Chapter 40: FORTY

Word Count: 2586

Preparations for the ball took less than a day to set up. Jessa getting me ready felt as though it took longer.

My hands are clasped behind me, my palms damp. I've decided that this is the furthest from what I would ever be interested in. I stand in the corner of a room in Tai's estate that I've never ventured to, watching people I've never met dance and drink around me, paying me no mind.

I haven't seen Tai since this started, leaving me absently standing by the expensive wine, wondering if I should risk a drink to breeze through the rest of the night. Knowing I've never drank in my life, I turn away from it, instead concentrating on the figures around me, all a mix of local folk who are either wealthy or well-known for something I couldn't care less about.

This morning I woke to a dress draped over the foot of my bed, which once I finally dragged onto my body, had Jessa gushing over for hours.

Admittedly, it is pretty. The fabric is light and breathable unlike what other appear to be adorning. In fact, it hardly passes as formal in comparison. Tight sleeves cover my arms, coming up meet the rest f the dress below my collarbones where it hugs comfortably enough. Behind me, the fabric falls away, revealing more of my bare back than I would like, but after Jessa's insistent begging, I relented. The bottom portion of the dress is light and billowy, brushing close to the floor.

From what I glanced of Tai before he was pulled away by a group of unknowns, we are dressed to clearly match. My dress is a deliciously dark blue, matching features of the King's attire which I haven't gotten closer to examine properly.

"You look beautifully strong and powerful," someone says from beside me, making me flinch.

Zavian, Tai's friend. I hadn't expected to see either him or Arnix since I have tried relentlessly to steer clear of them.

Admittedly, I prefer Zavian out of the two. These are the first proper words he has said to me without being prompted. His words warm my skin, although I don't dwell on them too deeply. He is likely attaining my favour to keep Tai's.

"I didn't know a dress could do so much for me," I admit, giving him a sideways glance.

He looks down into his glass, swirling the wine around mindlessly. "Taius is a very lucky man."

I watch him for a long moment before glancing away. He is dressed simply, not impressed by the state of affairs going on before us either. The music currently beats incessantly, echoing between my temples, trembling across the marble floor.

"How long have you been friends with him?" I ask, genuinely curious. Tai has been reluctantly to speak about them too deeply, although he has been occupied with other issues currently.

"Since our childhood. My father was one of his fathers Nobles," he informs me, looking at me with those icy blue eyes, similar to Marek's, although they are missing that compelling pull, that sense of unmissable darkness. "That was, until he tired of him. However, Tai never tired of me."

I shiver, remembering the quiet wrath of Tai's father. I thoroughly dislike the man, and by the stiff tone Zavian offers, as does he. I silently pray his words don't insinuate that Kailor killed Zavian's father when he mentions the term bored.

Searching for Tai in the crowd, I find nothing. "Aren't you lucky."

"I pity him, you know," Zavian admits, tone softening. I glance at him, trying to read his expression, although his youthful features give away nothing. Just from looking at him, I would have assumed there was something innocent, undisturbed about him. It appears that perhaps I'm wrong about that. "He's young, for a King. It has its difficulties."

"Like what?"

He looks at me pointedly, taking a sip of his wine. "I've never seen him in love before. Every lady that passes through here is gone in months."

Uncomfortable, I shift back and forth on my feet. He's not in love with me, I can personally confirm that much. Yet I do allow myself to think of whether he has been in love before, and who with. If Zavian is right, then he has had his heart thoroughly broken, which would make his facade when first meeting him make a lot more sense.

"Ouch. Why's that?"

"Some only want his wealth, a position in royalty, while others can't handle the reality of his title, and all the problems that come with it," he sighs, sounding regretful. It appears Zavian actually cares for Tai, even if the two don't share their intimate feelings so personally.

"I don't blame them. It's a lot to deal with," I admit, knowing I'm facing this right now. The burden of being a King, of having all that power is losing those so close to you, to not sustaining any meaningful relationship. Perhaps that's why he is so quick to forgive me.

Zavian sets his glass down, adjusting his dark jacket. "Tai acts like it doesn't hurt him, but we all know it does."

Suddenly I spot him in the crowd, just off the group of those dancing. His back is to me, speaking to someone who is likely important.

"I'm going to go ask him to dance," I decide.

Zavian nods, offering me the faintest smile. "You do that."

Breathing in deeply, I weave through people, murmuring apologies as I do so, stepping on dresses worth more than old family home. By the time I reach Tai I've irritated too many rich people, although I'm too focused on Tai, on somehow wanting to comfort him for what Zavian has shared with me, even if I know I can't.

Tapping on his shoulder, I watch him turn. "Can I steal you away for a moment?"

"Of course," he murmurs, nodding dismissively at who he was speaking with. Without hesitation, they melt back into the crowd, leaving us in what feels like an intimate moment, even if we are surrounded by a multitude of people. "Is everything okay?"

"Will you dance with me?" I ask, my breathy tone betraying me.

For a moment, he looks startled that I would approach him, that I would ask. Despite knowing he couldn't say no, even if he wanted to, I'm convinced he wants to join me on the dance floor in front of all these people, not because he has something to prove to them, but because he wants to truly dance with me.

"Absolutely," he says gently, taking my hand.

I lead him out amongst the other dancers, resting my hands on his shoulders while his find my waist. I admire the soft fabric beneath my fingertips, this formal jacket worth more than I would like to estimate, black in colour with faint embroidery and stitching that is effortlessly simple.

"Every woman in here is showing so much skin compared to you and this lovely dress," Tai murmurs, his touch on my waist deceptively soft. "Yet every man in here is more interested in you, than them."

I look around, having not paid that much attention to anyone else around me. Right now I'm busy concentrating on the man before me, the shadows under his eyes from all the recent stress are highlighting his eyes, making them a brighter green that I've seen before.

"I think they all look beautiful," I admit honestly. I never knew such beauty existed in this quantity, many having travelled from other Provinces just to attend a ball where it is unlikely they will even converse with the King for more than a few moments. I can see, even while I dance with him, that they are watching us, curious about Tai have married his alleged mistress.

"I'm not disagreeing," he notes, tilting his head to the side. Despite the formality of this event, he has left his loose curls natural, untouched. "I'm saying everyone's imaginations go wild seeing you in this dress."

Including you?

Looking away from his pressing gaze that boldly tracks my movements, I watch other couples mull around, smiling down at their partners, although occasionally, I catch gazes with the odd man before I quickly look away. I'm convinced they are only looking to test whether Tai's relationship is actually real.

"I hadn't noticed." I truly hadn't. At least I'm not allowing myself to think that.

"Even the Hunter can't take his eyes off you," Tai notes, nodding over my shoulder. Instead of following his gaze, I concentrate on him, the way his eyes narrow as he takes in the sight of Marek. Right now, I don't want to see Marek. I'm doing Tai favour by pretending to be his fiancée for all the important people here that will spread the information back to his court.

I smooth a wrinkle from the shoulder of his shirt. "Let him look."

"If everything okay?" Tai asks gently, frowning slightly. Instead of replying, I just shrug, enjoying the gentle sway to what is definitely not a proper dance. But it is fun, admittedly. For a single moment to just enjoy this dance, the intoxicating scent of Tai's and the warmth of his hands on my waist.

"You know this isn't so bad," I exclaim. He raises a questionable brow. "Pretending to be your fiancée."

"I wouldn't say you're exactly pretending," he reminds me.

Right, even though this is just an arrangement until everything has blown over, we are technically engaged. I've not allowed myself to think deeply into that reality out of fear for how it will make me feel, yet as it passes through my mind, I'm not as frightened as I have been.

"Fine, pretending I'm in love with you," I correct, smiling up at him. "Or do you think I'm not pretending with that either?"

"Are you teasing me, Akara?" he asks, tilting his head playfully, eyes glittering. His grip on me tightens, pulling me imperceptibly closer, sending chills across my skin. The lights above us are plentiful, casting rich golden light across each slope of his ebony curls, almost appearing as a halo that I look up at.

I glance away as his gaze falls to my lips for a fleeting moment, causing my cheeks to flush. "Never."

"I've been thinking a lot recently, and I think I would like it very much if soon enough you were to be taken home, back to your old life," Tai admits, reaching up to brush a stray strand of hair back over my shoulder.

I blink, not expecting it. "Really?"

"Anything to make you happy," he admits, looking down at the necklace resting between my collarbones. I still haven't convinced myself to take off this necklace, as it's my last piece of home that I have left, even if it is depicting a belief I am trying to separate myself from.

"Thank you, Tai," I murmur, wondering what it would be like to go home, to be reunited with my family again. And after that? Would Tai let Marek leave, or does this just include me? I know Marek's plans for me if we were to leave together, which is a reality I'm not sure if I should be excited about or not.

Tai's hand shifts up my waist further, making me shiver. "I am very much attracted to you, if that wasn't already painfully evident."

I breathe in deeply. "It wasn't, actually."

It would be a lie to believe that Tai didn't feel connected to me in a strange, unorthodox way. My mind wanders back to the moment in the garden when he kissed me. It feels like so long ago, with so much more having transpired between us.

My breath catches in my throat as he suddenly grips my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze against, his forest-green irises burning with unspoken passion.

"You had me the moment you walked into my home," he explains lowly, ensuring no one else around us is sharing his moment other than us. "You were so scared, yet so wonderfully beautiful with a mess of curls and eyes I could look into and practically drown in. I've seen plenty of foreigners pass through my court, yet none as wild and fascinating as you."

"I would like to think I'm quite civilised," I say curtly, teasing him, even if my voice does shudder unsurely as he lets go of my chin, hand coming around to press tightly against my back, making it much harder to concentrate.

"Yet you still struggle to tame those curls," he murmurs fondly. Slightly mortified, I go to adjust my hair, wishing suddenly that Jessa hadn't tried to style it, but Tai grabs my wrist, stopping me. "Don't, I like it."

I breathe out slowly, listening to the song glide to a close.

"You can be nice when you want to, King Taius. You better stop or someone may think you're going soft," I taunt, although it's painfully obvious I breathless.

I'm not sure what to do, or what to think. This flirting it dangerous, bordering on a line I don't want to cross. The last thing I want is to let Tai think I want to be with him when Marek is still in the picture. I want to pursue what I have with Marek, but so much about him is still so unknown to me. I don't even know what powers he secretly maintains.

As Tai and I turn slightly, the beat of the song diminishing, I look out at the edge of the crowd, catching sight of a long figure leaning against the wall, monitoring the dance floor. My heart flutters, realising it's Marek working, ensuring that none of the influential people here are in any risk to outsiders. I can imagine how much he hates being here.

We meet gazes, his lips slightly parted, glacial blue gaze stripping me of all my composure. Even from here I can see wandering gazes, most from young men and women who are likely struck by his ethereal beauty, so randomly placed here, where most are from the Jade Province. How many feel unsafe knowing a Summoner is here, watching them in dark hunting clothing?

Suddenly I slip, standing on Tai's foot.

"Ow..." he breathes, less so because it hurt and more because he knows my attention has drifted.

"My bad," I apologise quickly, dragging my attention back to him. "The song has ended."

A cool, impassive expression passes over his face as he realise who stole my attention away. Regardless, I want to speak to Marek, to explain what is going on.

Tai grabs my arm before I can move off the dance floor. "Don't run away now. I have a surprise for you."

I pause for a moment, looking up at Tai's face, and without anymore words, I let him lead me from the ballroom.

🖤••🖤

If you guys want to read ahead, you can read more of KING'S POSSESSION on Radish! It's chapters ahead of Wattpad (:

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I'm officially rewriting Alpha Jasper's story now on Radish! It will be following the same storyline with the same characters, but with revised scenes and some new ones!

I love Jasper's story so much that I wanted to go back and rewrite it. I hope you guys will enjoy it, you can find it now on Radish (:

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