THE ROYAL BALL: Part Five

The hall was noisy from the celebrations and the music. Most of the common people were just enjoying themselves while the ambitious ones saught alliances. The time came for the prince to take his first dance. He stood up to choose the maiden he would dance with and his eyes immediately landed on Eve. She looked away from him and glanced at Bezel who was possessively standing next to her. He looked at her as well making her turn away from him and when she looked at the front again Ceaser was right in front of her.

"May I borrow her for a while?" Ceaser asked Bezel curtly.

Bezel didn't answer immediately and looked at Eve who's attention was on Ceaser.

"I don't know anyone else here so she is the only one I can dance with." Ceaser whispered to Bezel.

Bezel looked around and saw how people were staring at him then he locked eyes with Ceaser for a while. Bezel released her hand after a stare down with Ceaser and then Ceaser took her hand. He kissed the back of her hand and bowed. She bowed as well and was led by him to the center of the room. A place was cleared for them to dance and a slow soft melody was played.

He pulled her closer to himself making her feel warm but slightly uncomfortable. She locked eyes with him and the world around them dissolved until it was only them. Eve was lost in his gaze when they started to sway rhythmically and she almost lost her step. He caught her in time and lifted her from her waist to make it look like it was planned. She panicked when she could no longer feel the ground beneath her feet so she grabbed his shoulders like she would die from the lack of support she felt. He continued to move smoothly even though she was moving around like she was about to fall then eventually she sturdied herself. He swirled around while looking up at her eyes; savouring the sensation of her hands on his shoulders.

The body contact they were making made her feel like she was on top of the world. A shiver ran down her spin when his hand brushed over her left breast while he put her down. The continued to dance and soon other people started joining the dance; mostly royalty and nobility. Ceaser was at least two and a half heads taller than her so she had to crane her neck up to meet his eyes as he looked down at her. Terra watched in silence the scene before her eyes. She had warned Eve not to look at Ceaser for a second too long but she was now dancing passionately with him. She looked at Bezel who seemed like he was about to explode as he stood watching his fiancee dancing with another.

Crow was tired of watching people dance especially Ceaser and Eve. He didn't know why he hated Eve but he knew he would never approve of her being with Ceaser. He turned his eyes away and they landed on Elizabeth who was watching him like a hawk. He was momentarily startled by her but he soon masked up his surprise with a frown.

"Aren't you going to dance?" Julius asked Crow in a whisper.

"I don't dance." Crow said.

"I wander how you'll say that to the lovely lady there." Julius said pointing at Virginia who was making her way to him slowly with a shy smile on her face.

Before Virginia could reach Crow, he got up and walked to Elizabeth to dance with her.

"May I have this dance?" he asked curtly bowing to Elizabeth.

"Why...of course." she answered bowing as well.

He kissed the back of her hand like a gentleman making her smile in delight. They walked to the space where everyone else was dancing and bowed to each other and then moved closer to one another. Elizabeth's breathing became laboured when Crow slid his hand up her back to pull out the pins in her hair. Her hair cascaded down into a stream of wavy locks.

"You look better with your hair down." he commented as he slid his hand back down to her waist.

She blushed and looked away from him and they started moving to the sound of the music. Crow wanted to see her face so he pulled her hair back slightly knowing that no one would see him doing so. She looked up at him and squinted her eyes at him. He smiled and then twirled her around and she gracefully followed his lead.

"You are a rather good dancer. Have you ever taken lessons?" she asked.

"No." he answered as he forcibly pulled her closer to himself making her bossom come into contact with his chest.

She gasped and moved away from him. She searched the crowed for her mother and spotted the middle aged woman speaking to her uncle. She sighed softly, relieved that her mother had not seen how inappropriately she was dancing with Crow. She spotted Eve and Ceaser who were dancing out of the hall. Crow also saw this and frowned.

"Don't they look lovely together?" Elizabeth asked smiling.

"No." Crow answered.

"Ohh please...What about you and I? Don't you think we look lovely together?"

"I can't see what we look like from this angle."

Elizabeth frowned then moved away from him but he pulled her closer to him until there was barely any space between them. She pinched his shoulder to make him release her but it only made him smile.

"Old Bezel is more than upset right now. I can smell a fight brewing." Crow said.

"Do you really think so?" Elizabeth asked searching for Bezel with her eyes.

Crow chuckled catching everyone's attention. Outside, Ceaser and Eve walked to the garden together. Eve felt like she was over the moon with Ceaser by her side. He hadn't said anything yet and it made her a bit nervous. Ceaser watched her from the side of his eye. She looked brighter than the moon above them and oddly she reminded him of Crow's birthday gift to him on Genesis; the blue moon. She knelt down to pick up a white rose and shyly gave it to him. He took it and observed it for a few seconds then he thanked her. He picked a red rose for her and was about to place it in her hair when it suddenly caught fire.

Ceaser frowned and tsked then he turned around to look at Bezel who was standing a few meters away. Eve unconsciously held onto Ceaser arm like she wanted to protect him and this made him smile.

"This should be considered adultery, my darling." Bezel said walking closer.

"She is not your darling." Ceaser said picking up another rose to put in Eve's hair.

The rose caught fire again and then Ceaser made it's ashes into a splint that he flicked to Bezel. The splint set Bezel on fire but he extinguished it immediately. At the same time, Crow and Elizabeth walked into the garden.

"Did I miss anything important?" asked Crow coming to stand next to Ceaser.

"Not really." Ceaser replied.

Elizabeth went to stand next to Eve and glared at Bezel like she wanted to kill him. Ceaser moved Eve's hand away and walked closer to Bezel. Bright red and blue tongues of flames circled Ceaser but Crow waved his hand and it disappeared.

"I didn't know anyone could extinguish my flames." Bezel confessed as his face started to get contorted.

They stared in disgust at Bezel's face that had somewhat turned inside out. His mouth was rimmed with lines and lines of animalistic teeth and his eyes were sticking out like they were about to fall out. His neck slightly elongated and he grew an extra set of arms and his whole body was covered in a liquid like saliva. His body ignited and all the flesh previously on his bones turned into ashes. His trouser remained intact and so did his coat. The flames remained burning making him appear threatening.

"Your true form is a slight disappointment." Crow stated.

"Disappointment you say. Don't judge a book by it's cover." Bezel said in a voice that sounded like a thousand voices speaking at once.

Elizabeth and Eve were pushed back by Crow who's wings had emerged from his back. The feathers at the edge started to vibrate making a clanking sound because of their metallic nature then when Bezel was about to attack, they went flying out to barricade him in his own inferno. He shouted in pain and Crow chuckled.

"Just as I thought. You are affected by your own attacks because the fire is not yours entirely. You are just borrowing it." Ceaser said.

"So you are communicating in your minds? That's not fair." Bezel said as Crow's metallic feathers flew back to him,"Not fair at all."