CHAPTER 20
"Do I look alright? Nate?" I turned towards my aide who was looking at me with a fond smile. I smiled at him back and we laughed like total idiots. It has been a few hours after we came back from the training place where we met up with Jean. Jean said that he would be at the pre-show along with some people from my kingdom that could possibly help devise a plan once we know who I am going to be paired with.
"You look dashing Alexander. I must say, that cape makes you look like you're more powerful than your father, and its only the pre-show. I can't believe that stylist made you look like this. I mean it's not bad but it's very extravagant!" He said waving his hands all around while looking at me as if he was a huge deal fashion critique. I giggled at his comment and rolled my eyes playfully.
"Well I do look very much overly powerful in this attire. But the cape weighs a ton I think." I said with a chuckle. I looked back in the mirror and observed myself. I was wearing a royal blue royal uniform with some badges embedded on the right side on my chest. I was wearing a pair white leather gloves on both of my hands and some leather boots. The cape on my back was another thing. It was very heavy and I don't know what material was used to craft this but nonetheless it looked very good.
"Are you ready? We can head to the dome if you are." Nate said in a light tone in contrast the feel of the topic.
I went silent as I was contemplating the current situation that I am in. Indeed I am worried of what might happen inside that arena but I can't really do anything about it and just pray tp the gods that my worst situation doesn't take an even worse turn.
Nate was also silent for a while and I could feel his worry for me as well and I really appreciate that he's genuinely worried for me. I looked at myself in the mirror one last time before facing Nate to ask;
"Will I be fine Nate? Tell me that I will be. Even if it's a lie, tell me that I will be" Before Nate could even answer, I heard a familiar voice that made my heart go crazy.
"You will be fine Alexander. I promise." I looked back to see Apollo wearing a very dashing suit that made him look even more appealing. I could feel my cheeks getting warmer and I could only feel that my face is tomato red at the moment. I cleared my throat and threw my glare away from him. I could feel him looking at me which made me feel a lot more things in my stomach.
"Apollo, what a s-surprise." I said trying my best to act the coolest. I heard Nate snickered and I turned my head towards him immediately and threw him a hard glare which made him snicker even more. Just you wait Nate, you'll get some words from me later tonight.
"You look wonderful Alex." I only smiled at him as I am afraid that the words in my mind might get jumbled out when mustered. I do not know what is this that I am feeling but he makes me feel happy and right now all of the things, the problems and the worrying has dissipated into thin air.
"Shall we get going?" He asked. Again, I only nodded and walked closer to him. I could hear Nate suppressing a giggle so I faintly glared at him as Apollo was looking at me. I don't know what it is about him but he makes me want to act like a girl in distress and I am even not a girl. I sighed and once I was near him, I fixated a smile but not a fake one. I thought we were about to walk out of the room immediately but boy was I wrong. He took my hand and gently kissed the back of it. As it happened, I could only make my eyes go wide, my face go red tomato and my heart electrified. The gesture took me to where the gods were and threw me back to where I was. I thought that that was it but he took my hand and interwind it with his. I mean sure, his lips didn't touch my bare skin as I was wearing this- oh dang curse this gloves! Oh god what am I even saying at this point. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. He looked at me with a confused look but I only said that I was just nervous. If only he knew how he made me feel with that gesture.
We walked outside my room with Nate closely following me from behind. I wanted to act all normal and cool but the fact that my hand is interwind with his is making me go dizzy. I was even supposed to focus on todays pre-show but then this man came and took all of my composure and stance away. As we walked through the hallway that leads to the arena, I could feel some stares lingering on the both of us. I looked to my side and caught a glance with a girl who was with her friends. They were looking at us with a smile as they tried to giggle silently. They acted like how Nate did back then. It just made me feel more even embarrassed with the current situation. My trained mind was telling me to let go his hand but then my intoxicated self is winning this unsoundly argument. We were close to the door of the arena when we heard someone call our name. I looked back only to see Dianne and Kaval wearing their own god-crafted attire that for sure will make some heads turn inside the arena. I looked at Kaval as he smiled at me but I could feel Dianne's stare at me. I looked at her and she was wearing the same stupid grin that Nate and those other girls were wearing.
Damnit.