Moonlight Ball

For the entire night, only one brave soul requested to dance with Iris and she accepted it almost immediately. All eyes fixated on the queen and her mystery dance partner as they gracefully took a spot in the middle of the dance floor.

The bright and dazzling lights that covered the entire hall already made Sidrain’s head throb since earlier and witnessing the scene in front of him unfold made him feel even worse. It wasn’t a matter of who she was dancing with right now, he disliked the idea of her being with anyone else but him.

The queen was staring directly into the man’s eyes. She twirled away from her partner while holding firmly onto his hand. Her beauty easily rivaled that of a goddess and the way she seemed to effortlessly float and glide across the ballroom was just as captivating. However, it was Sidrain who should be holding her hand, not that measly bastard who came from nowhere.

Bang! Sidrain’s thoughts were temporarily interrupted by the loud crashing sound outside. The place was on the verge of a thunder strike but this was the least of the concerns of the people in the ballroom. They were shaken for a few seconds but then continued on with the party as if nothing happened.

“Who the fuck is that guy?” Sidrain impatiently questioned as he grabbed Portwall’s arm and brought him to corner where Elena was.

Portwall thought unfairly, What have I done to deserve this treatment? Why did our mother give birth to this crown prince?

“I have no idea, Your Grace. It’s a masquerade after all.” Portwall replied, sensing how serious Sidrain was about the matter.

“How do you not know? When did the masquerade become an unidentified ball?” Sidrain retorted back in disbelief.

It is impossible for someone to meet a complete stranger at a masquerade and form a romantic connection immediately. That simply cannot be. One would have to know who the other person is and must have met before at least once to have that bond. It may be acceptable to not know other people in masquerades held outside. But this is a masquerade inside the court where everyone knows everybody. You can practically tell each other apart just by their manner of walking. And what happens when a stranger shows up in such events? He becomes an outcast, almost like an invisible ghost haunting the halls. Afterall, everyone knows who are worthy dealing with.

“You let a stranger dance with her?”

Sidrain’s anger was immediately redirected to Elena. Sidrain, even in his right mind, would never allow Iris to dance with an acquaintance or even the most decent guy in the world. Elena simply shrugged her shoulders as the King’s voice rose.

“Your Highness, it’s a masquerade. Isn’t providing theatrical opportunities and freedom for all the functions of masquerades?” Elena calmly responded.

“Bullsh*t.” Sidrain laughed sarcastically before walking away.

“Sid! Wait!” Portwall loudly called onto him on, but Sidrain blocked him out and proceeded to head to the dance floor.

He could feel a vicious pit brewing in his stomach, something he has never felt before. His mind was a mess and all he could think of was how he was never able to properly hold her hands in his. And how he was never able to get a first dance with her. The only interaction they had so far was when he hugged her and she was forced to hug him back. And whenever he thinks back to that time, he couldn’t help but feel he was a good-for-nothing scoundrel.

But seeing Iris right now, smiling in the arms of a man he didn’t know feels like a sharp stab to his chest. She seemed happy and content spinning and settling into the stranger’s arms. The two looked like a couple and it made Sidrain burn with jealousy. He couldn’t stand it any longer. He needed to act.

As Sidrain made his way to the dance floor, the dancing couples tactfully moved away and paved him a path to go through. Everyone watched the king with half-fear and half-interest. They thought the young king to be indifferent and cold-blooded, but it turned out he was just as human as anyone else. It simply happened that this was the first time he showed his emotions like this for everyone to witness.

When he almost lost his queen because of the accident, did he finally realize how precious she was to him?

It was quite difficult for the onlookers to piece together how the king had fallen for the queen, whom he previously loathed so much. However the queen, albeit her occasional crazy antics, had a distinct charm that everyone liked and acknowledged. In hindsight, they could understand why he had fallen for her. As the crowd became immersed within their own thoughts and analysis of the scene in front of them, Sidrain finally reached his destination.

“My lady.”

It was only Iris who nervously jumped at the sound of the familiar husky voice. Elaine was actually watching the king approach the entire time. When Iris turned her head, all she could see was the hardened mouth of the Sidrain and his ice-cold piercing gaze.

Judging from his behavior he seems angry. But why? Was I supposed to dance with the king alone? Nobody told me that though.

While Iris was still trying to process the situation, Sidrain reached out his hand.

“Come here.”

Iris could sense his burgeoning anger and wanted nothing more than to accept his offered hand. But her body had a mind of its own right now. She continued to dance and spin on and on. She was overflowing with the elegance and confidence of a seasoned queen who has attended hundreds of parties and danced for decades. She swiveled back to her teacher’s arms, with her back against him.

Iris’ body was under the influence of magic and she had no control over it until the end of the song. Even against her wishes, she had to keep on dancing.

Oh no. This is bad.