King of the North

Chapter 10

Sebastian

I gazed at myself in the mirror, tugging at my collar. The king had prepared outfits for us before the dinner party with the King of the South. He had me wear a white, off-the-shoulder turtleneck with puffy sleeves that tightened around the wrist and gold embroidery etched in the fabric.

At least he knew what my taste in fashion was.

I anxiously bit my lip, staring hard at my reflection. I wasn't ugly, I just didn't look like a prince. Blase appeared behind me, looking ruggedly handsome and princely, smiling at me in the mirror. I smiled back.

When Blase had told me what had happened to him in the past, I understood why he would be so cold, so distant. It didn't excuse it, but it gave a reason. And really, that was all I needed.

No, the fact that he had trusted me enough to tell me about his past was all I needed.

That was love.

"You look pretty with your hair back." He said, and gently put a gold necklace around my neck. I reached up to touch the pendant, it was a jagged piece of glowing white stone. "My mother gave it to my sister before we ran away to the cottage, and my sister left it there, so I took it. I want you to have it, it's not like I'm going to wear it."

"What kind of stone is this?"

"It's a witching gem." He leaned into my ear and whispered, "Can you feel the energy?"

I could feel the energy from the gem, it was warm to the touch and slightly pulsed against my chest. "Thank you, Blase, it's beautiful." I turned around to face him and let out an ugly laugh. "King Henry is making you wear that?"

Blase was wearing black as usual, but there were ruffles on the front of his dress shirt as if he was from the Victorian era. Which just so happens to be the style of fashion vampires were obsessed with.

"That looks like something my dad would wear!" I said, I couldn't stop giggling.

"Ouch, you know, that really hurt. It's not like I picked it, stop making fun of me." He pouted. Blase was so different around me, I realised.

A sudden idea popped into my head. "Could you teach me how to dance like how you danced with Aleia that night?"

He tilted his head. "Ballroom dancing?"

I grinned. "Yeah!"

He took my right hand with his left and held it up, sliding his free hand to my shoulder blade. "Place your arm on mine and put your hand on my shoulder." He said. I did what he told me. "Now follow my lead."

Blase started to drift across my bedroom floor, taking me with him. I stared hard at my feet in concentration, trying not to step on his toes.

"Would you like me to go slower?" He purred sensually in my ear.

"No, no, I can do this!"

Just then, I stepped on his foot.

I sighed dramatically and threw my arms around his shoulders, crashing into his chest. "I give up!"

"It hasn't even been a minute!" He chuckled.

"It's too hard!"

"I offered to go slower."

I pulled back and smirked up at him. "I prefer when you go faster."

"Ahem." A voice from my doorway said. "The King of the South and his royal servants have arrived."

We turned and it was George. It was always George.

"How much of that did you hear?" I asked.

"More than I'd like to." He swivelled around. "Please hurry and finish what you were doing, the dinner is about to start."