Chapter Thirty Four

Everett

Everett felt sick when he was forced into a suit to attend a ball to celebrate the end of the trials.

He didn’t feel that any sort of celebration was right at that moment in time.

They had just lost another one of their close friends and to host a ball after such tragedy was horrific to him.

He knew that the kingdom of Korth held cruel ways, but he didn’t think they’d celebrate death.

It only added to his disgust and hatred for the kingdom.

He questioned what kind of ball Azazel would be putting on.

There were a many balls back in Orissia, but he was unsure of what one in Korth would consist of..

They’d put on extravagant parties full of joy and light.

The library had been a place he had often escaped to as a child when the party became too overwelming for him.

The sheer number of people in the palace was too much for a child to handle at times.

When the maid had finished preparing him, she left the room in silence.

Within a moment, a knock sounded at the door.

He knew the harsh hand couldn’t belong to any female.

He opened up the wooden door to the sight of a guard standing before him. “Lovely,”

he huffed with an eye roll.

The guard didn’t say a word as he motioned for him to follow.

“Not until Aerilyn is with us,”

he shook his head, his eyes moving to the closed door that he knew the girl resided behind.

“She’s already there,”

the man growled in frustration.

Everett was skeptical to believe him, but finally moved to follow behind him.

He knew that if Aerilyn wasn’t at the ball, he’d be able to find her.

But the way Azazel obsessed over her, Everett assumed the king wouldn’t try to hurt her yet.

It was a long-stretch assumption, but he’d seen it firsthand the way the man favored her.

When they reached the open ballroom, Everett had to pause to take it all in.

He couldn’t help but admit that the room was stunning.

The hall they’d had dinner in was nothing in comparison to the vast space.

He stood at the top of a staircase that overlooked the room.

The ceilings were high and decorated with elaborately painted art.

It depicted images of angels and devils, all fighting in some sort of war.

Even with the violent imagery, it was beautiful beyond what words could explain.

The walls were made of pure silver.

It shined in the light at every single angle.

The furthest wall was made of glass, giving a perfect view of the kingdom beyond the palace.

The tiles at his feet sparkled with a glittering black.

The entire space was decorated for the occasion and full of people.

He couldn’t even begin to count the number of people that filled the space from wall to wall.

The entire kingdom must’ve been in the room.

No matter how large the space was, the sheer amount of people was overwhelming.

He tried to scan the room for the bright white hair that he knew belonged to the one girl he longed to be near.

The last time he’d seen her, she’d been a wreck over the loss they’d experienced back in the arena.

There was a flash of white and blue across the room that he knew had to be her.

She stood beside Blaise, the two clinging to each other and keeping space away from the strangers around them.

He was grateful that the man was with her, she didn’t need to be alone.

He didn’t trust a single soul in that room besides the two of them.

He made his way down the steps towards his companions, trying to avoid meeting any of the eyes that were glued to him.

The crowd broke to allow him a path as if they were all avoiding coming near him.

They all knew he was the heir to the throne in their enemy kingdom.

It still confused him to know that Korth knew about Orissia, but he had no idea anyone had existed outside of his kingdom.

It made him feel naive and clueless about the truth of the world around him.

“Everett,”

Blaise’s voice pulled his thoughts straight to the moment that was unfolding before him.

Aerilyn turned quickly, her eyes filling with some light as she rushed towards him the final few feet and threw her arms around his neck.

He grasped around her waist, pulling her tight against him.

He let out a sigh of relief at the physical touch between them.

It reminded him that she was real and that she was safe.

He breathed in the scent of the new soap that clung to her hair.

All the blood that had been coating her skin was no longer present.

Her pain was still hiding behind a mask that he knew she put on when she was around others.

She’d done something tragic only hours prior and he knew it was still weighing on her heavily.

He pulled back just slightly to hold her face in his hand, searching her eyes.

“I’m okay,”

she whispered, a forced smile on her face.

“You don’t have to pretend with me, darling.

We don’t have to stay here.

We can go back to your room and escape all of this,”

he attempted to give her an option to leave the crowded room.

“I don’t want to seem weak.

I don’t want them to think we run and hide from things.

We have to keep a strong front around them.

Our image means everything right now,”

she bit her bottom lip.

He ran his thumb over the soft skin, releasing it from the trap between her teeth.

“I understand, but if you want to get out of here just tell me”

he kissed her soft and quick before he looked up at Blaise who awkwardly tried to avoid staring at them.

Brinley’s request ran through his mind and he felt a pang of guilt for expressing so much affection in front of him.

The two had a relationship that he’d been unaware of and Blaise had just lost the girl he’d cared deeply about.

“I’m sorry-”

he began.

Blaise held a hand up and shook his head slightly.

“It’s okay Everett.

It’s not either of your faults.

It hurts, but I understand why Aerilyn did what she did.

I can’t be upset about Brinley’s request to take away the pain,”

his voice was raw.

Everett knew the man had been crying.

He could see the redness rimming his eyes from the emotions he’d released.

He’d never seen Blaise have anything other than a snarky attitude.

So seeing him like that wrecked his soul.

He didn’t know what else he could do to help the man, but he also knew that Blaise wasn’t the type to put his emotions on display.

The sound of metal clinking against a glass quickly silenced the room.

The music stopped playing and the conversations died out.

Everyone’s attention was drawn to the king who stood taller than everyone else.

He held a glass in his hand and a dagger in the other, the object he’d tapped against the glass.

The sight of the weapon seemed to be a way to show off his power over everyone.

The king seemed to always find ways to show his strength to everyone in the room.

It disgusted Everett.

He didn’t understand how his people could respect him with the way he acted.

“I’d like to start off by saying congratulations to our new citizens of Korth for surviving all three of my games.

They have proven their worth for their place here in my kingdom,”

Azazel’s voice called out to the room.

A soft sound of applause began and a few people even whistled.

The people who had hated them were now cheering for them.

The thought made Everett almost laugh.

It was pathetic how the people of this kingdom acted.

“I’d like to personally welcome each of them.

I ask that all of you treat them with the same respect that you treat me.

They are citizens of my kingdom now and they are your equals,”

he continued on, a smirk curling on his lips.

The words seemed to be the opposite of the tone of his voice.

The king could obviously care less about what happened to them, someone blind could even tell.

Everett couldn’t decide what his end goal was with the little speech.

Azazel’s eyes met his eyes through the crowd and he raised a brow in temptation.

A group of servers walked through the crowd, giving each person a glass filled with a dark red liquid.

Everett had only tasted wine a handful of times.

Part of him was skeptical about accepting the drink, but he took the glass that was handed to him without protest.

He did not attempt to drink from it, noting that Aerilyn did the same.

“To our new friends.

Welcome to Korth,”

Azazel held his glass to the sky above the room.

Everyone repeated the words back to him before taking a drink for the toast.

Everett kept eye contact with Azazel, not bringing the glass anywhere near his lips.

He wouldn’t put it past the king to attempt his life.

“Join me on the dance floor to celebrate and enjoy the food provided,”

he finished before nodding to the group of people in the corner that held a variety of instruments.

The music began again, filling the room with a beautiful melody.

With the cue of the music, people had begun to pair up and head toward a cleared area that Everett assumed was some sort of dance floor.

He’d been around for a few balls at the castle back in Orissia.

He learned how to dance at a young age, but it had taken him much longer than his brother.

He was always clumsy and stepped on his partner's feet consistently.

“Are we going to dance, little thief?”

Everett smiled as he held his hand out towards Aerilyn.

He wanted to hate every second of being there, but he also wanted to enjoy little moments with the woman he loved.

Aerilyn returned the smile and his heart fluttered in his chest.

Everything about her was beautiful and he loved every smile she provided him with.

They’d come so far since the day they had met.

The moment her hand slid into his, he felt like the world clicked into place.

Surrounded by people who hated them, he couldn’t seem to care as long as he had her in his arms.

“I have no idea how to dance, but I’m trusting you,”

her voice was soft.

The given trust struck his soul in a way he couldn’t quite explain.

The girl seemed to not be very trusting, but she was handing her trust over to him continuously.

He felt special to be given that privilege.

The light in her eyes as they walked to the dance floor seemed to stand out more than usual.

He had almost lost her, but they’d both walked away from the trial alive.

Everett’s hands slid around her lower back, pulling her in close to his chest.

Her arms slid around his neck, closing any space remaining between them.

The lighting of the ballroom reflected a golden warmth across her features.

It made her look like an angel that had been sent to save his soul.

He was in debt to whoever had sent the girl to him.

He knew that he’d never be complete without her by his side.

He didn’t care if he had to face his father’s wrath when they returned to Orissia, he’d do anything to have Aerilyn on the throne beside him.

“Just hold onto me and I’ll guide you through it,”

he lowered his mouth to her ear, watching as a shiver ran through her.

The movement made a smirk form on his lips, his hands tightening their grasp on her waist.

Her eyes met his and she gave him a quick nod, showing that she understood what he was asking her to do.

“Good girl.”

Aerilyn’s cheeks flushed with a deep red tone, and quickly averted her eyes.

Deep down, he had to admit that he enjoyed watching her squirm.

As much as he wanted to worship her, he wanted her to worship him even more.

He couldn’t overcome his obsession with her.

Her moans still filled his mind, creeping into his dreams.

Everything about her was perfect.

It was obvious that she had been made specifically for him.

Everett held tight to the girl as he began to lead her in a dance.

Her feet stumbled with each step and he tried not to laugh at her clumsiness.

“Think about the way you dance with that sword during a battle.

It’s not that much different, just let your body move and mirror mine,”

he tried to coach her into feeling more comfortable in the movements.

She visibly took in a deep breath, releasing it as her shoulders seemed to relax.

He allowed his thumb to rub back and forth across her hip in a soothing motion.

After he had given her the advice, her feet seemed to move more freely.

He watched as she became more comfortable in her dance, her feet moved with more grace than before.

She was flawless when it came to most things, so seeing her struggle for once made her feel a bit more human to him.

He loved every aspect of her, even the parts that may make mistakes.

He wanted her to understand that, to see that she didn’t always have to be perfect for him.

“You’re everything I’ve ever dreamed of, little thief,”

he slid a hand over the back of her head, pulling it to his chest.

He rested his chin on the top of her hair, letting out a sigh as every inch of space between them disappeared.

He lost himself in the music and her touch, wishing he could freeze that exact moment in time.

They weren’t in pain, they didn’t think about their dead friends, they weren’t in an enemy kingdom.

It was him and Aerilyn.

Everything else didn’t matter.

So, he let himself turn his mind off and became lost in Aerilyn.