddenly the room's brightness grew in intensity. At first you had to block your eyes from the light. Slowly you opened them and saw that the room seemed to sparkle. People clapped throughout the room, as the man began to walk down the stage and over to where Lucian and you were standing. Everyone else in the room seemed to turn their attention back to their immediate company, as music began to sound in the room. You felt yourself tense, as the man, who was as tall Lucian, approached you. At first you thought he was going to address all of the council members, but they had already dispersed into the crowd. Thus the man stood before the two of you and you saw Lucian bow a little before standing back up.
"Ah, Lucian, so I see you brought a partner with you this year. How interesting. Is this the hybrid that the Luciels mentioned to me?"
"Regulus, surely you don't have to ask me a question that you already know the answer to."
You could tell that Lucian despised the man before the two of you and he looked less than pleased to talk to him, yet a false smile still graced his lips. As for the man called Regulus, who you presumed to be the head of the council, he wore a false smile as well, but his hatred for Lucian was evident. Regulus laughed a little at Lucian's answer, but the laugh was fake and filled with loathing. When Regulus's eyes met your (e/c) orbs, you almost wanted to shrink back, but you held your ground.
Still looking at you, Regulus replied, "Hmm, quite right Lucian," before addressing you, "You're quite a beauty for a half-sorceress. I do hope you enjoy the evening."
After giving you one last glance, he walked off into the crowd before disappearing behind a set of doors, which closed after him. You were glad to have the man gone, as he seemed like he was examining you like a painting in an art museum. Sighing, you glanced up at Lucian to see that his eyes had darkened.
"I can't wait for the day when that man falls to the floor powerless," he mumbled to himself.
Seeing his eyes darken more, you broke his trance by calling out lightly, "Lucian?"
This worked as he looked down at you and smiled slightly.
"Sorry, my pet. My hatred was getting the best of me. Now when the next song begins we'll dance."
Merely nodding, the two of you proceeded to some of the chairs in the room. Sitting down, you waited for the next song. The current song was too slow for your liking, so you were glad that you didn't have to dance to it, but you still found yourself tapping your right index finger against the table that sat in between Lucian and you. Time seemed to pass by rather quickly, as you soon felt Lucian taking your right hand in his left one. As Lucian guided you to the middle of the ballroom, you saw various people glancing at you and musicians waited for all the dancers to step onto the middle of the floor. Once everyone who wanted to dance took their spots, the musicians began to play their instruments.
Drawing you close to him, Lucian began to glide you across the floor in a fluid motion. At first you could only look down due to the growing blush on your face. His right hand rested gently on your back while his left hand held your right one. Your left hand rested on his right shoulder. You could feel the fabric of your dress swaying with your movements, which only complimented your appearance. Lucian spun you now and again, as the music played in the background. As the dance continued, you felt as though the other dancers disappeared around you, leaving only the two of you in the ballroom. The music sounded in the background, guiding you two across the dance floor.
Around you the scenery began to vanish like a painting being washed away. Dancing on a blank canvas, you saw that with each step something new formed. One step here and the dark colors of stone rocks formed. Another step and the enchanting dark blue color of the sea filled the outskirts of the picture. The sound of waves added to the music, as grey clouds formed overhead. Beams of sunlight broke through, as a gentle breeze carried crisp fall leaves across the rocky seashore. Bright reds, oranges and yellows blew past. Lucian smiled down at you and you felt yourself look away due to your cheeks growing in redness.
He spun you around once more and brought his lips close to your left ear, whispering "Please don't look away from me, my pet."
You felt heat rise even more to your cheeks, as you glanced up at his retreating face. He continued to smile at you while guiding you across the floor. Something in your chest tightened, as you looked up at him. Biting your right cheek, you began to worry, as you saw the wall slowly cracking. Trying to repair the cracks, you wanted the dance to stop, but it did no such thing. Waves crashed up against the rocky shore, as the notes of the music grew in intensity. Droplets of water splashed up on your face and you felt the salty substance run down your cheeks. Your feet didn't halt, as the dance pressed onwards while the notes started to slow back down once more.
Rays of sunlight graced both of your faces while the droplets of water still cascaded down your face. A few more notes were played and as the song began to slow down even more, the seashore faded, as the ballroom returned. When your feet stopped moving, you still felt water running down your face. Giving you a gentle and warm smile, Lucian ran his thumbs across your face while lowering himself to your height.
"There's no need to cry. You were beautiful, my pet."
For some reason you were only able to cry more while the sound of clapping echoed in the background. There were no words to describe how you were feeling at that particular moment. If only you could hide, but Lucian kept you there in front of him. He was able to see your vulnerable self; he was able to see your emotions pouring out of your (e/c) eyes. Why did he have to look at you like that? Couldn't he see that you wanted to vanish, that you wanted to run away and hide this part of you? While your mind was racing, Lucian guided you off of the dance floor before exiting out of one of the side doors.
Now standing in an empty hall, you found your knees giving way, sending you to the floor, however Lucian held you up. You wanted him to let you go, but he wouldn't. Tears continued to fall down your face, as every emotion revealed itself. Something had snapped in you and you couldn't repair it. Anger, sorrow, everything that you had ever felt since you met Lucian made itself known. Lucian held you close against him, letting your tears soak his clothes. He rested his chin on your head while combing his fingers through your hair. Personally, he was shocked to see you in such a state. He never expected to see you break down in front of him, though at the moment he only wished to comfort you. Right now, it was only you two and no one would disturb that, for if they did they would surely regret it. You were now in his arms; he finally had you.
As you clutched at his jacket and shirt, you began to hate yourself for being so weak in front of him. At the moment, you were wrapped around his finger and you were afraid that you would never be able to change that. Why did you ever have to say that you trusted him, why did he give you those reassuring and comforting smiles? Your emotions were in turmoil and he was the only one there to calm you down. Burying your face further into his chest, you tried to conceal the tears streaming down your face. You felt his hand running through your hair and heard his calm breathing. There was nothing you could do. Hearing the soft notes of a new song in the background, you closed your eyes and felt yourself calming down. Letting out a few more quiet sobs, you felt Lucian pick you up. Usually, you would protest about him picking you up, but at the moment you continued to keep your face pressed against his chest. His footsteps echoed down the hallway while his heartbeat sounded in your ears. Right now, there were only you two in the castle; everyone else held no significance or meaning.