I met him, unofficially, for the first time when his brother was flirting with me and refused to take no as an answer and I, clad in the glamour and pomp that served the titles my family held, of the newest Astaporian fashion was being courted and flirted with by men left and right; at least they took no for an answer. Every man stared, but it didn't make me uncomfortable, no, see, I had grown accustomed to it. Both the Astaporian Princes Icas and Demetri were infatuated with me, I still do not understand why. I preferred Demetri though, we were friends and I had avoided his brother's affections to the best of my abilities, which was hard considering Icas Le Deux is a hard man to say no to.
Demetri was there and he noticed the shift in my stance when Damarion came over and punched his brother, Baegor. He, naturally, assumed I was frightened and led me away after Damarion apologized to me about his brother's actions. I nearly fainted, his voice sounded like satin and dusk, such a glorious combination.
I felt his eyes on my back the whole time I was walking away. So, I added a little bit of a sway in my hips to tease him.
The second time I met him I recognized him, but, alas, did not know his name. We were at a ball and Demetri had left my side for a minute to get us drinks. I was wearing my favorite dark green dress with gold and black accents. Demetri was the Crown Prince now. His brother, Icas, had disgraced himself along with my deceased brother's friend, Daemon, and had been disowned.
Damarion walked over as casual as talking, a 6'7" incredibly handsome man walks over, dark eyes and dark hair with skin the color of a white pearl. So beautiful, so elusive. He introduced himself and I nearly fainted. Again.
Demetri walked up at that time and I realized my time with this man, that drew me inso, was coming to a close. So, I tilted my head and gestured with my eyes to the dance floor. He understood, thankfully. "May I steal Miss. Veleris for a dance?" His eyes shone with mischief and I nearly pounced on his arm when Demetri said I could go.
I kept myself together on the outside but was screaming like a middle schooler who had learned that their crush liked them back.
Pathetic, really.
He took my hand and led me onto the floor, my breath caught in my throat. I held his gaze for as long as I could muster, and glanced down, my eyes firmly on the button of his dress shirt. His left hand was warm against mine, his right hand firmly placed on my waist. I inhaled sharply, glancing back up through my eyelashes shyly. And, so, our game began. A game that would last eons.
His eyes were studying my responses to him, the way his fingers on my back would cause me to arch into him and cause a soft blush to bloom on my cheeks. Or how his lips felt near my ear, his breath stirring my hair; and I felt how rapidly his heart beat, of the muscles beneath his clothing. Every moment spent dancing with him was a break from reality, he was a free feeling, a reality that I wanted, one where my life didn't exist in the way it did in this one. He was a fantasy.
We danced for the majority of the night before we both decided we needed air. He walked me to the balcony that over looked the royal gardens. "Would you like to go down there?" He asked me politely. "Of course." I replied, my voice as sweet as honey. The walk was long and I yearned to be out of the sight of the balconies, out of sight of the people drinking and smoking on them. I didn't realize until later on in my life that the Queen watched us walk into that forest.
We stopped at the beginnings of a clearing, the "garden" was actually a forest. A very peaceful, calming sort of forest. As young children Demetri and I would play hide and go seek with Daemon, Icas, and Vahaerion. We had numerous places to hide, and we even staged a couple of fake weddings. Daemon and Vahaerion built me a little cottage by one of the rivers that cut through the land. They told me on my sixth birthday that fairies were there, of course I called bullshit on that because I had seen the wood and river nymphs. Anyway back to the actual story:
I mean he truly looked at me. Engulfing me with that fiery gaze that sets my soul on fire every time. And I knew I was done for.
My life barely even started and I was falling in love with a man who wasn't my fiancé, the Crown Prince, and a person who I barely knew.
I pressed my back against the tree; desperate for something to steady me, my heart pounding in my chest. And he reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear that had come undone. And I, unconsciously, leaned into his hand. It was smooth, and cool against my heated skin.
My eyes never leaving his, I reached up and grasped his larger hand in my much smaller one and brought it to my lips and kissed his palm. I saw something shift in his gaze at that moment, and I knew it was taking all of his self-control not to have me under the protection of the trees.
"It's alright." My voice was a hum, low and throaty as I uttered those two words, so completely enraptured by him. He understood, I could see the relief in his eyes. As he leaned in to kiss me, moving his hand to cradle the side of my face and, to his and my dismay, the Crown Prince decided to come find us. "Gaetho! Darling, we need to end the night with a dance!" Demetri called out into the darkness, his accent thick in his voice. He was getting closer. And so was Damarion. Almost immediately before Demetri found us Damarion kissed me. A chaste kiss, but my heart stopped all the same in that moment, his lips were as soft as I had imagined them to be.
"There you two are! I haven't seen either of you in a while!" Demetri said, oblivious to the sexual tension now surrounding us; we murmured "My prince." and I curtsied while staring at the ground, still in shock. "Come now Gaetho we must dance, my mother requests it." He said and offered me his arm. "If... If the queen requests it then... it must be so." I said as I looked up, choosing my words carefully, unsure if I could speak properly. "Are you alright, my dear?" Demetri questioned, "Just tired and a little faint." I replied, which was only half a lie.
I could feel his eyes on me still- those eyes that held a thousand words, and I glanced over and took him in. The shadows bathed his face in an eerily beautiful glow; his lips held a small smirk, and I could see in his eyes he was amused. As quickly as I had looked at him I looked back at Demetri, as he was turning around saying something about asking his mother if she would rethink her request. "Are you two coming or must you stay in the shadows all night in the forest?" He questioned. I tilted my head forwards suggesting that we go. Damarion nodded, so I called out to answer the Princes question that we would be coming. Damarion's hand brushed against mine and I felt a fire start to spread from just his touch.
He chuckled after a moment, and I felt a blush spread on my cheeks, and I looked away, even as his eyes bore into me, imploring me to speak, to do anything that related to him.
The Queen had come back outside with a goblet of wine in her small hand. Watching our interaction. My blushing did not help the scowl that grew on her face. Her pale white face. She had been beautiful once, but now her age was catching up with her. With platinum blonde hair and electric blue eyes, she was eighty-nine and as regal as ever, she was planning to pass on the Crown to Demetri next year.
We reached her and Demetri introduced Damarion, momentarily forgetting Damarion's place in the Astaporian court. "I know who he is. He should not be here. He should not be with her." She shot a glare at her son before continuing, "Their fates are intertwined. I will tell you later Demetri. Go inside, find Fredrick, tell him it's time they go."
Alarm shot across my face but as quick as it was there it had disappeared. "My Queen, I do not wish to overstep-" I was cut off as soon as I said that word, "Then say nothing. And go home child." Her voice was as harsh as the scowl on her face, her eyes like hot coals. "As you wish." I curtsied and hurried inside to find my family. I felt his eyes on my back, burning holes straight into my soul.
Many women congratulated me on being engaged to the Crown Prince and I thanked them for their support. I could not find my family, so Damarion showing up behind me and guiding me through the crowd, his hand resting lightly on my elbow, did not surprise me one bit. "Do you know where they are?" I asked him. "Yes." His voice sounded pained and tense, I wanted to ask him what was wrong but before I could even get the words formed my family had seen me. "Have a nice night Miss. Veleris. We should not have kissed; it was a mistake." Pain was in his eyes, laced into his words, and I felt like the world had shattered around me. My fantasy was over.
He left me speechless there. Standing in the great hall of the palace, my family pulling me along to the carriages. Watching his broad shoulders disappear back into the crowds, my heart was breaking for a man whom I knew I could never love or have. But I yearned for his touch and his voice and the way his eyes bore into me. And the way his eyes would be the only thing showing emotion on an otherwise impassive face, that looked as if it had been chiseled out of marble.