Sinful

666

"A problem."

Silas tilted his chin up before slowly taking his eyes off of the annoying blonde prince. Thana wondered if the problem was that Theodre might ruin the party with his obnoxious antics or if the problem was something much bigger than that. She looked at her friend puzzled but he remained unbothered with her questioning stare, clearly knowing what she was asking but neglecting to answer. The Princess let out a small huff and pouted, hoping the childish attitude would convince Silas to explain it to her but instead received a very judgmental look from the mage. He furrowed his brows as his mouth frowned in an displeasing fashion, showcasing an abnormal amount of emotion than he normally showed, making her feel embarrassed with her actions. Her face turned slightly red when she noticed a few people in the crowd saw the interaction between the two friends. She ducked her head down slightly, hoping to quickly recover from the humiliating situation that just occurred but a small nudge from Silas stopped her thought process. She looked up to him to see what he wanted, he nodded to the dance floor in front of them. Thana averted her gaze and followed the direction he was looking at once again but this time it wasn't the Prince of Vandenberg but instead a very tall, dark haired individual dressed in black and purple attire. He stuck out in the sea of royal guests who all were clearly there to impress with their gold, shiny wardrobes and Thana immediately found that to be intriguing. She was fond of those who stuck to their own desires and went against conformity, especially in this situation, she was grateful there was at least one guest who presented themselves organically.  The mysterious man began to walk towards Thana, he walked with confidence and calmness as all eyes in the room were on him, curious about his presence. He approached the royals of Rowan and bowed respectfully as he greeted them. 

"Your majesty, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." He maintain eye contact with the King as he spoke, something which most were unable to do due to his reputation, the simple action was quite impressive. The King politely acknowledged the man, grateful someone finally showed him proper respect. He shifted his eyes towards Thana, bowing again to greet her. His politeness was refreshing, the Princess found herself mesmerized by the basic gesture, it was a nice change. "Princess Thana, may I have this dance?" He held out his hand and smiled softly at the young royal as his eyes seemed to twinkle with the invitation. Thana couldn't have agreed faster. She placed her hand gently in his, letting him lead her to the dance floor. Everyone in the room had their eyes fixated on the duo, Thana was not sure if this time it was because of her or the man she was sharing a dance with. Both were equally a visual shock.

The music began to play as the two got closer, interlocking their bodies to glide to the rhythm. This dance seemed faster than the previous dance although the music was the same tempo, the rush Thana felt in the arms of the mysterious stranger sparked interest within her. Something about him intrigued her. His hand held her waist with a strong hold, as if he was scared she'd run off. In normal circumstances, she would have debated that option but during this beautiful moment, all she felt was pure bliss. She felt almost intoxicated just from being in his embrace. She wanted to know about this stranger, she needed to know him. "If I may ask your name?" As soon as she asked, he twirled her around, dipping her body slightly as he stopped her spin. "You can call me Malakai." His dark eyes pierced hers as he spoke, his deep voice felt like it travelled throughout her bones, bringing her goosebumps at the mere mention of his name. Thana internally shook her head, not understanding why this stranger had such a strong pull on her, she had to snap out of her thoughts. "Malakai, that's a nice name. Why have I never heard of you before? I definitely would've remembered a Malakai in the Kingdom debriefings. Which Kingdom are you representing today?" She continued to ask questions to keep up the conversation as their bodies swept the floor beautifully. He smiled softly at the curious Princess, adjusting his hands slightly to make the position more comfortable for the sudden pace change in the song. "I come from a very small Kingdom that is quite the long trek away, we live on a small island in the sea, Ophidia." Thana scrunched her eyebrows slightly at the name, unsure if she's ever heard of it before, which to someone who likes to adventure outside of Rowan, is very uncommon. "Although I must disclose, I am unfortunately breaking the rules by coming to your event this evening." The music slowed to a stop as the two retracted their hands, Malakai began to bow to conclude their dance but Thana wished to continue their conversation. She instinctively stuck out her hand for him to grab without returning his bow, rejecting his farewell. "Care for another dance, Malakai of Ophidia?" 

He looked up in slight shock from his bent position as a smirk grew on his face, lightly grabbing her hand in acceptance. "I would love to, your majesty." Malakai pulled Thana closer than he did in the first dance, she was mere inches away from his chest, the sudden closeness felt oddly intimate for the circumstance. The couple adjusted themselves properly as a soft melodic tune soothed through the air, taking a small step together in harmony. "So what rule did you break by attending this evening?" Malakai remained calm as they swayed together, not phased by the question, of course that was no surprise since he was the one that brought it up in the first place. "Technically I'm not the second born son of the royal family in Ophidia." He slowly looked down at Thana, face full of earnest and truth. The reveal confused Thana, maybe he was sent to scam her family, trick them into giving them money, or maybe he wanted the power of being their King, or maybe he was the third born son but his brother died. Her mind raced with endless possibilities but regardless of which one she landed on, if he wasn't a second born, she could not marry him. Which to Thana's surprise, somewhat disappointed her. He seemed to be the best option out of crowd that had attended the ball. Malakai must've sensed her disappointment and chuckled softly. "Don't worry Princess, I may not be the second born son but I am the first born son." Thana was confused yet again, something that seemed to come often in this conversation. There would be no need for a first born son to be here as they are next to rule in their own Kingdom, unless... unless they didn't wish to rule their own Kingdom. Her eyes widened in more assumptions about Malakai. Maybe he's abandoning his Kingdom, did he betray them and got banished? Did he come alone? What is his purpose here? Her mind was racing with questions and thoughts, clearly overthinking the situation. "My second brother would be a better ruler for our Kingdom. Although it is against Hydrana to let the second born be King if the first born is still alive, we found a way to allow it to happen. Now, since it is allowed in my Kingdom, the only rule I'm breaking is the Kingdom of Rowan's request for a second born son." 

"Found a way to make it happen? How so?" The Princess could not refrain from asking more questions, she was curious. 

Malakai opened his mouth to answer when he was abruptly cut off from a deafening scream coming from the back of the ballroom. The two stepped away from each other in shock and fear, anxiously looking around for the abrupt commotion. Thana quickly rushed through the crowd towards the situation, squeezing past the hysterical guests who were all screaming and crazy, some even were running away as if they were being chased out. Panic flooded the Princess as she got closer to the issue, trying to ignore the countless individuals who were shrieking in pure terror all around her. As she got closer, she saw a trail of red liquid decorate the floor, almost blending in with the crimson tile. Thana quickly glanced back to see if Malakai was behind her but was shocked to find him gone, completely vanished within the crowd, something that she knew he couldn't do based on his appearance. She put the thought aside followed the path of red to its origins. Her eyes finally landed on the scene, her stomach dropped and her chest got tight, she couldn't breathe.

People surrounded the gory scene, blood covered the floor in a thick coat in replace of where a body once could've been but instead, only one thing remained. In the middle of the pool of crimson death rested something that made hair stick up on the back of Thana's neck. 

In the midst of the chaos, rested a head that belonged to a King.

The King of Vandenberg.