Monomania

Chapter 4- Nightmares

Flashback: 1208 A.D.

"Hello Princess."

Emilina turned to see the handsome new Lord she had been introduced to earlier.

The same one who made her heart skip a beat.

He lowered into a bow, standing and gently taking her outstretched hand, placing a kiss on the back of it.

"Lord Niklaus," she greeted, nodding to him in acknowledgement. "I offer my congratulations to you on your newest title."

"Thank you, Princess. Tell me, would it be inappropriate to ask you to dance?"

Emilina turned to look for her husband's soulless eyes, which she found staring at another woman- a maid with a generously gifted bosom serving drinks to the drunken royalty.

"I would not be, I suppose," she teased, trying to ignore the conflicting pain and excitement in her heart. Pain from her husband's wandering eyes and excitement from the attention of this gorgeously bold young lord.

"Excellent. Now, would her royal highness do me the honor of allowing me to be her partner for this next dance," Klaus asked sweetly, his heart thundering at the sight of her blush.

"You may," she giggled softly as he grinned and took her hand, taking her to the dance floor.

"I don't understand how I ended up being the luckiest bastard at this whole damn event," he said as he twirled her to the music, the two of them settling into a comfortable rhythm.

"It might be because you are the guest of honor," she replied, scrunching her nose at his vulgar language. Klaus found the gesture endearing.

He grinned. "Oh, pardon my crudeness, princess. One shouldn't say such words in the presence of a lady."

"Forgiven," she replied with a giggle, oblivious to his attempt to flirt with her,

Klaus loved the innocence she exuded and he loved, yet hated the fact that this angel didn't know that she was the reason he considered himself so lucky.

"Your earlier statement, the one about me being lucky because I'm the guest of honor? That's not the reason I'm so lucky."

"Then why?"

"It's because I am dancing with the most gorgeous angel here," Klaus whispered as he spun her close to him, soaking up her warmth and her scent of fresh linen and passion fruit before they returned to a respectable distance in their dance.

"You shouldn't say things like that, my Lord. It is inappropriate," she chidded halfheartedly, leaning her head away and smiling wide.

Klaus wanted to pull her face back to him to see her beautiful smile. He had no doubt it would shine bright in this room of crooked fools.

So he did.

The hybrid removed one hand from her body to tilt her smiling face to meet his.

Her smile shined brighter than the starry night sky. Brighter than the blinding day sun. He wanted to make that smile a permanent fixture on her face and bathe in her light forever.

He wanted to keep her for just as long.

"Thank you," she murmured as he twirled her again.

They kept a comfortable rhythm as they swayed around the floor. Klaus continued to flirt with her, keeping the smile bright on her face and drawing the addicting sound of her laughter from her lips.