challenge five! as always, thank u anya @raphael-schreave and also thank u elise @ramona-lisa for the rps :] and a very special thank u to anna @thyremainder for our bullet fic!!!!
full fic is here, with links to the bullet fic and the ramona rp embedded (8.6k in total.)
Welcome to Challenge Five! And Happy Illéan Independence Day!
((truly don’t know why we’re celebrating greg’s work- he’s trash but trash to trashed i guess. but let’s have some fun))
In this challenge Queen Edith will still be with us in the palace, and joining her will be her fiancé, Florian. Additionally, Princess Livia of Italy and her husband, Dante Marino will be in attendance as well.
Other guests:
Hugo Stanton
Jackson Graham
Felicity Graham
Chloé Stanton
the following is a sequence of events for the ball created by yours truly: brinna
Selected are escorted into a large dinner with other guests by a personal guard
the German and Italian royals are presented followed by the Illéan royals
once dinner is over, guests are moved into the grand ballroom where the theme is iridescent color
i.e. gauzy, colorful decorations hanging from the ceiling and windows, beautiful bouquets, colorful desserts and drinks, and little light catchers hung everywhere that catch the light and throw tiny rainbows around the room
a full orchestra that plays lively music, slow waltzes, and instrumentals of popular songs that younger people will recognize
dancing is the main event of the evening along with the extravagant finger foods and decorated gardens for guests to walk through (a door leading to the gardens is open)
at midnight, a special segment will commence where each guest is given a bag of colored powder they can throw up into the air
a FLURRY of color is strewn about the room at the stroke of midnight, coating almost every guest nicely
This challenge will not have any required RPs but there will be a required fic detailing what you do at the ball.
Some things to try and include in fics:
How you feel about being in the palace so far
Your feelings about Arin
This challenge will run for two weeks and all fics are due by July 17th. The time covered this challenge will be from August 2nd to August 23rd.
Aight so as I told Bri and Ester we’ve all had a lot of life recently so it took me longer than I wanted to get this done. I was hoping to finish up on a couple backlogged fics but alas- no luck. Anyway sorry, again and I hope you enjoy.
Thank you so much to Ester @wyattschreave for the RP and making me cry and thank you to Anya @ladyvivienneloyola for putting up with my shit (and the RP). Also a huge thank you to my weather bitching buddy, Lemon @darcyduncan who always encourages me- even if she supports France.
word count: 2984
I stayed outside for a bit longer before heading back inside. There were some things I needed to think over and a ballroom mostly filled with a whole bunch of strangers just wasn’t the place to do it.
Avoiding Ben may have been in the past but I had yet to talk with Wyatt since the “incident”. I was ready to just bury the hatchet and get the whole thing over with. He may not have known it but I really did want to be on good terms with Wyatt. I thought maybe if we got past all the shit maybe we be a bit more than two people awkwardly sharing the same home.
I headed to the bar first and ordered a drink, then after spotting Wyatt, I made my way over. He turned around seemingly surprised that I’d tapped him on the shoulder.
“Um... hello there.”
“Hi.” I gave him an awkward smile and held out the drink. “Can we talk?”
He cleared his throat as he stared down at me. At first, I was uncomfortable but then I shrugged off the feeling.
Be confident.
“Last time we had a conversation while you were drinking, it didn’t end well.”
Well, that was a bit bitter sounding… It didn’t matter. I shouldn’t let a small comment get to me.
“The drink isn't for me.” I jiggled the glass just a bit. “It's for you. And I'll be nice- or at least I'll try to be.”
He took the glass with some hesitation, seeming to inspect it. Wyatt was acting like I was going to poison him. If I wanted him dead I wasn’t going to commit the murder in a room full of his family, foreign dignitaries, and the palace guard.
“I... don’t drink unless I know what it is I’m drinking. It’s one of the important rules now.”
“It's an Old Etonian.” I let out a small but breathy laugh.
Wyatt gave the drink a better look as he took it from me. After muttering a complaint about how it was missing the orange peel he took a sip. He took a longer second drink when he was able to confirm it was the drink I’d said. I swallowed nervously.
“Whoa there... Slow down…”
“It’s my first drink, relax.” He told me, staring at me as he pulled the glass away from his lips.
“Still,” I mumbled, looking around the room.
Over the night I began to feel more and more like a zoo attraction. All of the guests that weren’t Selected or the royal family had seemingly been sizing each of us up all night. With over half the girls gone people were able to get a better sense of what they could expect from their soon-to-be princess and it showed.
“Why are you so on edge?” Wyatt asked, shifting awkwardly.
“I'm not?” I looked back at him with a frown.
“You seem unsure about that as well.” He mused, raising an eyebrow at me.
“Well, I didn't really come over here to talk about that.” I tilted my head to the side.
Moments later my eyes scanned the room for his brother. It would have been hard to miss him considering that he was surrounded by a whole bunch of stuffy looking old men- more advisors probably. When I glanced over at Wyatt I saw that his gaze had followed my own and he seemed to hesitate again.
“Um, listen, about that night and what I said...Ben told me I wasn’t entirely right nor wrong. I mean, I know there’s no real reason for me to apologize in theory, but I still feel like I should, so…” He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry either way.”
I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment before opening them again. As I stared up at Wyatt I grappled with what to say next. I wasn’t over what had happened- even if I’d been trying to pretend I was around Ben.
“You're really putting me on the spot here, but I guess I'm sorry too.” I looked between the brothers once more. “Did he... tell you...?”
He gave me a slow nod. Of course, he did. I could feel the anger begin to boil up inside me.
“He explained. I guess I’m glad I was wrong. Not to say that I’m glad for what did happen. At all. I just meant—” He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Never mind.”
“Does no one in this family respect confidentiality?” I shook my head with a frown.
“He only told me because of what I‘d gathered from our conversation.” Wyatt returned the look. “ You think it was wrong of me to tell him in the first place?”
“What I think doesn't matter now, does it?” I quipped.
I’d learned that early on. What I actually thought or did didn’t matter in the long run. I had little control over the way things happened.
Wyatt’s frown deepened. I wasn’t sure he’d say anything- but then the word vomit came out.
“I don’t appreciate you getting all snarky when you didn’t even say I was wrong. If you’d told me not to tell anyone that would’ve been different. I would’ve taken the thought to my grave. But you didn’t even react...and I understood. I told Ben I was probably wrong. That I had no proof because I didn’t pry for more information than what I’d simply been given. I wasn’t going to demand an answer from you when you don’t even know me. Especially not when you were tipsy.”
He shook his head as I stood there dumbfounded, tilting my head as I clung to every word.
“I’m sorry if you don’t get that I’d want to tell my brother maybe some things were a bit more complicated than what they seemed, but I don’t need to justify myself. I wasn’t even sharing a secret someone told me. I was sharing things I noticed that seemed to add up to something else.” Wyatt quickly gulped down the rest of his drink and gave it to a passing servant. “Sorry if I ruined your night.”
“Wyatt.” I reached out to catch his elbow as he turned to leave.
I could see him look around, assessing the situation. He’s making sure this isn’t caught my the fucking media- of course, he is. Then he turned back to me with an expression I couldn’t read, causing my frown to soften.
“What's gotten into you...?” I asked, surprised at the worry in my voice.
He rolled his eyes at me, the same way he seemed to always do when he was around me.
“Nothing.” Wyatt glanced around, then looked back to me. “What did you actually want, Ophelia? You claim I invade your privacy when I don’t. But you can do it and it’s fine?”
“It doesn't seem like nothing,” I argued, pulling my hand back. “But you know what, forget it. It's not like you'd tell me if anything was wrong.”
“There doesn’t have to be something wrong. I just think you’re being unfair. I tried my best to deal with a situation and now I’m a prick that doesn’t take your feelings into consideration?” He growled. “Grow up. I actually told you I‘m particular about my personal space and you couldn’t care less. I guess since you’re a girl it’s suddenly fine.”
So I should have respected his personal space more- I’d give him that. But the rest was absolute shit. I smiled slightly, letting out a small laugh.
“Unfair? You grew up in a palace with servants and your every need catered to. You chose to tell your brother something that I wasn't ready to share with him, and certainly not you.” As a servant walked by with a tray I snatched a flute of champagne without thinking. “And as for the space- fine- I won't touch you anymore. Then at least one of us gets to have our wishes respected.”
“I told my brother something because I needed to share it with someone. Uncertainty drives me nuts. I don’t like it.” He told me in a low voice, pulling away. “And also, I’m sorry you have an inferiority complex, but always bringing up how being a prince means I can’t feel bad about shit is wrong. I was born a One as much as you were born a Three or whatever the hell you are. Am I complaining? No, I‘m aware I‘ve had privileges many don’t, but that doesn’t make me any less human. It doesn’t mean I need to always be happy because I’ve got it better than others. If everyone used that mindset to define life, then I could tell you to get over yourself.”
Get over myself…? I felt like my airway was closing and it became harder to breathe.
“That other girls have it way worse than you.” He continued on. “My mother? She was a Six. She lost both her parents when she was barely sixteen and had a little brother to take care of. She couldn’t think about dating or going to clubs or being in media drama with celebrities. You and I? Our issues? If we want to compare, neither of us knows how tough life can be.”
His words struck me hard, leaving me almost speechless. So that’s what he thought of me. I was just some spoiled diva who hadn’t had life as hard as it could have been so my opinions were shit.
My hands began to shake a little as I took a step back. I tried to take a few breaths in,
“I-” I looked down at my glass then lifted it to my lips to take a drink, but stopped short when I remembered I wasn’t drinking.
Unsure of what to do I pulled the glass away, then thrust it into his hands. Some of the champagne spilt onto him, but he didn’t react.
“I'm sorry.” I murmured, then turned to walk off.
I wanted to go back to my room so badly, have a scalding hot bath, then go the fuck to sleep. But I didn’t. Part of me felt like that would be letting Wyatt win. I may not have deserved to enjoy the rest of my night but I sure as hell wasn’t going to let it and because of some ass.
I was outside on the balcony again, facing out towards the garden. My legs dangled over the ledge, letting the cool night breeze blow my dress slightly.
“Oh, I didn't know the balcony was already booked.” I heard a voice come from behind me.
I was thankful that is sounded feminine. Had it been Ben or Wyatt I would have lost it.
“Viv?” I looked over my shoulder in confusion, then to the ledge once more, before looking back to Viv. “I can go if you want.”
She took a sip from the glass of wine she was holding and shook her head.
“No, it's okay. You took this place first.” She clicked her tongue. “Alone time I see.”
“Doesn't have to be alone time…” I hinted. “It would be nice to talk to talk to someone I'm not currently annoyed at or fighting with.”
“Sounds like you need this more than I do.” She sauntered over and let out a snort as she offered me her glass. “Took me a while to convince the bartender to give it to me though. Ass thought I was below 18.”
I eyed the glass. God, I want to. Why does this have to be so hard?
“I'm not drinking right now…” I took a deep breath, as I pulled my legs up and turned around on the railing so I was facing the doors again.
“You're ... refusing wine?” Viv side-eyed me in disbelief but then nodded. “Man, you must be having a rough night then. Who screwed you over?”
I chuckled. Life, Wyatt, Alex… Well, he screwed you over and screwed you… shit... Images flashed through my mind but I shrugged them off. This was not the time or place.
“I actually haven't been drinking for a little while.” I glanced at the ledge and gave Viv a look. You gonna sit here with me or what bitch? “And who hasn't screwed me? Besides you…”
Shit, that sounded bad… no screwing... Not that Viv isn’t amazing. Oh god, what the hell is wrong with you? No, no, nope.
Viv seemed to ignore my comment as she motioned to her dress. Still, she shook her head with a laugh and leaned back against the rail.
“Please.” She rolled her eyes. “Aight, what's wrong?”
I sighed. At least I knew Viv actually wanted to know what was going on and she had a 75% lesser chance of losing her shit on me than Wyatt. She’d also give it to me straight.
“Where to begin…?” I looked at the glass again. “I've ruined what little of a relationship I have with Wyatt for starters... and I've realised despite the fact that I've literally trusted his brother with my life it's not a two-way street.”
Viv pressed her glass to her lips, sighing as she listened to me drone on about my issues. Honestly just bless her for the shit she puts up with.
“Rough night indeed, then.” Her lips pursed. “Do you think the damage is beyond repair?”
“Well- let's see... He told me to grow up, that I have an inferiority complex, to get over myself, and that other girls have had it way worse than me so I don't have a right to bring up how privileged he is-” I stopped to consider, then turned to Viv with a tired smile. “So... what do you think?”
“I think people should definitely start recording whatever the hell is happening right now because this would make some great reality tv.” She snorted and shook her head with a laugh as she spoke. “Honestly? I don't get why all of you people have the best timing when it comes to these things? Can't we all just get along... have a nice night... celebrate a birthday... have some cake?”
“Get along? Oh, I've tried- believe me .” I let out a closed mouth scream. “And that was just one brother... don't even get me started on Benjamin "the perfect" Schreave.”
I swiped Viv’s glass from her hands, which she looked like she was going to protest but then stopped short. A million thoughts ran through my mind as I looked down at the contents of the glass. You know you’re not supposed to drink… It’s bad for-
“Fuck it,” I muttered, then downed the rest of the glass.
“His perfection getting too much for you?” She remarked, looking away from me.
“Like I said…” I flashed my eyes at her. We aren't exactly on equal footing- And I'm starting to feel like I'm just this thing he wants to fix- and yet…”
I shook my head and sighed while she considered. I realised that Viv’s experience wasn’t necessarily mine so it was possible she had to choose her words carefully.
“And yet what?”
“And yet I think something isn't quite right with him…” I confessed, causing Viv to blink in surprise. “I just can't figure out what.”
For a while I’d felt something was off with him, I could just never figure out what. And he’d never tell.
“There's something not right about him?” She asked, raising her eyebrows as she crossed her arms. A concerned look crossed her face before she relaxed slightly.
“He's holding something back- though I don't know what…” I sighed and nodded. “It can't be any worse than what I've done.”
“Everyone's hiding their own secrets. That's a surprise.” She pouted for a moment. “This is the second time I'm saying this tonight but..."
Her face scrunched up a little, seemingly in response to her own words.
“Give yourself time to figure this out.”
“Figure out my life you mean?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.
Because damn… Every single day of my life in the palace was figuring out what to do next. I was fairly certain this whole princess thing wasn’t going to pan out for me- not that I wanted it to not work out... It was just a reality.
“Apparently this ball is meant to be super cathartic for my "sister wives" tonight.” Viv reached back and ran her fingers through her ponytail, then shook her head. “But yeah, just figure out whatever stuff you've got going for you right now. Uh... I'm not really good with conflict resolution so...”
“Viv, I've had a few years to figure out my shit, don't worry.” I laughed a little and waved my hand, before noticing Viv seemed not quite uncomfortable but wasn’t exactly at ease. “You okay?”
“Doing wonderful.” She flashed me a smile. “And you can stop worrying about your life for now. You can do that tomorrow. Haven't you heard? There's a party going on inside and they're about to cut the cake. My insider has told me that it's chocolate with coffee flavoured frosting and caramel drizzled over it.”
I had decided earlier in the evening that I would be forgoing the cake, but I couldn’t say not to Viv. And if the cake had chocolate and coffee I had to have some.
“You're right.” I nodded looking back towards the doors, then glanced back to her and shook the empty glass. “And besides- I think I'm going to need a lot more of this.”
Viv chuckled a little and nodded as she locked arms with me.
“It's an open bar tonight.” She snorted, leading us back towards the doors. “So good luck.”
I shook my head. Just my luck.
“Clearly no one warned the caterers that I'd be here... Or else they'd have known an open bar was a bad idea.”
[Hi! Sorry if this is super short and a little weird.. Thanks to the group date peeps @nathaniel-schreave @ladyallegrahannon @camille-marshall @clove-teasdale and @eloiseduval. Special thanks to Brianna for the small beach rp :) Be aware of the spelling/grammar mistakes and typos! Warning: cursing.]
Holy shit. I actually made it to the Elite.
I’m sure the other girls were just as surprised as I was. Not that I made it this far, but that they made it this far.
Vee’s face said it all when her name was announced. Complete and utter shock. Her eyes widened so much I thought they would explode, and her jaw almost hit the floor.
Aada, standing next to me, was hiding her feelings really well. But on a closer look, you could tell how relieved she was when her name was called. Her hands were shaking and a build-up sigh escaped from her mouth.
When my name was announced, I felt something weird. I was happy that I got to stay, don’t get me wrong. But I also kept wondering if the Prince actually likes me, or feels anything else. The stress of being in the selection, this competition, stayed.
Drama for you, drama for you, drama for everyone. That basically summed up my life.
Prince Nate has been a great influence on me so far, I’ve changed for the better. Kindness, poise and being proper. I took great value in Lady Collette’s wise words.
However, I am well aware I can be a bit of a hand-full. And even though the Prince was a great influence on me, I wasn’t sure if I was a great influence on him.
Being honest, keeping your word and not giving up. All great qualities for a princess and future queen, if they are present in normal amounts. I do possess those qualities, just too much.
Brutally honest, resulting in hurting others’ feelings. Keeping my word, more like cross me once and I’ll promise to be your worst fucking nightmare. And finally not giving up, most people would call that being stubborn. So yeah, not the qualities someone is looking for.
I honestly don’t know if I will ever be princess(or queen)-material. Some girls are better picks.
Eloise for example. I met her the other day at the beach. After the long time we’ve been here, we only met the other day. How crazy is that?
I’ve always seen her as my biggest competition. She is the embodiment of friendliness. Even I could potentially become friends with her.
Kindness, poise and being proper run through her veins. And on top of that she shows a passion for music. This makes her the perfect fit for the Prince.
Then Clove, who’s practically a part of the royal family already. She knew Prince Nate, they freaking grew up together. The base of a romantic relationship, friendship, was already there. Another great fit.
Finally the military girl. Marshall. She definitely owned the manners of a royal. I didn’t know that much about her but there’s something about her that makes me respect her. I can’t deny that she’d make a great queen. She wouldn’t make any mistakes.
Three girls with a huge chanced of becoming the One. And of course all three of them happen to be in the same group date as I am. How fantastic.
I wasn’t feeling like myself before the date had even begun.
It was doomed to be a failure for me.
Group dates: awkward.
With the top three: even more awkward.
Aada, my other half, was in the other group date. To top it all off, the other group was going to do croquet. And I was in the cooking date. Nothing against cooking and food, but geez sports are my thing. I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of the others.
As soon as I stepped foot in the kitchens, I felt weirdly uncomfortable.
I tried to ask questions once in while, but that was a failure. The only person answering was Marshall. Thank god for her.
Uncomfortable, awkward and unpleasant. That’s how I felt during that date.
I do have to admit I could have tried harder to be talkative and make conversation. But it just wasn’t working for me.
I caught myself beeping out the other girls, not even listening to what they were saying. That was my own mistake, I know.
They say time flies when you’re having fun. Let me tell you, when you’re not paying attention to others time goes by even faster.
I realize that I can’t give my heart to someone if that person could fall for someone else. And let’s be honest, I haven’t gotten any confirmation about my place in this selection. Yes I made it to the Elite, but I could still be eliminated tomorrow. Just like the others.
I’m sorry for having disappeared recently. I think some of you know that I’m in the process of moving back to the US so things are hectic right now and writing hasn’t been my priority. I also couldn’t post it because of what happened with the last fic.
Speaking of the US happy 4th of July! I forgot it was today, haha but I hope everyone that celebrates it is having a good and SAFE day!
Anywho- I’ll probably be posting the ball fics with Wyatt and Vivienne tomorrow if I can get them written. But like I said haha packing.
Thank you Brianna @benjaminschreave for the RP!
I’ll post a dress edit later! Basically it looks similar to the dress in the cover.
word count:2847
I was positioned in front of the floor length mirror in my room, with all three of my maids fussing over me.
“How about this way?” Louisa asked, pulling my hair up to show me what it would look like in a bun. “Or we can leave it down?”
I nodded. Keeping my hairstyle simple seemed like the best idea. Putting it up would have distracted I thought,
I don’t know what exactly I’d been expecting when I’d told Astrid I wanted to make a statement with my ball outfit but she had gone above and beyond and had more than delivered. The dress was bolder than I could have imagined.
“Suck in,” Astrid instructed.
I did as I was told as I felt her pull at the small zipper on the back of my dress. At first, it felt tight, but when I exhaled I was able to settle into the gown a bit more.
My fingertips brushed against the corset of the dress as I did my best to not focus too much on the upper portion of the gown. I was used to the desire to be bold but tonight was different. Tonight I felt almost naked wearing something that normally would have given me confidence.
Before leaving Astrid pulled a little bit of my hair to the side and fastened it in place with some pins. She told me she just couldn’t let me leave looking like nothing had been done to my hair.
When I entered the ball I wasn’t sure what to do first. Not all of the girls had arrived yet, and anyone else who I knew was otherwise occupied.
After grabbing a glass of water from the bar I made my way around the room and talked to various other guests, none of whom really held my attention that well. But all the same, I still tried to be sociable.
At some point, I caught sight of Ben who was speaking with an older couple. When they had finished their conversation I politely said goodbye to who I’d been speaking with and then snuck up behind him.
“Hey there, birthday boy,” I said, covering his eyes.
I felt his cheeks scrunch up beneath my hands as he smiled.
“Trying to do the job the mask couldn’t?” He asked.
I pulled my hands back and grinned at him.
“I think I'm a bit better than a mask, don't you?”
He turned to face me. For a split second, I wanted to laugh at his mask because it was strange to see him that way but I didn’t. And I wasn’t one to laugh anyway considering that I had a mask on as well and it was definitely over the top.
“It’s possible.” He gave me a smile after giving me a quick once-over. “You look very nice tonight, Lia.”
Why thank you, Jam.” I chuckled, feeling my cheeks heat up just a little as I blushed. “You don't look so bad yourself considering you're an old man now.”
“You’re older than me,” Ben told me, with a flat expression.
I tilted my head in amusement. At least he isn’t focusing on this darn dress… But I almost wanted him to.
“You know, I think the first rule of being a gentleman is that you don't bring up a lady's age.”
“Simply clarifying that I am in no way old.” He stated. “And neither are you.”
I laughed, rolling my eyes at his comment. After a little look around I leaned up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Old or not I believe congratulations and- gifts are in order.” I smiled up at him as I rubbed the lipstick off of his cheek with one of my thumbs.
“I hope it’s not dentures as a sign of my old age.” His brows raised with expectancy.
I shook my head. Dentures would have been a funny gift and I almost wished I’d thought of it. But I had to say I did like what I’d picked out for him.
“Unfortunately it's harder than you think to get those on such short notice. So I got you the next best thing.”
“And where would this next best gift be?” He asked.
“It's waiting for you outside,” I told him. “But first I'd like to ask if I can steal you for a dance.”
His lips pursed as he pretended to think about it.
“But am I really in the mood to be stolen? That’s the real question.”
I’d always wondered if the Ben I’d been getting to know would be the same person around others that he was when we were alone. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected, but I was glad that he seemed to not change too much.
“I guess I'll just have to go ask someone else to dance- maybe Prince Aran perhaps?” I sighed.
“And deny the birthday prince his dance? Outrageous.” Ben took my hand as he flashed me a smile and whisked me away onto the dance floor.
“Drama queen.” I rolled my eyes.
I place one of my hands on his shoulders while the other went the gently hold the back of his neck.
“King.” Ben corrected, as he put his hands on my waist.
“Prince.” I countered, raising my eyebrows at him.
You aren’t the king yet, Jammy Jam… and hopefully you won’t be for a long time. It wasn’t that I didn’t think he would make a good king- I just didn’t think he was ready. Ben deserved to spend the next few years getting to finish growing up and starting his life without all the pressures that came with the crown his father wore.
“Touché.” He laughed.
“Just keeping you in line.” I teased, giving him a wink.
“An excellent Selected in my book.”
“Excellent?” I smirked at him. “That's a big upgrade from ‘meh’.”
As we swayed to the music I commented about how he seemed like he was in a good mood and he filled me in about his day. It seemed like he’d had a good time with his family- off-key singing in all.
We continued dancing, discussing birthday wishes, and joking. I was hoping he would let me in and tell me what he’d been hoping for, but no such luck. But things seemed like they were always that way with Ben.
Ben, of course, asked me if my birthday wishes had come true, but I returned the vague answers he’d given me. Eventually, he broke me and I told him that I had gotten my wishes, which had been a little bit of peace… and a chance.
“Chance for what?” He asked me, with his brows knitting together.
“That's for me to know.” I gave him a sweet smile as reached up to tap his nose.
His nose wrinkled in response.
“And for me to find out?”
“If you're good I might just tell you.”
“Aren't I good already? He asked.
I told him that I thought being a little too good could make you bad. He asked how with that chuckle of his I loved hearing.
“It adds some mystery. And makes me wonder what you're hiding.” I smirked. “I already told you mine- but have you told me yours?”
“I don't have very many secrets.” Ben shook his head. “Nothing as bad as you're probably imagining.”
“If it isn't so bad then tell me?”
I gave him a soft smile. The more time went on the more I felt like he was holding back, and I could just never understand it. Ben knew almost every dangerous or risky detail of my life… and yet… I couldn’t name one bad thing he’d ever done.
You’re overreacting. He’s probably right… No… stand your ground… sharing is a two-way street.
“I... don't really know what you want to hear.”
He stopped dancing, causing me to look up at him in surprise.
“Hey, it's okay. I can stop.” I told him in a soft tone, rubbing his arm. “ know we said no secrets but if you aren't comfortable you don't owe me anything.”
I cringed at my own words. I was right… he didn’t owe me anything and I foolishly kept forgetting that. There were nearly a dozen girls here. I wasn’t any more special to him than the rest of them.
“No, it's not that I'm uncomfortable. I just…” He glanced away for a moment then looked back at me as he tried to force a smile. “Why don't we go get that gift you mentioned?”
“Jam.” I murmured, looking at him in confusion as I quietly nodded.
I let out a sigh as I pulled my hand off of his shoulder and instinctually went to rub my arm. I said a hushed apology as I followed his gaze to the balcony doors.
“Don't be sorry. You don't have to be.”
Ben put one of his hands on the small of my back as he guided me towards the doors. I went without saying anything, glancing back towards the room as we went out onto the terrace. He tugged his mask off and rubbed his eyes for a moment as we got outside. I decided to leave mine on, not feeling like letting him clearly see the less than joyful look on my face.
I reached into one of the many potted plants that lined the balcony and pulled out the small box that I’d wrapped earlier in the day.
“I'm sorry if... that was weird. I didn't mean for it to be.” Ben tucked his mask into his pocket, before looking at the box with a little smile that wasn’t quite all there.
I began to say something back, but instead of finishing I just shook my head and held out the box. He eyed me for a moment before taking it with a much more genuine look of happiness.
“Are you sure there's no dentures inside this?”
I let out an unexpected laugh but told him I was sure. Dentures wouldn’t have been such a bad idea. I almost wished I had thought of it.
He began by taking off the bow then tore off the paper and lifted the lid. After pushing aside the tissue paper he reached in and pulled out the chains inside, dangling them before me.
“Are these... necklaces?” He gave me a confused look.
To be fair the pearls on the chain could give anyone the wrong impression.
“Actually it's a chain for your glasses, so you don't lose them, grandma.” I gave him an amused look, having eased up a bit.
“You bought me chains for my glasses?” He laughed, giving the gift a once over. “That's amazing”
“You like them?” I nodded.
Astrid had just about told me off when I’d revealed what my birthday gift was for Ben. She didn’t find it as funny as I- or Ben- had.
“I love them. They'll probably never leave my room, but they're great.” He let out another laugh, then leaned down to give me a quick kiss. “Thank you.”
I reached up behind my head and pulled at the bow that held my mask in place.
“I'm glad, I wasn't sure you would.” I tugged my mask off.
“A grandma needs her tools.” Ben put the chains back into the box.
“And grandchildren.” I laughed.
“I'd need children first.” He joked.
“Slow down there, at least buy me a drink first.” I chuckled.
Thinking about it he sort of already had. That first night after we’d met and he’d caught me in the wine cellar he’d shared a bottle with me.
“Don't worry, that's many years coming.” Ben rolled his eyes, giving me a smile. “No matter who this ends with.”
I let out an overdramatic sigh- choosing to ignore his last comment.
“Thank goodness, I was so worried.” I winked at him.
“Good to know where we stand,” He said in a dry tone, making sure to add a chuckle.
I curiously asked if he wanted children before I could think about it. But to my surprise, he nodded and said he did, and that it was expected of him. I told him that I mattered what he wanted, which he agreed with, but assured me that his only reasoning wasn’t the expectation that came along with being the heir.
“Do you want kids?” He asked, after watching me for a moment.
“I think so,” I answered, looking up at him in surprise but still managing to nod. Unfortunately, a frown also crept in. “I just never really thought it was an option for me. But if I could I'd be happy.”
“Why did you never think it was an option?” Ben inquired.
“It would be risky for them I always thought…” I shifted my gaze from Ben towards the garden sprawled out beneath the balcony. “And Alex never wanted them, so I haven't really thought about it too much the past few years.”
“Regardless of Alex, did you want them?”
“I did,” I answered, surprised by how confident I sounded.
I was pretty sure I’d had the world’s best mother and that I could never live up to that. Part of me thought it would be unfair to any children I might have.
“Then I think that’s settled. Mostly, at least.”
Ben gave me a small smile and told me he hadn’t been expecting to talk about children that evening. It was fair to say the feeling was mutual. The night was young and it already seemed like it had been a roller coaster.
“Really.” I scrunched up my nose as I gave him a smile. “Because that was the whole reason I dragged you out here.”
“A very coercive woman.” He gave a pointed look as he tugged my hand to lead me back towards the doors.
“I didn't threaten you though.” I laughed, relaxing more as I held his hand back. “You came out here to spend time with your favourite bird.”
“Did I? Thanks for refreshing my memory.” Ben looked down at me in amusement.
“Anytime.” I smiled up at him. “I've got to make sure my favourite grandma doesn't forget things- which can be hard in your old age.”
We joked more about his future dentures and I told him that if he asked nicely I might even put them in the glass for him. He seemed horrified at the thought, telling me it was gross and that he’d never ask anyone to do that for him.
“When someone cares about you then you shouldn't have to ask.” I snorted.
“My point is, I wouldn't even expect it.” He smiled.
“Well I'm pretty sure I've told you before- expect the unexpected.”
He told me he’d make it a priority as we stopped just short of the ballroom doors, still out of sight from everyone. Ben leaned forward and kissed my forehead, which sent a small shock down along my spine.
“Thank you again, for the gift”
“You're welcome, grandma.” I smiled up at him, looking back towards the ballroom for a moment. “Even if you missed the mark.”
I leaned up and kissed his cheek then took a step back.
“Next time I won't.” Ben chuckled, as he went to take his mask out of his pocket.
“Let's hope not.” I watched him slip his mask back on, then remembered my own and lifted it up to my face. “Help me?”
I turned around and Ben tied the ribbons for me, perfectly securing my mask back in place.
“That shouldn't fall off for the rest of the night.” He told me.
“Good.” I turned back to him. “Can't have anyone knowing who I am.”
I ran my fingertips over my mask as I made sure it was where it should be, then I thanked him.
“Enjoy some cake for me?”
Ben took a step in the direction of the doors, as I gave him a curious look.
“You're not having any?” I asked, also moving towards the doors.
That feeling of not getting the full story began to creep in again…
Stop it.
With a sigh, he told me that he wouldn’t be having any just yet. I must have looked dumbfounded because he laughed at me and promised that he’d get a piece at the end of the night.
“I'm going to be really upset if I find out you didn't get any cake.” I threw him a pointed look. “Especially when I'm expecting that it's chocolate.”
“It shouldn't disappoint there.” He grinned. “I heard it's delicious.”
“I'll just have to go find out, won't I?”
I gave him one last smile- that hopefully didn’t look as forced as it felt- as I reached forward and pulled the door open for him. He flashed me a smile and told me to enjoy it as he went through.
“I'll do my best.” I nodded, rubbing my arm.
Connor’s met Cleo Shikibu a couple times, and there’s just something special about her. He couldn’t believe she didn’t already have a date for Valentine’s Day when he asked. Now he’s gotta take things slow, maybe build something that’ll last….if he doesn’t screw this up.
Cleo couldn’t believe her ears when that adorable Connor Weir asked her to meet him on Valentine’s. She can see he’s fumbling a bit, trying too hard to make a good impression. It’s so cute.
