"Who hurt you?"
It was a second time she felt as though she had been asked that, except the first never actually verbally got out. The question came out roughly, sounding more demanding than anything more of what [name] had expected to hear of. She had only barely just stepped foot into the room when Kaeya's usually calm face contorted into a mix of bewilderment and concern. What threw her off most was the way he looked almost angry even.
Maybe not at her, persay, but whoever had hurt her一being Guinevere. But how could Kaeya know that?
Her hand instinctively reached up to the side of her head, jeering her face away from his peering eyes. "Nothing happened."
Kaeya's face darkened, causing her to shudder just from seeing it. "Nothing? I asked you who did it, not what caused it." He neared her pressing a few fingers against the back of her hand startling her.
[name] shuffled. She certainly didn't know how to take such words from him一 from the Kaeya, out of anyone. "It's... I just don't want to talk about it."
His eyes narrowed at this in suspicion with a theory in mind. She brushed his hand off, attempting to take a seat on one of the chairs when Kaeya pulled her back on the wrist.
[name] glanced up to him curiously. "Yes?"
"Barbara." He retorted, sighing in the process. "We need to clean up your wound at least before we go to the Wine Festival."
If [name] had actually been drinking wine, she would have spit it all out in a second. "Wine Festival? Who the hell said I was going? I have work to do."
"And, who said I was going to allow you to work all night?" Kaeya said with a cheeky smile, tugging her along with him, walking out of the building. "You forget who you're with, [name]."
**
"Kaeya, do I have to..? I seriously have to go back to work. Diluc will be pissed if I don't." [name] whined softly.
Said man hadn't budged an inch as he waited for [name] to step out from behind the curtain, where a stylist was currently working on her wear. "He's a man made for entertainment; he'll be busy." He sarcastically joked. "Besides, the festival lasts all night. You'll only be staying there dressed for a few hours anyways."
There was a crack of worry in her voice whenever she spoke, quivering in some sort of fear. "A few hours?"
"Relax." He chuckled. "It'll only be until midnight. Now, step out already."
After some reassurance from the stylist confirming the finished up touches on her appearance, [name] insecurely walked into view.
She had make up to outline her gorgeous facial features. Her hair was neatly pulled up into a braided bun, with an intricate crystal-adorned butterfly hairpin clipped on top of it together. A pair of simple earrings matched the hairpin. The dress she wore had an open long sleeved top, a glistening jeweled waistline laid on top of the skirt, with what seemed to be a crystalfly imitation attached at the back of the ribbon, glowing a vibrant silver off of light that deflected on it. The skirt was layered into three layers, flowing downward in a loop. The skirt deflected from whichever the light shined off of it, radiating in a beautiful arrangement of blue. Wherever she twirled, even for just a little, the skirt would sway elegantly with her, seeming ready to dance with her beat [1].
An angel, at best.
She shifted in discomfort as Kaeya whistled a tune of approval. "Ah! It seems that my taste is quite the exquisite one, don't you think? I was right to say that blue matches you after all一you look marvelous."
[name] shook her head rapidly in shyness. "Stop it, really一you're embarrassing me..."
Kaeya snickered, taking a pair of silver-lined, snow white coated heels from one of the workers hands. He pulled her along to a chair, settling her down on the seat. With a form of grace he got onto one knee, like the knight she had imagined her dreams, placing one of the heels on the bottom of her feet.
"We can't have our Cinderella go without her glass slippers, now can we?"
Although it had been another tease, it still made [name]'s pulse fasten. Her breath heightened as he carefully put the other shoe on her toes. Her mouth opened wanting to detest him again another time. "But一 "
"Hush." He quieted her bringing an index finger to her lips. "Just think of it as your once in a lifetime view into the fairytale dream you never had."
Although there was no word to be said, he knew the change in her face meant the same: "Thank you."
It was in this moment she felt for the very first time, a genuine outreach towards the man. It made her lips curl upwards with a sweet laugh flowing melodically from her lips. Like she was singing a lullaby in the middle of spring一like flowers were blooming their buds into the open sun, and a single heart, also experiencing its first over the laughter as it heard it loudly echo a rhythm:
Ba-thump!
Kaeya stared in bewilderment. It was also in that moment of time did the sound of drums pound from out the door swaying his mind back to the woman giggling before him.
The drums! Right! It was the drums! He definitely heard wrong, how absurd of him. It made him chuckle along with [name], before they both, arm in arm had walked out of the building and towards the center of the Wine Festival.
Cinderella, the story would go: she was a beautiful woman, inside and out, entrapped by the confines of a responsibility forced upon her life. It wasn't until she found in age a night of freedom, and wings of her own to fly upon.
For the very first time, as well, that very same night, [name] had understood the beautiful feeling behind Cinderella's night at the ball: freedom, in all aspects, she never knew possible.
Eyes cast theirselves over [name] who walked slowly beside Kaeya. From young to old, men and women, bards or dancers, they could not help but feel a sense of envy一she was graced with attention she couldn't even partake on imagining, and with it, the fairest of them all. Even, Guinevere, who watched in shock from afar, had took notice of her and seeming to snap, stalked off with a cloudy expression.
It was enough of a surprise to gather on that even a certain red haired swordsman found his eyes locked with [name], feeling speechless. Her body stiffed up. Kaeya leered wryly.
"Seems he took notice, a shame it was not longer." Well, so much for doing this in plan of not being noticed, [name] blamed Kaeya for this.
They both headed over to him, Kaeya being the first to strike a conversation as he always did.
"Diluc."
The noble uttered a small apology to group of older men beside him, glancing up with a glare at the two. "Kaeya... And this?一 "
"My dance partner for the night. She's quite a beauty, isn't she?"
Diluc scoffed lightly at him, staring [name] back down into nervousness. "Really? I had expected someone else to be your date for tonight." Date? [name] was his date?
"Who else better to serve for than a gem like her? Maybe as the 'Prince of Mondstadt' you could take privy with a one-night princess." Kaeya sneered thoughtlessly.
[name] had subconsciously shrunk at his words. Kaeya had a satirical tongue that she knew more than well of, but after having come back for what she felt was their first, genuine connection, it hurt in a way.
"Master Alberich." One of the nobles called him, surprising [name] who stood around.
Master? Kaeya was a noble?
"A well evening to see you! Who's daughter is this lovely young lady? Is this woman the one you will be tying future ties with?一 "
Now, she had blushed again. [name] only barely opened her mouth when Diluc impulsively whisked his way towards [name]. He bowed over in a dignified form, reaching a palm out for her to grab.
"I'll be taking on Kaeya's advice, after all; Miss Xia, may I have the honor of having a dance with you tonight?"
This especially had caught the attention of many who listened in, with the same thought in mind: "Xia? As in Cyril Aviatora's daughter一 the late Xia Xiaorou who traveled miles from Liyue Harbor, [name] Aviatora-Xia?" And, the fact was that she caught the Prince of Mondstadt's attention.
She was now an eye among prowling wolves watching her move.
Diluc, who was currently on the receiving end of the stick, had waited for [name] to answer her back. He felt a dread of regret clouding over him. [name] on the other hand had hesitated, thoughts running back and forth before she alas... Took his hand.
He pulled her gently with him until they got the center of the audience. His breath on hers and hers on his, her arm over his, two hands interlocked and his other hand at her waist. Their bodies were both tightly pulled together in the 'bouts of what was left of their pride.
[name] cracked a loose smile, ready to break away from her building anxiety. "M- Mister Diluc一 "
"You have some explaining to do."
She flinched lightly. "I- I..." She trailed off, looking downwards feeling clearly guilty. "I'm sorry..."
Diluc began to sway her around, spinning her as he spoke. "You know what other punishments I could add on for you to do, correct? Just only because your legs got injured, doesn't excuse anything."
[name] frowned, nodding solemnly. "Yes, sir."
Diluc raised a brow at her, twirling her a second time. "Sir?"
Her eyes fluttered quickly at him. "Yes? Is it not sir, sir?"
She heard the sound of a huff come from him before he spoke his next words. "You're not working right now; it's just Diluc."
Her [eye color] eyes glistened wide as she hadn't expected him to say those words. She was dumbfounded. "D- Diluc?"
"What?"
She popped a third blush that night, hearing the way he simply answered her without hesitation. "No, it's nothing..." A familiar answer, she had grew accustomed to saying apparently, as she stared up at his face.
The more and more she stared, the more and more she felt her heart clench. It had been awhile, but [name] had never forgotten. That facial structure of his face一 His fierce red eyes and his fiery red hair. She couldn't stop herself for asking him a second time.
"Actually... Diluc, I'm right, correct? You're actually the Darknight Hero, right?"
His normal expression had darkened in a snap making a shiver crawl down her spine. "Why are you so obsessive?"
[name] found herself apologizing another time. "I'm sorry, Diluc."
The two danced around still, the music around them floating the air in songs. He took a pause, before replying slowly in guilt. "I am..."
She felt her heart flutter at this. "Then!一 "
"Stop." He warned her, glare returning in a hardened state. "If you have questions, don't bother; it's not your business. Neither is Kaeya's business yours."
[name] looked up at him with confusion written across her face. "What... Do you mean?"
The music had came to a stop. The sound of clapping echoed around them as Diluc warned her for the last time before walking away. "Just stay away from him一 He'll get you into something later and you'll regret it."
As [name] had returned back to a seat by herself, seeing Kaeya's sudden disappearance from her side and the way women had came up to offer and converse with Diluc, she drunk grape soda一an infusion of grape juice mixed with some zest from dandelion wine, wondering what Diluc had meant by those words.
Suddenly, a man bruised and bleeding dragged himself into the festival gasping on what seemed to verge of death. Screams erupted left and right catching nearly everyone's attention as he yelled a line aloud.
"Help!.. Someone help, please一 An abyss mage k- kidnapped my daughter!"
Question of the Day: If you could choose to dance with Diluc or Kaeya, who would you have a dance with?
Song: "Grape Soda" by Snail's House/Ujico (cover - orchestrated by Yuang Cheng/ Seycara)
[1] = I know some people want to imagine the dress in their head, and that's perfectly okay. I'm just here with a reference I drew on my own for those that can't exactly picture the dress on their own or want a reference. I know it's nothing spectacular and could have been more beautifully done, but here you are:
I didn't want to lose that "princess" or formal vibe, but it's a festival and not a ball so I didn't go all of the way. Apologies if you can't see it that well or if it's not to your liking. ; w ; (I grew lazy by the time I reached the back part一 )
Anyways! I'm very sorry for the delay. I accidentally fell asleep last night so my update was a wonky, late one一 At first, I didn't intentionally mean to put a Cinderella reference in here but I thought, why not? Lol.
And, by what I had in mind, I honestly didn't think it would go this way一 ishwksji, could have done or wrote it better, I'm very sorry一 Am I doing a good job at portraying our boys so far..? I feel like it's not good enough, aha一 if you could give me your idea on if I'm too OOC or if I should change it up a little, please do advice me.
Would be very helpful! Thank you for all of the support, love you guys; we finally reached 1 K. votes, I really appreciate it <3