Evermore [The Beast/The Prince x Reader]

chapter four

The beauty of the Prince's parties was something she had heard about often. They were wildly popular with all of the pretty ladies in France. Every beautiful woman was invited, and she was pleasantly surprised to one say receive an invitation of her own.

She had been new to the small kingdom, but had been spotted by the Prince himself. She had never felt so beautiful before - and that was saying something, considering she only surrounded herself in lush beauty.

It was her first party. She wore a white feather gown and a blonde headdress on her head. Strings of pearls and gold hung from her skinny neck. Lace gloves covered her small hands. Heels covered her feet, laced up to her knees and hidden on the layers of her gown.

She looked fit to be a princess, and she was. That's why she was given access to so many grand parties in France. Kings and princes begged and longed for her, craved an ounce of her attention, but she came and went only for the fun.

As far as she knew, each party was the same. Maidens would come and dance before the prince and pray that they would catch his attention long enough to be granted with a dance with him. They would wear the same beautiful dresses to please him, dance the same graceful dances, and drink the same bitter alcohol to numb their tired feet.

The only thing that changed was the Prince himself. He liked different outfits of many colors. Velvets and silks, suits and robes. A different color scheme with every party.

On her first night of attendance, he wore a suit of lush, magenta velvet. Under his eyes was a streak of pink eyeshadow that glittered in the golden lights above. On his head, a silver wig. His lips were covered in dark lipstick. He looked theatrical, but gorgeous.

"Isn't he handsome?" a young maiden whispered in her ear. "He has yet to take a bride for himself."

"I wonder why," she breathed.

She giggled. "Who cares? He is rich beyond belief, and oh, look at those eyes!"

His eyes were sparkling. They glittered with every catch of the light. A crystal sea, contracted perfectly against the whites of his eyes and the ebony center of his pupil. They caught sight of her as the maiden grabbed her hand.

"He sees you!" she whispered, her eyes bright with amazement and her cheeks pink with envy. "He sees you, Milady! Dance, dance! He will think well of you, no doubt-"

She allowed herself to be pulled onto the ballroom floor. She began to follow the other dancers. She stepped lightly and kept her eyes focused on her hand in the air. Her partner, the envious maiden, kept stealing glances at the Prince.