👑Chapter Four

The Ball was one hour away, and I was sweating. I barely hear Maria sighing as she crawls into bed and wraps herself in a blanket.

"Storm, it's so cold I can't even change into my dress," Maria whispers, looking between me and her sky blue gown. I pace the room frowning. My palms are sweaty, my cheeks are pink, and my body feels like it will erupt in flames. She watches me for a moment before speaking.

"Are you nervous or something?" Maria asks, causing my frown to deepen.

"That's the thing, I'm not nervous or scared. I'm not even angry. I'm just immensely overheating," I tell her. I wave my hand in front of my face for that extra bit of wind. My heart accelerates and I start to think something is wrong with me. I look over at my dress that lays over my bed. It's similar to before; material of silk, a low neckline that travels down to the waist and an open back. The green is slightly deeper like moss, deliberately chosen to make my bright emerald eyes stand out. Slowly my heart starts to calm and I'm feeling cooler than before. Maybe I had a panic attack, but there was nothing to panic about. I sit down on my bed, growing cold and my skin pricks as I turn off the fan.

"Thank God" Maria exhales, throwing her blanket over the chair. I search my brain for an explanation to my blood running warm. Was it the execution that happened this morning? That was many hours ago now. The realisation kicks in as I remember the one thing I have changed for the past three days. The pills. Maybe I was wrong to trust the Prince of Goldvail. It was too late to change my mind now; they're already down the toilet drain. I bite my lip, worried about the potential aftermath this decision may cause.

"Storm, are you okay?". Maria snaps me out of my thoughts. I look up at her, realising that while I was busy pondering, she had already slipped into her gown.

"Yeah, I'm okay, I think it was just a hot flush" I lie. My best friend looked beautiful in her gown. Her blue dress was hugging her figure, falling to meet the floor. It was plain but simple. Mine on the other hand always was the same. I subconsciously found myself searching the room, my eyes skimming past all the gold material decorating our bedroom, until it landed on something useful. An idea ignited. A dangerous idea involving a cloth of golden lace laying over the wooden vanity underneath our makeup.

"I don't want to begin to know what you're up to" Maria says, shaking her head and collecting the makeup falling to the ground.

"I'll meet you there." I tell her, smiling. She eyes me curiously before leaving, with a look that reads; don't do anything stupid. Taking the scissors from the drawers, I cut a leg slit into my new dress. Fully aware of the consequences, I start to stitch on the golden lace, securing it down the slit of the dress. Nothing makes me happier than humiliating them. They want me as their personal baby submarine? Well, I'll make them think twice about it. The worst form of insult is for a Greenblood to wear their colour of wealth and power. To wear gold is equivalent to taking the crown off their heads and putting it on your own. Tonight, I will drop the mask. Playing the part? I'm done playing. They want something from me, so it's time to take something from them.

***

As the golden doors slowly creak open, I step inside and am immediately struck by the grandeur of the room. The chandeliers sparkled overhead, casting a warm glow over the elegant crowd of men and women who had gathered for the evening's festivities. I felt a sudden rush of adrenaline as I made my way across the marble floor, my heels echoing loudly against the polished surface. I could sense the eyes of the crowd upon me, and I felt both exhilarated and self-conscious at the same time. I keep my head high, looking at every shocked face when their eyes travel over my dress. Soon, I only feel satisfaction. My body heats up, someone's presence wrapping around me like a blanket. Yet, he hasn't noticed I've arrived.

His piercing gold eyes sparkled in the soft light of the chandeliers, and his easy smile was enough to make even the most reserved woman swoon. He was dressed in a sleek black tuxedo that seemed to have been tailored to fit him perfectly. The jacket hugged his broad shoulders, and the pants tapered down to show off his long, muscular legs. A crisp white shirt and black bow tie completed the ensemble, adding to the overall effect of refined elegance. When he finally looked over his shoulder, you could see his chiselled jawline that seemed to be carved from marble.

As I stood before the Prince, I watched his eyes find mine and the intensity of his gaze sending shivers down my spine. He looked at me as if he could see right through me, and I found myself unable to look away. Slowly, Prince Xaden's eyes moved down my body, taking in every detail of the dress I was wearing. The fabric flowed gracefully around my hips, accentuating my curves and the intricate gold lace caught the light, creating a dazzling effect that seemed to mesmerise him. He's lips tugged at the sides as he realised what I had done to the dress.

Finally, King Tibualt welcomes me, his eyes catching on the gold lace. His face darkens as he holds out his hand. I take it, giving a slight curtsy. His fingers dig into my skin as he pulls me towards him. "Play too close to the edges and you might fall off." He hisses in my ear before walking away. I smile.

Maria comes to my side shoving a dish into my hands, reminding me what I'm really here for. She glanced at my dress, creating an 'o' shape with her mouth as she hides a smirk. I navigate my way around the ballroom, balancing the plate of canapes, making sure I don't bump into dancing couples. I can confirm that every single Goldenblood here is flabbergasted, except for one. Before I can stop myself, my eyes sweep the room. I can feel my blood heat, I know he's nearby. Before the serving plate was taken from my hands, I felt a sudden presence behind me. The plate was gone before I could even turn around, I knew that it was him. There was something about the way he moved, a sense of quiet confidence and grace that was unmistakable. As he approached, I could feel my heart rate quicken, and I wondered if he could hear the pounding in my chest.

"You make everyone look underdressed, Goldie." His voice low and smooth.

"You make everyone look overdressed." I tell him, before I could keep my mouth shut.

Prince Xaden looks down at his suit as if he regretted his whole decision for a second. But soon enough, he looks at me with those intense eyes. For a moment I felt like I was looking at his father. That was enough to snap me out of the sudden daze I fell into. Then I realised, my goal had failed me. My dress was supposed to bring out his father's cruel side in him. He's supposed to hate it, to be insulted at the least. This was meant to prove that hating him was right. Prince Xaden was the most amused person in this room and I hated that I was wrong.

"Dance with me." The words I would never expect to hear.

"No chance." I say crossing my arms.

"I thought you came here to disrespect my parents?" he challenges, knowing he has got me figured out. He's right, I could take this one step further. My eyes catch on the Queen, glaring at me furiously. I notice it's not just the dress she's insulted by, but the fact I'm getting too close with her son. As I take a step closer to him, her jaw locks and she turns away to whisper something into the king's ear.

"Fine, one dance" I snap, grabbing the hem of his suit jacket.

The music was soft and uncomfortably romantic. Prince Xaden rested his hand on my waist, his touch burning through the fabric of my thin dress. With every step, I let him guide me as I didn't know a thing about dancing. Yet with ach movement, I start to remember and the movements become sharper and deliberate, as if each turn and swirl was a subtle challenge.

"I do love this song." He mutters.

"So?" Our gazes lock.

"So, don't ruin it."

"Where's the fun in that?" I smirk, stepping on his foot.

My side eye catches the King and Queen's sour lined expressions. As much as Queen Austria tries to look away, she can't help but glance back. Their eyes are like daggers, except they are avoiding their target. It was satisfying enough for me.

"They will announce your services after the song, make sure you control your emotions." Xaden whispers, his breath on my neck sends me to shiver.

"I've been wearing a mask all my life, I know what to do," I whisper back with a grunt.

"Just because you hide behind a mask, doesn't mean you don't feel."

He grabs my waist tighter, pulling me into him, closing the space between us. My breath hitches as I refuse to look up. If I did, I would be inches from his lips.

"Look at me", he orders.

"No."

"Look at me, god damnit." Prince Xaden's voice is raspy. A surge of frustration ignites through me, threatening to unleash a torrent of emotions as I look up at him.

"What?"

"Control your anger," he demands, keeping a hushed tone.

"Don't tell me what to do," I snap.

He stares at me, his eyes brimming with pain before he flinches away from me. His warm hand disappears from my waist leaving a cold patch. I watch as he backs away from me.

He had pulled away so fast like I had burned him.