Happy Valentine's Day. Enjoy!
Drinking Games
She was eighteen, and the final years of her adolescence were coming to a close in total solitude. Her once boundless life has been confined to the space enclosed by three elaborate walls and a floor-to-ceiling window that she admired the beauty of but despised the symbolism of. Usagi, the former Moon Princess, the guardian of love and justice, the eventual Queen of Earth, had been stiffed of her future and made a glorified prisoner at the whim of another; the current weight of her words was not due to her own formidability but the threatening love of a man that lurked in her footsteps.
In an Earth baptized in the waves of poison and burgeoning dark purpose, she'd obtained the fractured version of an ideal life in which she was freed of responsibility and engagements that demanded her presence only to exhume the ugly truth: she despised it. Once, she'd yearned to sleep the day away, and had taken the sunrises for granted. Now, her bleak 'mornings' had been colored black, swallowed by the voracious color of night as the result of her unsynchronized biological clock.
The night was no different than the previous one: wholly repetitious and unremarkably lavish. Usagi woke beneath the ubiquitous warmth of her coverlet with silk clinging to her curves, cerulean eyes staring back at a canopy of threads more delicate than a butterfly's wings, unswayed by whatever sumptuous life had been thrust upon her. The fingerlings of retreating sunlight clawed at the floors, the prop furniture, the toes of her right feet that poked out slightly from under the covers.
"Today is..." She paused to pick her brain for a name to assign the particular day, which would no doubt be wrong. "...Sunday."
It fit well in her eyes; Sunday for the rays that had greeted her. Once she might've thought such a task trivial with calendars and clocks patronizing her with the date, but in the microcosm of her room she appreciated whatever acquaintance with time she might receive.
Rolling over on her side, she drew her knees up slightly until she was loosely curled in a ball and staring out the window. The environment betrayed no clues as to the season, too picturesque to be believable but too wrong to dream of. Vibrant greens of the trees and grass seemed false as if in essence they were truly muted, and the peach and gold of the evening sky appeared as though it lingered over a daunting sea of black. It could have been any day: the equinox of summer, Christmastime, her birthday.
Maybe she had already turned nineteen, and another year had gone by unnoticed.
A sudden knock on her door luckily occupied her from journeying down a road best left forgotten, one riddled with copious amounts of regret and self-pity that would eat what little was left of her resolve. Throwing the covers off of herself, she abandoned the comfort of her bed to answer whomever had decided to come knocking.
Of course the name of that someone was already hovering on the tip of her tongue, so it was hardly a surprise when she twisted the crystal knob and displaced her only barrier from the outside world to look upon her visitor.
Familiar white locks and cool violet eyes defined the man who stood in her doorway with two glasses in one hand and a slim-necked bottle of wine in the other. He offered nothing more than a slight nod, which she returned with a wary gaze.
"I'm going to get drunk tonight." He stated bluntly. "I wanted someone to join me."
"Goodbye..." She began to close the door, but he stopped her from severing contact by forcing it open with his foot.
"And, Happy Valentine's Day."
Those words stole her breath. Her grip on the door loosened. She gaped at him.
"What?"
The White Prince took her lack of further protest as an invitation in, striding past her with his sights set on the untouched round end-table that had been dressed with a cream tablecloth. He glanced over his shoulder, beckoning her to follow him, and still dazed, Usagi could only comply to his wishes by shutting the door and recreating his steps.
When she stood cautiously by his side, he relinquished control of his items to the table. She tried not to notice how he dragged his gaze up and down her body as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye.
"Would you like a moment to change?"
"I'm fine with what I'm wearing..."
"I think you should change."
The reality of the unfettered lust that flirted with the icy violet of his irises paired with the realization of what she happened to be wearing at that moment led her to place a step between herself and Demando.
Usagi repeated his threatening request back to him and disappeared into her closet.
Racks upon racks of multicolored garments offered her numerous choices of dress, some overly formal and others so casual that she questioned their presence in her wardrobe. She weaved through the ocean of fabrics and lace silken and soft alike, occasionally stopping to thumb through a region and select whatever caught her eye.
Despite their individual lightweight, when draped over her arm in mass her clothing began to inspire soreness in her muscles, forcing her to abandon her search and consult the full-length mirror in the corner.
Before she removed her dress, she took a moment to admire the body she had grown into. No longer fourteen, nature's artistic hands had molded her like clay, shaping her breasts and rounding her hips, blessing her with the fruits of womanhood. She'd grown in height as well, gaining precious inches that allowed her to not feel so small in the face of adversary. Usagi had physically graduated from girl to woman, and she loved it even if it resulted in awkward situations.
Her ivory nightdress dwelled on the scandalous side of the wardrobe spectrum, complete with a neckline that dove between her breasts and numerous diaphanous layers that seemed more for decoration than covering. She held no qualms over wearing it; her goal was not to seduce anyone, but to enjoy the minor details that breathed life into her existence.
Still, she peeled it off her body, replacing the dress with another she favored but that was more modest in design. Opaque fabric had been swapped for sheer and the neckline retreated upwards towards her collarbone. The violet garment secured itself to her by the hair-thin straps that rested on her shoulders.
Appropriately dressed for her company, she emerged from the closet anew. The iron tension in the room tempered into one that was comfortable, tolerable.
"Is it actually a holiday?" She inquired, coming to stand next to him as he observed the world from behind the glass of her window. Special attention was paid to evading the usage of the holiday's respective title, for she felt as if it were blasphemous for her to speak its name.
A hand enveloped her own, shocking her senses as if she had been plunged into the Arctic Sea. Her skin buzzed with the sensation of touch she had longed for for ages, and instinctually she threaded her fingers through the gaps between his own, holding her burning palm flush against his.
It was wrong of her to hold his hand as if they were consensual lovers engaged in a typical romantic relationship. It was wrong of her to find solace in the presence of his touch, but she held his hand silently, firmly.
When the landscape failed to capture his interest for a second longer, he stripped the conquered world of his eyes and set them on the second of the spoils of his war. Her hand drew back towards her body, but he held onto what had been offered to him, knowing well that it was a rare occurrence to not be met with protest.
Demando said nothing to her with his tongue, but everything with the orbs of violet that peeled back layer after layer of her as if he could bare her heart to him: the one thing he hadn't succeeded in laying claim on. He inched closer and closer to her all the while until they were separated by only a thin sliver of air that dwelled in the space between their bodies. Usagi struggled to even her breath and slow the rabbit's heart pounding in her chest, pulling away from him only to be drawn back like moth to flame by an intangible force of the universe's or his doing.
The sigh that escaped her as he let go was stolen back into her lungs in a gasp when he scooped her up into his arms. An arm tucked behind her knees. One around her shoulders. Her own circled around his neck. His expression remained impassive, but flames of triumph burned bright in his eyes.
Crossing the room in what seemed to only be a few steps, he carried her towards the door to the adjacent sitting room and kicked away any hurdles that stood between him and his destination. As if fear had somehow been inspired within its wood, the door swung open as he approached it, saving itself from being kicked off its hinges.
The three ivory love seats were left in their usual arrangement, forming an incomplete box around a rectangle of crystal flooring that was loosely sealed off by the elaborate fireplace. However, in place of the floor was a fluffy blanket and a few loose pillows strewn about in a casual but planned manner. Amongst the items, the two glasses the White Prince had brought with him flanked the uncorked wine bottle on both sides.
Usagi sought answers from him, but he shrugged off each eyebrow raise and pressing gaze, depositing her in the nest of fluff and feathers without a word before joining her himself. To her left, the fireplace chattered as the wood popped and the flames danced in their prison.
Meanwhile, Demando occupied himself with pouring his choice alcoholic beverage into the two hexagonal glasses.
"You said you planned to get drunk?" She remembered his first words when he had arrived unannounced.
He held a half-full cup in front of her. "With you."
"I don't–"
"The maidservants tell me otherwise." His smirk came out to play for the first time of the night.
She flushed bright red as the memories of her first nights began to replay in her head; her attempts at combatting loneliness with inebriating liquid flooded her mind. She had consumed bottle after bottle, setting the empty containers next to their companions until her hands were shaking and the room spun around her. Staggering from the couch to her bed, she'd somehow managed to remain unscathed but experienced the hellish aftermath the following day.
"It was only a time or two." She replied meekly, averting her gaze to the concealed floor as she accepted the beverage.
"Then tonight we'll make it three." He clinked the side of his glass against hers in a toast and raised it to his lips.
Following in suit, Usagi took her first sip. The spice-laced drink took time sliding down her throat, sending a heated river searing through her insides. Over the rim of the glass, she peered at Demando who was already reaching for the bottle once more.
She nursed her first glass quietly, punctuating her sips with brief glances at him or at the fire place, which served as the room's only source of light. He too would look at her, but remain silent, though she didn't miss the calculating look in his eye.
As soon as she downed her first glass, he voiced his thoughts.
"I propose a game. We haven't had a chance to become well acquainted with one another's thoughts yet, have we?" He plucked the cup from her grasp and refilled it. "We'll take turns asking yes or no questions. Drink for yes."
Without hesitation, Usagi threw her first question out into the open.
"Do you intend to keep me forever?"
A sly smile. A sip.
It solidified what she already knew deep down.
"Were you surprised when I showed up at your door tonight?"
She drank from her glass.
"Is everyone I know gone?"
Another sip.
"Did you choose that dress just for me?"
There was silent deliberation as she attempted to rationalize her choice. She had dozens of nightdresses, all of different colors, but she'd definitely been drawn to the violet.
Usagi rewarded his question with a sip of her own. In response, he smirked as if he'd known it all along.
"What do you intend to do with me?"
"Yes or no questions." He reminded, forcing her to address the question without hiding behind euphemisms or careful wording.
"Are you planning to marry me?"
Demando took an extra long drink as if he was savoring the question. He let the seconds draw on as he stared right into her eyes, gaze never wavering, full of unspoken passion and an emotion she'd rather not acknowledge.
"Do you find me attractive?"
She hesitated only out of reluctance of betraying her well-guarded secret. Her hand hovered over the rim of the glass, quivering, as her eyes remained locked against the White Prince's, who already knew what her answer was but still wanted to watch her declare it. Usagi lifted the glass, kissing the cup's lip with her own lower. Parting her lips, she tilted her head back.
"Are you actually in love with me?" She wiped away the stray droplets that had collected on the corners of her mouth with the back of her hand, challenging his question with one of her own.
He chose to forgo the wine and answer in a different manner. Grabbing her hands, he pulled her towards him until she fell forward, splayed out against his body. An arm snaked around her waist, while his free hand came to rest at her neck, holding her against him as he fell back onto the plush snowfall, narrowly missing his drink. His lips caressing hers, his fingers seeking purchase in her mane of gold, and still she didn't register that he was kissing her for the first time in years until her own fingers were tangling themselves in his wintry locks.
Whether it was the beginnings of intoxication that were manifesting in her mind or the primeval human desire that ached in her body, she did little to fight back and much more than she needed to in order to keep him going; the gentle moans in the back of her throat fueled the pleasure that had possessed him. Demando pulled away only to pin her to the blanket below in a single strike, and their respective panting filled the room with the sound of cementing desire.
"Does that answer your question?"
Her hand darted left in search of her glass.
Looking up at him, her chest rising and falling in quick rhythm as she fought for her breath, Usagi squeaked: "You came here knowing how you wanted this all to end, didn't you?"
More of a statement than a question, but he still rocked back onto his heels to claim his glass and finish it off.
Stray locks of hair shifted to obstruct his gaze, white locks flirting with the dark of his lashes. Still, Usagi could find the violet pools swirling with provoked lust and darkness and love, which led her to an answer she hadn't asked for. A shepherd to the flock of sheep, violet guided blue towards an object dressed in peach and cream, a bed, her bed.
"I will not do anything that you do not ask for, but I hope that by the end of the night you'll wish to realize another step in our peculiar relationship." He said lowly.
She was too stunned to say anything in return, especially when he flopped down next to her on the floor, throwing an arm across her waist.
"And you think that I'll do anything of the sort with you tonight?" She finally asked.
He sat up for another sip.
"I have ways of convincing you to see my side of things."
The black crescent on his forehead gleamed.
Utter silence.
Demando roared with laughter in response, eliciting an awkward chuckle from the girl who doubted that he had completely given up his old habit. He returned to laying next to her on the blanket, but used the arm over her waist to draw her into his chest.
"Have you ever thought about what it might be like to give into me?" Warm breath tickled the shell of her ear.
Cerulean eyes frantically searched for the glass, relieved to find it just above her head and completely empty. She flashed the drained glass as if it would get her out of answering, but the White Prince was not about to move from his position or be bested by an empty cup.
"Say it."
Reluctantly, she divulged her secret. "Yes."
His hand grasped her chin, forcing her to look up at him and every ounce of ecstasy and lust that was dripping from his gaze.
"You will be the center of my universe, quite literally." His fingertips skimmed the side of her throat, brushing her carotid artery that pulsed with red hot blood. "You will never want for anything."
Demando's touch lingered on her bare shoulder.
"Your heart's whims will be my command, Usagi." He purred in her ear. "All of this is just the beginning."
Trembling hands nudged him away, restoring a fragile barrier of space between the two. Her breath held prisoner in her throat, her body warm and buzzing from his touch, her mind trying to sway her back to her senses, the young woman stared at Prince Demando, who was prepared to offer the world for her complete and total surrender to him.
"You think that I'll actually fall for you?" She hated how her tone wavered between weakness and indignation.
He rolled on his stomach and refilled both of their glasses. Plucking his from the floor as if it were a rose, he downed the entire glass in a single drink. "You already are."
An unseen entity kicked her in the stomach, stomping all of the breath out of her.
No. She couldn't. She wasn't. His lips lied to her, she was certain, for her heart's resolve was too rigid to ever erode from the romancing of the White Prince. He was the reason her life had gone from a world with fresh air and crisp foliage to gilded metal and imprisoning crystal. He was the reason why everything she loved had been taken from her.
And he was also the reason why her heart was pounding in her chest, why her stomach fluttered with the wings of a butterfly, and why she had come to understand the way the lines between hatred and love blurred until the emotions were indistinguishable.
To hate him meant to pour her soul into rousing fervent emotion at the mere thought of him, and to pour her soul into her hatred meant letting herself feel everything so strongly. Every caress, every kiss, every word required devout attention, but somewhere along the way her heart had forgotten why she was hinged on what he was doing.
She said something, but she couldn't even remember the words she had spoken once they left her mouth. The night was a blur from then on.
They drank until there were bottles coating the floor, until they were both laughing so hard that tears formed in their eyes, and until he could recite with confidence the lyrics to her favorite song and she could name every last one of his childhood hobbies.
The last thing Usagi recalled was one of his slim fingers darting up to her parted lips, silencing her. The phoenix in the fireplace promptly perished, bathing the room in the calm of black. She was lifted off the floor and carried off into oblivion by the arms of sleep.
It was dark in her room when she finally woke again, surprisingly without a headache or malaise. On her nightstand, a single candle's flame flickered, casting shadows on her walls, which danced circles around her room. Next to it rested an unfamiliar white box sealed with a lavender bow.
Carefully, Usagi lifted the lightweight item and brought it onto the bed, sitting up against the headboard. Her fingers found the end of the silk ribbon and tugged at it until the loops of the bow collapsed. It slid off the box, leaving only one last barrier between her and whatever was inside. She lifted the lid, placing it to the side and gently pulled back the layers of black tissue paper that concealed the gift.
It was a dress much like her favorite ivory one, but grander in the details. Miniscule diamonds lined the edges of the translucent, uneven layers and shimmering gold threads had been weaved in to add an extra sparkle. She held the garment up for observation by a pair of satiny straps that were as smooth as liquid against her skin, imagining all the while what it would look like on her.
Although she knew who it was from, she looked back down into the box for a card. A square of paper rested at the bottom.
'For next time.'
End
After much deliberation, I decided that I will most likely add a second part to this, so be on the lookout for that. Thank you for reading! Would you kindly review?