Twisted Love

Chapter 5

Kai

***

"Oh my stars," Kai groaned, kneading his temples repeatedly. He was perched on the edge of a fully cushioned velvet seat, but he was far from comfortable.

"Are you alright, Your Highness?" Torin asked from the opposite corner of the room.

"No," Kai replied simply.

"What's wrong?" Torin asked, concern creeping into his voice. Kai looked up, slightly bloodshot eyes staring at his advisor in disbelief. Torin remained clueless.

Kai sighed, having no choice but to explain. "I have to meet thirty-five girls, Torin. Thirty-five girls!" He stood up and paced around the room. "It wouldn't be so bad if I already have experience with them! BUT I DON'T THINK I'VE ACTUALLY EVER PROPERLY INTERACTED WITH A LADY BEFORE."

"Besides Levana," Torin chided.

Kai scowled. "I don't think Levana can be counted as a proper lady so much as a heartless monster."

"I heard that," Emperor Rikan suddenly said sternly, bursting from the double doors. He shot a glare at his son, who sent him a hasty bow. Rikan raised an eyebrow at Kai's former statement.

"I'm not taking it back, father. It's true," Kai said. The emperor sent him another look. This time, behind the boiling anger, lay something much more deadly. A threat? Whatever it was, it succeeded in making the young prince shut up. For the second time in one day.

Choosing to ignore whatever his 'stupid' son wants to say next, Emperor Rikan cleared his throat and said, "Hurry up and get ready. The ladies are all waiting on the recording area. There's no reason for the prince to be late."

Kai grumbled and made his way towards the stylists, who slipped him into the familiar cream white and red suit, swirls of gold on the red sash draped across his shoulder to his waist. Quickly, they smoothed his slick black hair back.

They stepped back when he was fully prepared, heads bowed in respect. He grimaced a bit when his servants seemed to flinch away from him, as if he were a monster. But his father pulled him out of the room before he could think anymore about that.

The walk there was completely silent. Nobody spoke, and the air was thick with tension. Something about the Selection had put both of them on edge, making them awkward around each other. Their leather shoes clicked noisily on the clean marble floor.

Luckily, the recording room wasn't far. Once the guards opened the door, noise flooded the hallway. Kai slipped through the door quickly, catching sight of all the girls at the corner of his eye.

He scanned over the crowd, glancing at their faces. Though he hated to admit it, they were indeed all very beautiful. Maybe the Selection wouldn't be so bad after all. Oh, shut up Kai, he thought.

Kai's eyes swept across the thirty-five girls again. This time, somebody caught his eye. Well. Mostly the gown. At first the gown. It was indeed stunning. The theme for today's recording was nature. One look at the gown and he knew what it was. Water.

The gown was a deep blue near the torso, then blended into a sky blue, fading into a barely visible periwinkle and dispersing into a misty white. The colors blended together and the gown floated around the ankles, flowing and twisting smoothly like water. As smooth as water.

His eyes trailed up the gown, which hugged the girl's figure tightly, showing off her curves. The gown may have caught his eye, but the girl pulled him in more than that dress ever would. His eyes locked on her face, and he couldn't help but just let out a little gasp.