Perez and I stopped dancing to see Nicandro standing with both hands in his stuffed in his pockets. Perez let go his hands from my waist and I let go mine from his shoulders. Our eyes met for a brief second before my eyes wandered around the ballroom and I can see many pairs of eyes on us.

"She's all yours, cousin." Perez said and walked away, but I could hear a little venom in both their voices when they were exchanging words.

Nicandro gave me a small smile, "Shall we?"

"We shall." I replied him and I put my hands on his shoulders while he put his hands on my waist.

When Nicandro did that, it didn't felt awkward like when Perez did it. I'm well aware that probably everyone in the ballroom is staring at us including his grandfather and parents but I did not look elsewhere but what's in front of me. Both of us try to follow each other's footsteps and came into the same rhythm within a minute of dancing and I had thankfully also managed not to step on his shoe.

I broke the silence, "Did you lie to me about the guy who tried to kill me in Palencia actually tried to kill you?"

He frowned, "No, why would I lie to you?"

"N-yeah, never mind." I shook my head.

"Why do you ask that?" I can feel him trying to decipher the look on my face.

"It's something about Louis, the guy that talked to me when I was captured didn't even know I was in Palencia."

His body tensed a little, "That means someone else is after you."

"Yeah, but it's because I was digging around in the wrong places the fast few weeks and probably upset someone I shouldn't mess with."

"Alveanea, that's-"

"No, I'm done. All I want is find out what happened to my parents which I did, and now I have a shot at a normal life so no, I don't want to find out who that guy was working for."

He stayed quiet for a few seconds before nodding his head, "Okay."

"You were right." I changed the topic.

He raised his eyebrows, "About what?"

"I'm a scorpio."

He smiled which leaves his dimples showing, "When's your birthday?"

"Thirty first October." I replied.

"On Halloween." He stated.

"I don't think it was coincidental, I love anything horror."

I found out my birthday yesterday when it was needed to fill in the forms for the schools I'm possibly going to so I asked Peter to track down Anton's phone number. The time when I met Anton my brain was too occupied as I had just found out my parents were drug dealers that I hadn't thought about the question I was wondering about my whole life until Nicandro and I had a conversation about birthdays back in Palencia.

I heard him suck in a breath before asking, "Did Perez... say anything to you?"

"About you?"

"Yeah."

"He was just curious about what makes me more 'special' than the other girls since you've never taken them on a date to a party before."

"I see." I could sense some uneasiness in his voice.

"I can tell he's not your favourite person."

Nicandro pursed his lips into a straight line before saying, "No, but his little brother, Pascul is."

"I've met him briefly actually when I was talking to Perez."

"Then you already know why he's my favourite."

"It was nice to meet other members of your family, other than your super scary grandfather who is probably staring at us right now." I let out a forced chuckle.

Nicandro turned his head sideway and sighed, "Yep, he's staring at us right now."

"I'm so dead." I can feel my heart beating faster.

Nicandro must have sense my nerves going crazy, "Let's go someplace else."

I nodded and he took my hands, both of us walking hand in hand out of the ballroom and headed for the same hallway which I walked by when I was finding my way to the ballroom.

"He wouldn't do anything to you here." He said as to make me feel less scared but it isn't working.

"That's the only thing keeping me sane right now."

"Come on, I'll show you my favourite spot in the castle." He gave me a small smile and suddenly all of my worries are gone.

We started walking up the stairs and made no sound as there were thick royal blue carpets covering it. When we walked to the second level, we saw Nicandro's friend Azul kissing a guy who I don't regconise.

The guy noticed us and pulled away from the kissing, Azul still panting from the heavy kissing. He about my height which is a little short, has brown hair, brown eyes and wearing simple black suit.

"S-sorry." The guy blushed.

Azul smirked, "Hello to you two lovebirds as well."

I hadn't noticed Nicandro and I were still holding hands and he gave my hand a light squeeze before letting it go. I put both of my hands behind my back and felt my cheeks getting warmer.

"Don't think we've met, I'm Nicandro." He held out his hand.

He mumbled a "oh my god" before shaking Nicandro's hand, "I'm Oliver, Azul's boyfriend."

Nicandro furrowed his eyebrows, "Last I heard you guys weren't boyfriends yet."

"We just made it official a few minutes ago, and then went on to do what you saw that we were doing." Azul grinned and I saw Oliver nudged him in the shoulder.

"I'm happy for you two. Now, excuse us as I was just showing Tiana around the castle." Nicandro started walking away before Azul stopped him.

"Good luck." Azul winked before walking down the stairs back to the ballroom with Oliver.

Good luck? Why does he need-

"This way." Nicandro led the way and I follow suit.

We walked all the way down the hallway and turned left to a door which leads to a small balcony. On the balcony, I can see the lights and buildings far away from me and it looks absolutely breathtaking at night. I remembered the last time I saw a view of something from far away is when Zari and I went on a hike up the hills six months back.

"The view is stunning." I said quietly while taking it all in.

"You said you loved beautiful scenery so I just had to show you this." Nicandro said while he's looking at the view.

"I'm glad you remembered that and this view just made my night a little better."

"I've lived here for most my life and I never really came out here to see this view every night, until you allowed me to appreciate it."

"So you do stay in the castle as well?" I asked.

"I sleep over here once a week but come here about three times in total. Ever since I came back from Palencia I always come out here to gather my thoughts for a while and it really helps calm my mind."

I looked at Nicandro and think back to my life two weeks ago before I had met him. Viktor had died and I was emotionally destroyed, completely lost on how I'm going to continue and he gave me hope that I can still finish what I has set out to do. He brought me to a party which is the most normal thing a person my age have already done that I have not and stood up to his grandfather for the first time according to Efren. I didn't think was possible to have an instant connection with another person and even though he still doesn't some things about me which I kept deep down inside, I feel like I could share anything with him and yet he would still accept me for me.

"By the way, you look beautiful tonight. Um I mean you always look beautiful, just that you look... extra beautiful in that dress." He looked away from me and ruffled his hair.

My whole body felt numb for a few seconds before saying, "T-thanks, you don't look too bad yourself as well."

"Aw, not good looking anymore?" He pouted.

I rolled my eyes, "You know you're the most good looking one in the ballroom."

He chuckled and smiled which allowed those cute dimples of his be shown.

"I hope you don't find me weird asking this but who gave you the necklace? It's just that I see you wearing all the time."

My hand automatically went to touch the necklace, "My foster mom gave it to me before she died, it's the only thing of hers that I have."

Nicandro kept quiet for a few seconds before answering, "You're honestly the strongest person I've ever met. I can't even begin to fandom the things that you've been through your whole life."

We just stood there for a few minutes, while I lifted the worries from my mind. Felon, the king who hates me with a passion, if I get accepted to the school in Singapore, probably never seeing Nicandro again. Unfortunately the universe is not on my side here and I need to talk about this now.

I let out a deep breath, "We have to talk about what's the plan after this."

His hazel eyes met mine, "It's selfish of me to say but, I don't want you to go."

My heart skipped a beat but I composed myself again, "I-I need to move on from all this. The main reason why I started everything is to find out what happened to my parents, if there's even a chance they're still alive. Now that I've gotten my answers, I need to move forward. All I've ever wanted is to have a normal life and I did get that for a few years but lost it."

"I completely understand, and you fully deserve to live a normal life. Where are you heading to?"

"Singapore. My-I mean... soon-to-be foster dad is helping me get into a school there."

"Is it the guy that you stayed with Palencia?"

"Yep."

"He seems nice."

"He is." I agreed.

"Anyways, if they didn't accept you, just tell me and I'll do something about it." He smirked.

"Will do, thanks." I let out a laugh.

I watched his face slowly turned into a frown, "But seriously, tonight might be the last-"

I quickly put my hand on top of his, "I'm here for another two days so we can do the whole goodbye thing later."

He sighed, "Still, I really wish you didn't have to leave."

"Me too." I squeeze his hand lightly and he took a step closer to me.

My heart was beating out of my chest by how close we're standing. I can feel his body heat radiating towards me and his hazel eyes staring deep into my eyes.

"Just in case there's no later."

I furrowed my eyebrows, "What-"

Before I could ask, he pulled my waist to close the space between us and his lips came crashing down on mine.