♡ Odette's POV ♡
Erica and Falene seemed to take pleasure in picking out my outfit and doing my hair and makeup before my party.
Erica wanted something sweet, picking out tons of pastel gowns and wanting makeup to highlight my natural beauty. Falene, on the other hand, wanted something show stopping, picking out bold dresses and wanting to try new creations with my hair.
In the end, I compromised with both of their visions, choosing to wear a flowy golden dress with a beautiful diamond necklace and high heels. I let Falene curl my hair and Erica do my makeup, keeping my eyes fixed on the both of then through the mirror in case they got any ideas on changing my look.
Afterwards, Erica got changed into a midnight blue cocktail dress, effervescent pearls shining among diamonds in her necklace. Her curls had been pinned up with Falene's help, and her black heels made her tower over my minuscule height, even with my heels.
"We better hurry," Erica said as she fixed her diamond earrings. "I don't think our kings would be happy if their queens were late."
***
The ballroom was packed, full of royals and nobles I had never seen before. I assumed royal birthdays were now an excuse for everyone from everywhere to party, though I'm sure most of the royals there were acquaintances of Zayn.
Night had just fallen over the Empire, and my official seventeenth birthday party began.
I spotted some familiar faces in the crowd, and others I had never seen before. Everyone wished me a happy birthday as I passed, and with a start I realized this was no formal ball like I had been brought to my entire time here.
The lights had been dimmed and the streamers and balloons glowed with an ethereal light that seemed to reflect off everyone in the room. Waiters and servants walked around carrying trays of snacks and flutes of champagne and other alcohol, and everyone was socializing or dancing to the loud music.
Erica guided me through the huge crowd as we searched for Zayn and Eli, finding them by the snack table not long later. I found Zayn was talking to Ivy, a black dress hugging her figure and her dark hair straightened. She looked nice despite her bruised face.
"For you, my dear." Eli told Erica as we approached them, holding a flute of champagne out to his fiancé. Erica took it graciously before downing it all in one gulp, winking at her king afterwards. Eli only stared blankly, almost like he hadn't witnessed his love act so improper before.
Erica held her hand out to her fiancé and soon dragged him out to the dance floor, Eli looking bewildered as he was forced to follow.
Zayn chuckled next to me, sipping on his own glass of champagne. His eyes seemed to sparkle with something...mischievousness? He was dressed nicely in all black, and he seemed to think I was dressed pretty nicely too, as he couldn't take his eyes off of me. I soon realized it wasn't mischief in his eyes like I had previously thought when he leaned in close, a hand on my back pressing me closer to his body. It was lust.
"You look amazing in this dress." He whispered into my ear, his hand on my back gradually moving lower until I moved away, giving him a coy look. Zayn smirked and grabbed a glass of champagne off one of the servants' platters, handing it to me.
"Drink up, you're seventeen. You deserve a bit of fun." He told me, my small fingers gently grabbing the glass and raising it to my lips. I had tried alcohol before, but never really craved it all that much. I would drink at special occasions or formal parties, but never really just on a whim.
Then again, today was my birthday. Zayn was right, I did deserve a bit of fun.
So, after several drinks and many dances with Zayn later, I was feeling like I was on cloud nine. The entire time I was held captive by Zayn's intense gaze, his hands keeping me close. My hair had been pushed to one side at one point, Zayn's lips gently assaulting the skin at the crook of my neck in the dim light. I had been left dizzy and breathless when he released me, his lips at my ear soon after.
"Meet me in my bedroom for your last present." And then he left, giving me one last look of desire before walking down the hall to his room.
At first I was left dumbstruck in the center of the dance floor, my hand reaching to touch over the skin Zayn's lips had ignited a fire of pleasure in only a few moments before. My heart was pounding, my blood rushing through my veins with excitement.
I decided to wait a bit before making my way to Zayn's room, all of the happy partygoers having too much fun to care that their host and guest of honor were missing from the party. Still, I hated to think I would make someone worry if they didn't see me at the party, so I quickly found Falene and told her I would be in Zayn's room should anyone ask where I was.
I quickly rushed down the hallway, my feet racing down the Manor hall faster than ever before in my life.
Needless to say, I probably should've been watching where I was going, because I ran right into someone, a small package falling to the ground as we both fell down.
"I'm sorry." I immediately blurted out, getting up and rushing to pick up the present wrapped in golden paper from the floor. I didn't need to look up to know who I had just accidentally bumped into.
"It's okay, Odette." Seamus chuckled, rubbing his side with his hand. "Remind me never to get in your way again, you hurt."
I smiled softly at his attempt to joke, watching as Seamus shyly dug his hands into his slacks pockets. He was dressed nicely, nicer than I had ever seen him. He was only wearing a white button up with a black vest and pants, shining black dress shoes finishing off his look, but I still thought he looked nice. I found it sweet that he had dressed up for me. I held out the present to him, but he shook his head at me.
"I-it's for you. Happy birthday, Odette." He smiled at me, and I found myself returning his adorable grin. "I was gonna give it to you later when you weren't so busy with all these royals, but I guess you can have it now that I bumped into you."
"Really? Thank you, Seamus." I couldn't stop my smile from getting bigger. Throughout this chaotic stay with Zayn's family, Seamus was one of the few people I could count on to make me happy. I was eternally grateful for his friendship.
"Open it." Seamus bit his lip, nervously rocking back and forth on the heels of his fancy shoes. I found it adorable. "I had it specially made for you."
"Specially made?" I asked, my slender fingers already carefully opening the package. I was never one to rip open presents, partly in fear of damaging the contents inside, and partly to save the pretty wrapping paper. It was a small box, one probably around six inches wide and tall. I dropped the wrapping paper to the ground, giving Seamus a teasing glance as he impatiently waited for me to open his gift.
"I hope you like it. It's not much..." Seamus muttered shyly, and I opened the box to reveal an ivory handkerchief. I pulled it out of the box, unfolding it carefully. Seamus was right, it wasn't much, but it was nice. It seemed to be hand-embroidered, my initials stitched in golden thread in a corner, colorful designs scattered throughout the edges of the fabric. It was beautiful.
"Thank you Seamus, it's beautiful." I smiled before hugging him tight. Seamus seemed taken aback by my loving attack, considering all of Zayn's warnings to stay away from me, but he still wrapped his arms around me gently.
"You really like it? I know it isn't any fancy clothes or jewelry that everyone else here can give you..." Seamus muttered, clearly embarrassed.
"No, it's perfect. I love it." I assured him. I brought it closer to my eyes to see just how intricate the pretty designs were, and I was overcome with a sweet smell. I stared at Seamus in question, and he only shrugged.
"I remembered you saying what your favorite perfumes were when we were walking around the fishing town and I sprayed some on the handkerchief. I guess I went a little overboard with trying to make you like it." He laughed, and I couldn't help but giggle. He really was adorable.
"Well that was nice of you." I told him, bringing the cloth closer to my nose so I could try and figure out what perfume it was. I took a deep breath, coughing soon after. Seamus most certainly had sprayed a bit too much. I tried to smell it again, but strangely I felt a little dizzy as I pulled away from it. The scent was sweet, yes, but a red alarm flared in my brain when I realized it was a sickly sweet smell, one that was making me woozy. I coughed again, reaching for the box to put the handkerchief away, when I was violently pressed against the corridor wall.
Seamus pinned me to the wall harshly, taking both my hands together in his strong grip, pressing the handkerchief back to my mouth and nose. The sick smell invaded my senses, and I panicked, trying my best to throw the man I previously thought was my friend off of me. When that didn't work, I tried holding my breath, refusing to let the deadly perfume get into my system.
The dark look Seamus gave me was one that made my blood run cold, but it was the words he spoke that made my heart beat falter.
"I believe you have a meeting with someone very important, your highness." He whispered to me, my lungs beginning to burn from not breathing. Tears were forming in the corner of my eyes, what was going on?
"You royals are so stupid. No one would expect the Leader to be a security guard."
My heart practically stopped then and there.
Seamus was the Leader of the revolution.
How could I have been so blind?
I considered screaming for help, maybe some of the other guards weren't with him and would save me? My lungs were on fire, my head was pounding, I needed to breathe.
One scream. Make it a good one.
I opened my mouth to scream, taking a small breath, but that was all it took. I had been exposed to Seamus' toxin for too long, and suddenly my vision was blurring, my head was spinning, and the scream I intended to be harsh and loud came out as a weak whimper.
No one was coming to save me. My panic and fright that should have been exhilarating my body was slowly fading from the drug in the handkerchief, but I was determined to leave some sort of clue to my distress. Maybe no one would come to my rescue now, but that didn't mean someone couldn't look for me later.
With the last of my strength I used my restrained hands to loosen the grip on the one thing that would definitely catch an important someone's attention. Seamus was oblivious to my right fingers pulling on the silver band of Zayn's ring on my left index finger, too caught up in watching my body slowly losing consciousness to hear the clink of silver metal hitting the floor.
All too soon I felt the ground disappear underneath me, and just as I felt my knees gave out and my eyes shut, I heard a chilling warning.
"With you, my sweet, the Empire is mine."
♚ Zayn's POV ♚
I had been sitting on the edge of our bed for the past thirty minutes and Odette still hadn't come to get her special present.
While that made me a little upset, I kept telling myself it was her birthday and she was probably on her way now. I shouldn't get mad at her on her own birthday.
Maybe it was just nerves, but I couldn't help myself. I reached into my suit jacket pocket, pulling out a red velvet box.
I fiddled with it for a few minutes, my heart racing with each passing second that she wasn't here. What was taking her so long? She never usually kept me waiting very long when I ask her to meet me somewhere.
Maybe she's still mad at you for telling her you can't go to her friend's wedding? Maybe, but Odette never seemed to be one to hold grudges.
However, she was very upset that day.
I pushed all the negative thoughts out of my head. She would come, and she would love her present and everything would be perfect. She would love me and tell me I'm an idiot for doubting her, and everything would be better.
So I waited. I made myself wait, taught myself to be patient for her. I had survived years waiting, I could stand a few more minutes.
Forty minutes passed.
Forty five.
Fifty.
An hour.
I had sat on this bed for an hour and she still hadn't come. I couldn't wait forever.
I snuck a glance at the clock in the wall. 11:30 PM. It was almost midnight.
Thirty minutes more, I told myself. If she's not here in thirty minutes, I'll go to bed and put her present away somewhere she won't find it. She'll come, she has to.
She has to.
Ten minutes passed.
Twenty.
Twenty five.
Twenty eight.
Twenty nine.
No.
I found myself staring dumbly at the clock as it's bell rang out twelve times as the hour hand hit midnight.
She didn't come.
I felt numb, looking at the red velvet box in my hand. It looked so promising, almost begging me to stay another thirty minutes more.
I couldn't wait forever.
But I would if she told me to.
So like the hopeful optimist Odette made me, I waited more.
As the clock read 12:30, I accepted my fate. I had waited two hours for her, and she hadn't come.
I wasn't going to bother looking for her, I'm sure she was having a grand time with friends or getting drunk or something.
As the clock read 12:45, I felt rage.
How dare she not come to get my present, who does she think she is?
For a second, just a second, I cracked. But sometimes it only takes a second.
My vision blurred as I gripped the stupid red velvet box, my arm launching the painful present across the room, hitting a wall and falling to the ground.
I angrily threw off my suit jacket, throwing it on the floor besides the bed along with my dress shoes. I wasted hardly anytime unbuttoning my shirt and stepping out of my pants, changing into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.
I kicked my fancy clothes to the side before a gleam of metal caught my eye. My head turned until I saw my present, laying out in the open on the carpet. The box had opened from the collision with the wall, and it must have fallen out.
It only took a second for me to realize my mistake.
What are you doing, you idiot?! I scolded myself, running over to the shining piece of metal on the ground, gently picking it up with my fingers. If you give up on the present, you give up on her!
I inspected it carefully, making sure it wasn't damaged in any way. Thankfully it wasn't, and I thanked my lucky stars before taking a deep breath.
It was gorgeous, I knew that, but it would never compare to her beauty. A shining blue diamond had been set among dazzling white ones, the band glistening silver. I had hoped she would like it, I had envisioned this moment for weeks, but never had I thought this night would go like this.
I took a glance at the inside of the band, silently reading the inscription I had specifically asked for: Forever and Always.
I sighed before placing the beautiful engagement ring back in its box.
I guess our forever was never meant to be.