Ballroom's Not My Forte
Crazy to think that two years ago, I began writing the crazy love story between a dragon prince and my little prefect. As a celebration, I wanted to write something for their anniversary. Considering that Glorious Masquerade's re-rerelease is out rn, why not go back to when Rosalie first realized her feelings for Malleus wasn't strictly platonic
Tags: Malleus x Fem!OC, Malleus x Prefect, BriarRose, MalleRosa, Fluff, Glorious Masquerade
Enjoy! 😊
A sky lined with stars, a cool breeze floating through Fleur City, but inside Noble Bell College, the halls were alight with the sounds of laughter and a roaring orchestra as boys and girls from rivaling schools across Twisted Wonderland danced arm in arm with each other, their smiles beaming on their faces forgetting about the horror show that happened the other night.
Rosalie was no different. Although she dragged herself out of bed in the morning just to take in the city's view, the orchestra's sound made her heart swell as if she were performing on stage after so many years.
While her Night Raven friends were off eating, drinking, or dancing their cares away with the crowd, Rosalie decided to mingle with a few other students from the many different schools in attendance. Royal Sword was no different as Che’nya, and later Neige shared a merry little dance with her.
“You're not half bad yourself.” Rosalie smiled. “I can tell you train hard for this.”
“Aww, thank you!” Neige smiled, his face hiding behind a mask of red, gold, and royal blue. “Admittedly, I still need a bit of work with ballroom dance but you're pretty good too. I suppose those ballet lessons really paid off considering how long you’ve been dancing.”
“Guess you can call it a different form of acting, but the added flexibility does help in getting out of sticky situations.”
Letting out a cheeky giggle, Che’nya’s head appeared behind the girl’s shoulder, as he mewed,
“A pair of purrfect actors. Although one is hiding their pain, while the other ignores it entirely. What could be the difference? I haven't the faintest clue.”
Neige pouted while Rosalie shrieked.
“Cheeky!” Scowled the girl.
“Che’nya! Don't go scaring people like that!” Neige added.
“Apologies, you two. I couldn't help but notice that a certain Jabberwocky was staring down at the little actor, completely clad in black, as they were dancing with our school’s darling prince.”
“J-Jabberwocky…?”
With the rest of his body appearing before the duo, the cheeky Cheshire Cat or Royal Sword smirked as he pointed in Malleus's direction.
“Looks like Hornton’s wanting to speak with me. I really hate to cut the dance short, but it's been fun chatting with you two.”
“Hornton?” Neige laughed in a delighted surprise. “That's such a cute nickname, but I understand. Malleus may have an intimidating aura, but I completely get why you wouldn't want him ending up a wallflower. By the way, Ro? If you ever need someone to talk to if Night Raven starts feeling lonely, you’re more than welcome to come and speak with me and Che’nya. Heck, I'm sure even the dwarves wouldn't mind lending you an ear.”
Giving the boy a little bow, she smiled and said to him.
“The sentiment’s appreciated, Neige. However, I think I’ll manage alright.”
As she made her way towards where the looming dragon prince stood, Malleus greeted her with a playful grin while she grinned back with a dramatic bow.
“Mingling with your rivals I see, or are you trying to build a crumbling bridge between our schools?”
“Heh.” Rosalie laughed. “As if what you were doing with Rollo was any better. Really, now, Hornton, when it comes to being cheeky, you’re no better than Idia sometimes. Just had to rub more salt in that boy’s wounds, didn't you?”
“After lying to me about the invitation just so he could use those blasted flowers to drain me of my magic? That was far more mercy than he deserved, wouldn't you say?”
“Well, when you put it like that, it really is but mix in the fact that you're making him mull over his sin. Quite cruel of you I must say.”
Getting a good look at her face, Malleus returned her comment with a little chuckle as he lightly tucked her auburn hair behind her ear.
“That smile on your face betrays your scolding child of man. Still, while the moon is still high, would you like to dance with me once more?”
Cocking her head, Rosalie rested her chin on her gloved hand.
“My, my, getting invited to dance with the prince of Briar Valley, not once but three times all throughout this trip. What in Twisted Wonderland have I done to be worthy of such an occasion?”
“It's quite simple,” Malleus replied. “You have a contagious gleam in your eyes whenever you dance that makes many children of man smile. Plus, I do find that time flies faster when I’m with you. You make a wonderful partner despite how small you are.”
Rosalie scoffed as she rolled her eyes while Malleus laughed some more at her expression.
“You say that when someone smaller than me helped raise you and Silver. Still…”
Taking her cape, she extended it as if it were a dress skirt, placed a hand over her chest, and gave him a bow.
“Who am I to refuse an invitation from a dear friend?”
As the two bowed to each other, the pair smiled as their hands wove with each other when they made their way to the dancefloor.
The simple waltz that the orchestra began to play, it felt like their young hearts began skipping beats as they eagerly awaited to begin.
Even still, from poor Rosalie's perspective, while her heart pounded the day before when she first saw him in this outfit, seeing him standing before her, the candlelight of the grand chandelier caressing him gently, something… gnawed at her.
Sure, she did find him handsome at their first encounter to where some sap would delude themselves into thinking it was love at first sight, but now… she knew something felt off. Her heart began to race once more but this time, the poor little girl wanted to run away.
As luck would have it, it was too late to chicken out now as she had to confront the almighty dragon standing before her while a simple waltz began playing.
With a bow from Malleus and Rosalie with a curtsey, the way his hand gently wrapped around her waist as he pulled her closer, the warmth of his body as she rested her hand on his arm to begin the dance, the way his gaze lingered on her had her begging him,
“Please don't look at me that way!”
“Nervous?” He asked. “Strange since you danced with the utmost merriment during the festival yesterday. No need to worry, just follow my lead.”
For a while, she paid attention to how the music played its gentle yet playful tune, and in the minutes Malleus had her spinning, there was no greater feeling! Lighter than the breeze playing with the flower’s petals, it was like she was walking on air and she smiled once more.
There was no doubt that the girl was skilled at her sport and he smiled seeing the sparkle of joy she had from yesterday return to her face.
Indeed the two of them glided across the dancefloor like a pair of swans on a crystal lake.
"He's pretty good at this!” Thought Rosalie. “Well... Then again, he is a prince, so it's to be expected that he knows ballroom dance.”
On occasion, her nervousness would creep up like bile in her throat, but shifting her focus to her footwork seemed to help a tad. That was until Malleus leaned in a little closer, carefully saying with an innocent whisper,
"Don't fret, just look at me.”
Causing a heavy shiver to shoot down her spine like an unceremonious tumble down a flight of stairs.
"DAMN IT!” She screamed in her mind. “YOU MAKE IT SOUND SO EASY WHEN MY BRAIN ISN'T COOPERATING WITH ME!”
Her rapidly beating heart, that feeling of wanting to flee, she wasn't afraid of him, matter of fact, she's seen those same peridot eyes so many times especially during their little rendezvous in the garden before Sebek would go hunting for him with Silver (unwillingly) in tow. Why…? Why is it now that she's feeling this way?!
Even behind the mask, she studied him like an artist admiring her muse.
Seven almighty…
While people like Vil and Leona were beautiful enough for the human mind to comprehend, Malleus was something far different from the two of them. Maybe it was the glow of the candlelight instead of the moon and the stars, but there was something about her friend that was so beautiful she wanted to cry.
"I could never confess this to you. I don't want to ruin our friendship but I always found you to be unbelievably beautiful. Every part of you. That face, your eyes, even your voice haunts me in my sleep. I hate it whenever you have to go. I just want to talk to you longer when you visit me in the dead of night. Now... I can't help but find you to be even more beautiful under the candlelight of the chandelier.”
Malleus spun her with pure glee glimmering in his serpentine eyes as the stained glass created the perfect backdrop as the moon’s pearlescent glow glistened on his raven hair.
That gentle smile, that look of pure happiness emanating from his gaze, it was no surprise that the poor girl was sent into a panic as she kept gazing at him.
"I've seen your face and heard your voice so many times yet I never wavered. Why is it now that I feel so weird?! My heart's beating so fast that it's getting harder to breathe! The more I smell that earthy scent, I feel so dizzy!”
He was so close, so near even. Just one little step closer, and she could really be enveloped in his embrace, and oh, how her face felt like it was being licked by pure Hellfire.
With Malleus noticing her face turning as rosy as her namesake, this burning desire consumed her like flames eating her alive with every dip and turn.
"Ugh! Why?! Why now?! There is no way I have a chance with him! I need to stop being so delusional! Even then…”
It was like everything around them faded away. All that was left was Malleus himself, as their longing gazes had the other wanting something… they couldn't say it, nor did they know how to word it, but for Malleus, he remembered the waterways that Professor Trein described. Oh, how he longed to drag his little child of man with him to enjoy the quiet and maybe find out what sort of mischief the professor and his late beloved were up to during that little moment.
Rosalie on the other hand, her mind was racing a million miles an hour. Wanting to lay everything bare and pour her heart at his feet but on the other hand, she knew he was royalty. Reality was such a painful pill yet she didn't want to let him go.
"It's so selfish and stupid of me but I just want him to look at me more... I just want time to stop... I just want him to take me in his arms and…”
“Excuse me?” A voice spoke as he tapped on her shoulder.
Finally! A breath of relief for the two (especially for the little prefect)!
When the music stopped and the audience applauded the orchestra, Silver greeted the two of them with a bow, all while bringing them a couple cups of Fleur City's finest grape juice.
"I apologize for cutting in, but I figured you would like something to drink."
"Much obliged, Silver." Malleus smiled, accepting the cup.
"Yeah... thank you, Silver." Droned the girl.
From the way she spoke, it was almost as if she ran two miles without a single break and the wind was completely taken from her sails. Seeing her flushed face and tired expression, of course, the young knight couldn't help but grow a little concerned, asking her,
"Are you alright Rosalie? You’re not feeling sick, are you?”
“I'm alright. What makes you say that?”
“Your face has turned completely red.”
"Has it?!" Panicking, she pressed her hands to her cheeks, her breathing growing more ragged by the minute. "I... I guess I'm just not used to ballroom dancing. Sorry for the sudden rush, but I'll be right back. I just need some air real quick."
"Understood.” Silver nodded. “Do you need Sebek to watch over you?"
"NO!” She shrieked.
Honestly, Sebek was the LAST person she wanted to encounter, especially if he found out about this burning desire welling up inside her. However, to regain what little pride she had, she cleared her throat and said in a more polite and calm tone this time,
“Er... I mean, no thank you. I'll be okay Silver. Thanks for the juice."
Seeing her disappear into the dark halls alone like a phantom in the night, Malleus couldn't help but feel a slight, painful tinge in his heart.
Did he do something wrong?
It was just a dance, wasn't it?
What did he do to make her run away from him like that?!
“Malleus?” Silver called.
“That's odd.” Malleus commented.
"What is sire?"
“Yesterday at the festival, she never reacted that way when I danced with her, let alone our encounters at Ramshackle. I understand she's a child of man, and it's natural for them to flee from my kin, but did I do something to frighten her?”
Seeing how bothered Malleus felt, Silver said to his prince to ease his worry,
"Maybe she gets warm easily. There are a lot of people here after all. Once the party's over, maybe try checking up on her.”
Sweet, innocent Silver. If Lilia were here, he would be giggling so much knowing exactly what that poor girl was feeling.
That new and alarming feeling, that sense of confusion and fear while yearning for more, but at the same time, that tight feeling in their chests that just wouldn't let up, but tonight hit a fever pitch as Rosalie chugged the juice as she walked down to a vacant hall.
Removing her hat, she wanted to bash her head against the stone wall, but to keep herself quiet, she screamed into her hat, tugged on her hair and her breathing grew heavy, grabbed her hat once more, and screamed,
“I’M AN IDIOT!”
Why…? Why…?! Of all people, why did it have to be Malleus?!
A relationship like theirs would be impossible. Fae don’t exactly like her kind for one, and if that wasn't enough, their differences in terms of social standing. The typical common girl falling in love with a royal trope she's seen in so many silly fairy tales.
Reality was such a bitter pill, yet… seven above, she yearned to be in his embrace a little longer.
It was such a selfish wish, a dumb dream, an impossible fantasy, yet… somehow she let the dragon ensnare her heart. That reality alone was more frightening than any overblot she's faced.
🎨: kuma_su02