I caught sight of him moving through the hall and froze. He wasn't just walking he was commanding every inch of space.
Oh my god…he's a fridge.
He was huge and taller than most of people in the banquet, broad-shouldered enough to make the crowd around him shrink like they didn't even exist. Even from where I was, I could see the way he carried himself, like the room itself bent around him.
His hair was dark like polished obsidian, thick waves falling over his forehead, and those eyes almost glowing green, cut through the crowd that made me shiver.
And then… they landed on me.
Huh? Wait… he's looking at me? No way…
My chest tightened, heart stumbling over itself. Just looking at him felt like stepping onto a knife's edge.
The crimson of his coat streaked through the crowd, trimmed with black and silver that caught the candlelight, and somehow it didn't feel like clothing. It felt like armor for the entire damn world. He owned the room.
I now understood why Duchess had been losing sleep over his presence.
His gaze flicked away, or maybe I imagined it, but my brain refused to let go.
Oh god… he's not just gorgeous… he's so hot I could fry an omelette on his head.
"Sister, you may close your mouth now," Esther nudged me, smirking. I whipped my head toward him and gave him a sharp glare.
"You little—ugh, whatever. But seriously… the Crown Prince!? He's a prince! He's… enormous, like a beast, and… handsome." I felt my brain glitching in full fangirl mode.
Esther raised an eyebrow, staring at me like I'd lost my mind. "Strange… you never thought him handsome before. You always found him insufferable."
I froze, forcing myself to sift through Meredia's memories. Oh, right. She didn't like him because he always stole attention, always too perfect.
They hadn't met in years because Kirill and Kairan were off at their academies, being trained to perfection as heirs.
But now… he's… wow. Who else in this hall could even compete?
I felt my chest tighten again, heart doing a stupid little dance, and I knew I wasn't going to be able to stop staring.
I looked back at the Crown Prince, and he was now deep in conversation with Kirill and Duke. Beside him stood another man....shorter, softer, less intimidating but still… ridiculously gorgeous.
He had golden blonde hair, messy but elegant, like he'd just stepped out of some romantic painting. His skin was literally shining like golden cream. His outfit was straight out of a prince magazine: blush-pink and ivory, sheer embroidered shirt with golden details, billowing sleeves, roses stitched across his chest, ivory pants and boots tracing the embroidery perfectly. Chains, pearls, opals… he was everything.
"Eri, let us go," Duchess's voice cut through my daze.
"Huh?" I blinked and turned back. My eyes widened seeing duchess marching toward me like she planned to kidnap me.
"You are the light of this evening, my dear. Come. His Highness should meet you."
The light? Oh god… meet him? Him?! He's gorgeous enough to make angels cry. Why would he looked at me?
But Duchess didn't care. She grabbed my hand and practically dragged me forward. Duke noticed, smiled, and gestured toward us like this was all perfectly normal.
"Your Highness, here comes Meredia," he said.
And then… ohhh my god… he turned to me.
Time stopped literally. The crowd, the chandeliers, the awkward coughs were gone. Just him.
His face was perfection. His skin looked rough with small curd visible only from closeness, cool ivory skin but warm like aged vellum yet not quite gold and far from white. His face was angular, sharp, like every bone had been sculpted for a throne. High cheekbones, a jaw that could cut glass, a straight nose, and eyes...emerald green, piercing straight through me.
His hair was styled rugged and wild for a prince. Parted slightly off center, swept across his forehead and reaching down to his eyebrows then going back on sides.. And weirdly layered causing strands to curve in outward different directions slightly. especially around the ears and at the nape of his neck. Few individuals strands fell over his forehead naturally. But it still made him look the most composed and attractive.
Someone nudged me. "Eri… are you well?"
Are you kidding me? Well? I've just died and gone to handsome heaven.
Another voice, probably Duchess again, "Eri, should we take you to rest?"
Can I just… live here forever staring at him? Or maybe lick his chest?
Then he spoke. I felt like I fell on a flower bed because his voice—𝘖𝘩𝘨𝘰𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦. It was low, calm and smooth sounding so deep. 𝘐 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳-𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳-𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳.
"I think… she appears rather taken aback to find me present," he said calmly.
𝘏𝘶𝘩? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺?
"Eri…" Duchess's voice broke through again. "Is something the matter?"
𝘜𝘩... 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨?
I shook my head, trying to pretend I was a normal person.
Duke, Duchess, Kirill all staring at me like I was the one causing a national emergency. My cheeks burned. I clenched my fist and bit my lips in embarrassment.
And did I even mention how tall he was?
My head barely reached his chin. It reached below chin only. And Meredia was probably at least 5'6". That's how tall this man must be, by that measure.
If I had to kiss him… I'd have to tiptoe. 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴? 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴? 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘨𝘶𝘺 𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘵?
Then he lifted his hand, palm up, stretching it toward me.
I froze, blinking at him, then at Duchess. She gave a tiny nod, lifted my hand, and placed it gently into his palm.
And oh my god… his hand was huge. If he had slapped me, I probably would've flown straight out of the hall for three days.
He rubbed my knuckles with the softest touch before bowing slightly and planting a kiss there. My face heated instantly, cheeks blazing.
And as his lips brushed my hand, a strange, familiar feeling bubbled up inside me. Like I'd known him longer than a glance, longer than today.
"I… extend my heartfelt wishes for a most joyous occasion, Lady Meredia," he said. He complimented me too....something about my grace, my poise, how the gown suited me like it was made for this night.
He straightened, and I stared at him, utterly puzzled.
He raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at his lips, and his gaze flickered. Was he just as confused as I was?
My heart was hammering, utterly lost. Something about him… it wasn't just beauty. There was a vibe, a pull, a presence that made my brain go mushy.
"Lady, you look like fire itself has decided to take human form today," said the man beside Prince Kairan.
Ah… Prince Ancillin. He was the younger brother. Green eyes, a shade lighter than Kairan's, and a smile that could probably melt snow. He had a very attractive soft charm. Again his skin shone so clear I wanted to touch it. His hair wass tyled into sweeping side-parted wave, hair was long enough to curl slightly at the nape of his neck and around his ears.
It felt easier to reply to him, "Honestly… you look pretty radiant yourself."
He chuckled, brushing the back of his head like it was no big deal. "I know, right? My brother was saying I dressed like a noblewoman's mistress tonight."
Compared to Kairan, Ancillin seemed easy to be around, a soft, approachable kind of charm. Kairan… well, he still radiated danger like some walking storm.
Duchess clasped her hands together, almost sparkling, "I was so afraid you both wouldn't attend because you hadn't replied to the invitation."
Ancillin waved it off lazily, "Ah, that… I may have forgotten to reply."
Duke gave a simple nod, "It's alright. Everything is going smoothly now."
Duchess, meanwhile, pulled me closer with a grin, "And soon the dance will start."
With that, the men...Kirill, Duke, and the princes were swallowed up by other guests, leaving me in my little corner. I sank back and finally let myself focus on food.
Even as I devoured a few bites, my eyes couldn't help drifting to Kairan. He was mostly busy talking to other nobles, but every now and then… 𝘰𝘩 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯… a glance in my direction.
𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the debutante dance will now begin. May we have your attention, please."
𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴?
The announcer's voice rang out, silencing the murmurs and chatter
All eyes turned toward me.
𝘜𝘩. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘦.
Duchess stepped forward, beaming, and took my hand. "Eri, my little gem, let's start with the first dance."
𝘖𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘨𝘰𝘥. 𝘔𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘶𝘬𝘦.
Duke offered his hand, bowing slightly as if he wasn't about to murder me by stepping on my toes. I hesitated, then took it. His palm was warm and saf𝘦. at least here I wouldn't get insulted by anyone except maybe myself.
The musicians struck up a slow, sweeping waltz. The golden chandeliers glittered, and the floor gleamed like someone had poured molten light across it.
I tried to walk gracefully, heels clicking against the polished floor. Every step felt like a fight between elegance and collapse.
Duke guided me effortlessly, one hand on my waist, the other holding mine. I could get used to this except my legs were screaming and my gown weighed a ton.
We glided across the floor, spinning once, then twice, and… wow, people were actually watching, and not in the "oh she's a disaster" way. In the "wow" way.
"Your posture is perfect, Eri," Duke whispered, smiling. His warmt𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘴 so grounding yet not enough to make forget the crown prince with his glowing green eyes lurking somewhere near the edge of my vision.
Because there he was, standing across the hall, eyes fixed on me. Kairan Alistair Ashbourne just… staring and I couldn't even breathe normally.
Duke spun me gently again, guiding me around the floor.
"Father…" I muttered under my breath, "I may yet die of embarrassment, but I thank you for not letting me make a complete fool of myself."
He chuckled, low and warm. "You are doing well, Eri. Simply remain with me."
And we spun and moved together while from time to time my gaze wandered off to find that hottie hulk.
The music faded, and Duke kissed my forehead before stepping back, proud as ever. My skirts swished as I curtsied, the applause echoing like some dream I wasn't ready for.
Then it happened.
Like a swarm of bees, but in velvet coats and shiny boots, the men started circling. Some were my age, others older, all polished and grinning like I was some prize pig at the fair.
"Lady Meredia, might I request the honor of the next dance?"
"You were breathtaking out there, my lady."
"Truly radiant, like Solterra's rose."
𝘖𝘬𝘢𝘺, 𝘸𝘰𝘸, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯? 𝘐'𝘮 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.
I smiled awkwardly, trying to figure out which one looked least likely to step on my gown and send me flying across the room. But before I could even decide—
A shadow cut through the crowd.
He moved in with the kind of presence that made every other man seem… background like the room itself dimmed just to spotlight him.
Prince Kairan.
He didn't rush and took slow big steps owning the space as though it belonged to him. His broad frame towered over the others, eyes sharp, glinting under the chandeliers like they had secrets no one else was worthy of.
The chatter dipped and a ripple of silence followed him, as if everyone knew better than to compete.
And then, he stopped in front of me.
He didn't bow too low. He just inclined his head, gaze never leaving mine, and extended his hand.
My breath hitched.
The men around me shifted uncomfortably, some retreating, others pretending they weren't intimidated. But I couldn't tear my eyes away.
The way he looked at me… not like the others with sweet smiles or rehearsed compliments. No, his gaze burned intense. It was far too consuming for me to stand still under.
Heat shot through my cheeks. My heart hammered like I'd just sprinted across the ballroom. 𝘖𝘩 𝘯𝘰. 𝘖𝘩 𝘯𝘰. 𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘵. 𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵—
"Lady Meredia." His voice was low 𝘢𝘯𝘥 brushing against me like velvet yet striking like steel. "May I have this dance?"
The sound alone nearly buckled my knees.
I couldn't even speak. My hand hovered stupidly before my consciousness nudged me from inside.
I placed my hand in his.
And it fit like his palm had been made to hold mine, larger, warmer, engulfing without effort. His thumb brushed against my knuckles casually but the spark that shot up my arm was anything but.
He smirked faintly, like he knew exactly what he was doing to me.
𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦! 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦.
I flinched, whipping my head around.
𝘞𝘩𝘰-𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?
My eyes darted through the glittering crowd, the laughing nobles, the polished smiles. No one looked like they'd just begged for their life.
But my skin crawled.
Everyone was nervous with the prince's presence, yes, but no one's wife was screaming.
𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. 𝘔𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.
Focus on hottie prince—
"𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦! 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘯𝘰!"
The voice shrieked again. I tried to breathe and shake it off but it was echoing inside my skull, not outside.
My temples pulsed like something sharp had been shoved into my brain. I grabbed at my head, pressing hard with both hands.
"A-Ahh—" I gasped.
The room tilted, the chandeliers blurred.
"Is lady in good health?" His voice was right at my ear....too close.
I looked up. His hands were on my shoulders… but it felt so cold..freezing, like he wasn't flesh and blood at all.
I took heavy breathes. I couldn't create any scene in here. I had to dance. I looked at prince again and his eyes. Those green eyes that had dazzled me seconds ago....now they burned, blazing bright, not with warmth but with violent killing intent.
My stomach flipped. I blinked hard and then the look was gone. His face was calm, as if nothing had shifted.
But my body knew what I saw.
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦?
A flash ripped through my mind. 𝘈 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦? 𝘕𝘰! 𝘕𝘰! 𝘈 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦.
Blood 𝘸𝘢𝘴 everywhere and a blade plunging into a chest and a woman in red collapsing, gasping. Her eyes wide and filled with tears.
My heart stopped.
It was Meredia.
And the hand gripping the blade, the man who had driven it into her...
My breath broke in my throat. My entire body jolted back, instinct taking over.
It was him.
𝘒𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘯.
"I–I h–have to—go!" The words tumbled out broken, and I yanked at my gown, shaking his hands off my shoulders. My legs moved before my brain could catch up. I stumbled away from him, fast, head down, breath jagged.
My whole body was trembling. Sweat clung to my back under the gown, and my hands shook so bad I clenched them into fists just to stop them. I didn't dare look back at him...not at those eyes.
Duchess caught up, her voice piercing my ears, "Eri, why didn't you accept—"
"Later, please. I feel unwell," I muttered, not stopping. I just needed distance.
But even as I walked, I wanted to look again. I had to look again. I had to see if it was really...those eyes… they felt familiar for a reason.....a good reason. It couldn't just be that memory. It couldn't.
I rubbed my arms, trying to ground myself, then finally turned slowly back to where he'd stood.
And froze.
He was gone.
My chest squeezed. My eyes darted across the crowd desperately.
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵—𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦?
A chill crawled up my spine.
He was just here. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘺?