Last Elysium

Banquet

The sun was setting over the grand hall, casting long shadows and bathing the room in a warm golden glow. The scent of rich spices wafted in the air as servants moved quickly back and forth, preparing for the banquet that evening. Y/n was preparing for the banquet as well, your hands working quickly as you applied the final touches to your outfit. Your movements were swift and smooth as you carefully styled your hair, put on the jeweled necklace, and slid your feet into your delicate silver stilettos.

Y/n was feeling nervous and excited about the banquet, but also a little bit anxious as you knew that it would be a very important night. You took a deep breath, tried to relax, and gave yourself a small pep talk. You reminded yourself that you had prepared all day for this moment and that you were going to look beautiful and impress everyone. You took another breath and then smiled to yourself confidently as you took one last look in the mirror.

You then heard a knock on your door followed by the familiar voice of your fiancé. "You ready princess?", he asked softly. Y/n was startled and slowly approached the door before twisting the handle open, Damien stood there in the doorway and looked down at you with a smirk on his face. "You look stunning as always", he said playfully. You flushed at his words and you looked away trying to hide your embarrassment from him. He brushed his hair back with his hand and fixed his tie before extending his hand, offering it for you to take.

You took his hand and he pulled you closer to him before leaning into you and his warm breath caressing your cheeks which made your face turn into a shade of red, he noticed your reaction which made him chuckle, and his knuckles touched your temples gently while he stared at you deeply. "You're so beautiful", he said in a hushed tone. His sudden compliment made your heart flutter and you knew very well that he meant what he had just said and there's no doubt that he was awestruck by your beauty.

Damien stepped back and glanced at you once again before your hand was intertwined with his, he led you out of the mansion and a limousine was parked outside, the chauffeur opened the door for you, and you gave him a slight nod before stepping inside. Damien got in as well and closed the door behind him, he sat across from you with his legs crossed and his arm on the armrest, he then grabbed a glass of wine and took a sip from it while constantly glancing at you. It made you uncomfortable and tried to avoid his gaze but you eventually decided to break the awkwardness between the two of you as the car ride continued.

"So where are we exactly heading to?", you asked curiously. "The Delacroix's estate, I'm pretty sure you've heard about them or perhaps not at all, eh?", he asked while drinking from the glass of wine with that unwavering gaze on you. "No, this is actually the first time that I've heard about that family name", you replied almost instantly. "Really? What a surprise, well the head of the Delacroix family, the former chairman of their company used to be one of the wealthiest and most successful business tycoons in the city along with my father, they're actually best of friends and I used to visit their estate a lot back then", he said while looking at his half-filled glass while shaking it a bit. "Woah, that's amazing", you said in pure awe. "Indeed and they also had a daughter whom I was forced to be betrothed with, I mean I used to date her back then not because of love but for convenience and business that is how things work they wanted to secure the family's business, and carry on the legacy. She was expected to bear a child with me but it turns out she couldn't, she was infertile so our marriage became void and I lost contact with her from then on. I realized that I had feelings for her and I didn't notice it sooner, now it was already too late for that so I moved on with my life, and being engaged with her for quite a long time before wasn't as bad as I thought it would be after all", he said calmly with a faint smile on his face.

You were surprised to hear him talking and unfolding his past in front of you, it was a rare moment and you listened to his words with eagerness. "So you actually loved her, isn't that right?", you asked trying to clarify something. "Yeah, I always thought that everything was merely focused on business and convenience but I guess I was wrong, she was a lovely woman, and I fell for her kindness and beauty", he said softly before he put down the glass of wine on the table nearby. The vehicle stopped and he looked at you again with a smile on his face, you wanted to ask further but you were cut off by him. "We've finally arrived, let's go princess", he said with delight in his tone. He offered his hand to you and helped you out of the limo.

A massive and grand estate was seen before your eyes and your jaw dropped at how lavish it looked from the façade to the interior of the place. There are many luxurious cars parked outside which indicates the number of guests that are inside for the banquet. You both walk towards the entrance and you hold onto Damien's arm as you walk up the stairs, your fiancé hands the invitation that he received from the host to the men guarding the doors before they let the both of you inside.

You heard the sound of voices and turned around to see that the servants had finally completed their preparations. The banquet was ready to begin. You could already hear the indistinct conversations and the laughter of guests as they arrived. Y/n's heart raced and you were nervous but you managed to calm yourself down. You took a deep breath and you knew that you were finally ready, you reminded yourself reassuringly. This was your moment, and you're going to make it count.

Y/n glanced at Damien and your face turned pink when you noticed how handsome he looked in his suit along with his quiff hairstyle and attractive features, especially his physique. "God, he's so fine, I feel lucky today", you thought to yourself. It suited him perfectly, he looked elegant and hot, and it was enough to drive women crazy over him no wonder the people around you turned their heads almost instantly toward the direction of Damien when you both entered the place, the women at the banquet were drawn to him and you also received some glances of appreciation from the men at the party, they thought you were beautiful as well and some of them winked at you which triggered your timid side.

"I hope that everything will go as planned and I don't want to mess up real bad", you mumbled to yourself before letting out a sigh as you were getting yourself ready for tonight's event.