Bound to the North {Complete!}

15| Moonlight

Finn POV

The palace this evening was beautiful. The clear roof had been uncovered for our annual Moonlight Feast, and the setting sun illuminated the walls with hues of pink and orange. Hundreds of tables stretched across the ballroom floor as people ate the finest food I'd seen all year. The entire Elf kingdom had to have been there that night. A small ensemble played a peaceful tune in a corner of the room.

I sat with Ozio and Felix at a small table near the edge of the floor. I'd almost laughed when my father had emerged wearing a suit. The Great War-Lord Felix, reduced to a gentleman wearing a fancy outfit. It was a ridiculous sight.

We were soldiers, all three of us. Not one was particularly happy to be there, and that came out in our conversation. I bickered sourly with Ozio, and my father sat broodily in silence. But the poor elf who'd gotten it worst was Amara.

She approached our table with the customary waitress's tray perched on her left hand, looking like she was about to hurt someone. She'd been forced to wear the...quite revealing waitress's outfit given to all 'volunteers' for the evening.

Her entire predicament was Pelos's doing. Insistent upon Amara being a 'servant leader', he'd forced her to become a waitress for the party. "What can I get you to eat this fine evening?" she asked grudgingly, with as much sarcasm as she could muster.

I bit my tongue to keep from snorting at her predicament, and my father had to physically cover his mouth to stop himself from laughing. Seeing our reactions, Amara narrowed her eyes into slits. "Just order," she snapped.

"I'll go first," Ozio volunteered. He stood up and placed his arm around Amara's shoulders. "I would like one...very hot lady for the evening."

Her eyes flared with anger, and I breathed in sharply, fearing for my best friend's life. "Would you like to repeat that?" Amara demanded quietly through clenched teeth.

I heard Ozio physically gulp as he sprang away. "I—"

"I get off after dinner," Amara cut in suddenly, to my utter shock. "If you're going to ask me on a date, do it when I'm decent." With that, she stalked away from our table. "Gemma will take your orders!" she called curtly behind her.

She left and an orange haired elf replaced her, wearing the same revealing outfit. I vaguely remembered this girl as the one I'd saved in the library when Irene poisoned Pelos. I ordered my food, avoiding her gaze in hope she wouldn't recognize me.

After she took our orders and left, my father excused himself from the table, and Ozio began to make me uncomfortable. "You should ask Gemma to dance when the waitresses get off," he said casually.

"Why?" I asked hesitantly.

"Are you kidding?" he replied with a small laugh. "Gemma's hot. I'd ask her myself, but my night't going to be otherwise occupied." He cast a mischievous stare at Amara, who was serving food at another table.

I glanced at Gemma. She was short for an elf, with bright orange hair, green eyes, and freckles. Not as pretty as Serena...

"You took that seriously?" I scoffed, averting the attention away from me. "You're not Amara's type. I don't even think she has a type."

"Ask Gemma to dance, Finn," Ozio insisted. "It's time you learned to have some fun."

                                                                           ***
Ozio needed to work on his idea of fun, because being dragged around for two hours by Gemma was not it. And don't get me wrong, there was nothing bad about her; my heart just wasn't in it. I loved someone who wasn't her. If I didn't have Serena, I might have taken Gemma seriously. 

I now sat across from her at a table near the edge of the ballroom. She was chattering endlessly about something I didn't understand, and I was starting to zone out. I was jolted back to reality when, out of nowhere, Gemma leaned across the table and planted a kiss on my lips.

Startled, I quickly moved away from her. "Gemma... I can't," I said firmly. I had Serena. 

Her eyes widened. "Finn... I'm so sorry," she blustered, her face flushing pink. "I don't know what got into me...oh bad, bad Gemma," she grunted to herself quietly.

"I should go," I said quietly, avoiding her gaze. She nodded, looking at the table. I quickly got up, laid some coins on the table to pay for my and her food, and left.

This is so bad, I thought to myself. I should've known this was going to happen. There were so many obstacles to overcome, and I didn't know if I could pull them off. What was going to happen to me and Serena?