---The Masked Ball Mishap---
It was a challenge in the FF 13, Versus, and Agito forum which I run and I accepted this challenge:
Summary: Lightning is an assassin who is hired to go kill Noctis, the Prince during a Masked Ball. She meets up with a Nora Representative and dances with him, asking him for information about the Prince. Unknowingly to her, the person she is dancing is Prince Noctis!
Requester/Challenger: Dawn Fire Angel. A fellow author in FF 13 and Versus sections and a great friend.
If you want to give me a request for a story or just want to torture me with a horrible challenge (XD you guys are so mean!) then PM me.
The dress itched like hell. Her mask kept falling off of her face and her white, high-heeled shoes made her clumsy. The woman cursed under her breath. Her strawberry, blond hair was let down and curled making her look gorgeous. Her shoulders and arms were revealed under her strapless dress.
She followed the groups of Aristocrats to the Ballroom where her mission began and ended. Lightning looked in mild boredom, the crystals chandeliers hung above the crowds of dancing people. Tables of fine food were near the walls of the ballroom where servers humbly served food and beverages.
Women were in magnificent dresses, and men wore tuxedos and suits that gave them that important aura. Everyone was having a good time. Except for a young solider disguised as a Noble. She didn't have time to marvel the paintings on the ceiling, or the grand music coming from the center of the ballroom where an orcuster and a conductor played.
No, she had a very different mission: to assassinate a Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum. He was a high ranking man who had one of the few Crystals in his grasp. It was her job as an I'cie that she eliminate him and destroy the Crystal.
There was a problem in this plan: she had no idea what the Prince looked like, but she was meeting up with a Nora Spy who was going to give her information about the Prince and his whereabouts. There was a problem with that too: she also had no idea what the Nora Spy looked like. Lightning sighed.
Her dress caught many eyes and she grumbled at the many pairs of eyes looking towards her. It was a strapless dress colored in pale pink. It flowed seamlessly whenever she walked, making it as if it flowed through the air. The top was encrusted with small (fake) diamonds and the bottom curved to show her waist and behind.
She frowned as a man, who looked in his middle 30s asked for a dance. "I'm here with someone." She said curtly, sending an aura out to him. He politely excused himself walked away, feeling strange as if he was just prey to her. The solider walked towards the table and looked at the food choices:
Caviar, crab legs, cocktails, and many fine cuisine made her disgusted. 'These people must love living high and mighty.' she thought. She picked up one of the hor'durves and gently put it in her mouth. It was nice. Eating this was better than eating one of Vanille's stew surprises.
She then walked toward the nearest wall and stood there, waiting for the informant.
------
The Prince sighed, it was one of those masked balls he had be forced to go to against his will. He knew it was a ploy for an available prince to be seen by other fairing Princesses from neighboring countries. He felt many eyes on him, and mentally shivered.
These people were like a pack of wolves wanting meat. And he knew that he was the meat they have all been hungry for. One of the Princesses that was looking from afar had the courage to ask him to dance. He flashed his yellow eyes at her and she flinched.
"P-Prince Noctis...I-I was wondering -" The young woman nervously looked at him. He knew what she was going to say and he didn't like it.
"W-Would you like to--"
"I'm sorry. I have to go." Noctis dismissed himself in a hurry. He quickly walked away and left the poor princess standing there in shock.
He easily blended in with the crowds of suits and dresses and many of the guests greeted him with eager eyes and smiles. He politely nodded to them and began walking to the nearest empty balcony. As he scanned for one of the doors, something caught his eye.
A woman. She jus stood there with a blank face, as if she had been dragged into the same mess as him. Her dress was beautiful and eye-catching to him. Her hair caught him by surprise: it was long and curled. The hair color was unusual: a mix of strawberry and blond. He never seen a color like that before.
This woman, whoever she was, amazed him. He was used to women making the first move, but he checked himself just in case. After he made sure everything was in place,he fished out his mask in his pocket and put it on. Withi all these masks, it seemed that everyone had a different identiy.
With his mask on, he wasn't Prince Noctis, the person who was adored and made women swoon, no. With the mask on, he was just a guest invited to a Masked Ball. He approched her with a serious, but kind face, hiding the fact that he was nervous and wrecked with anxiety.
The woman looked at him, her light blue eyes shining through her mask. Noctis felt his heart up his throat. 'What if she rejects? What if she says yes? You are getting pariod Noctis. Act calm, cool and collected. Just ask her, do it now!'
The words tumbled out him before his brain processed them," To dance like you would?" The woman blinked several times, obviously confused with his invitation. Too late. Noctis cursed his foolishness. Controlling the rising nervousness and trying not to turn red, he asked again,"Would you like to dance?"
------
Lighting tried not to laugh out loud,'Did he just say that backwards?' She noctied that he was nervous by his posture: his hands at his sides, his feet stood at attention, it was if he were presenting hiimself to a higher-up. But then he said the code words: Would you like to dance?
'So he's the Nora's Spy? Alright, I'll dance.' Lightning nodded to Noctis and he presented his hand in front of her. She took it gracefully. He led her to the crowd of waltzing couples and gently took her waist with his right hand and held her hand with his left.
Lightning didn't know what to do. They never taught dance classes in the Milatary and she sure didn't know when was the last time she danced while not under the influence. So she clumsly placed her left hand on his arm and gripped (tightly) his left hand with her right.
-------
Noctis instantly noctied that she didn't know how to waltz. A very small smile crept his lips. "Let me help." He said gently. He put her hand on his shoulder and pridded open her hand. His dancing partner looked a bit flushered and he gently instructed that she didn't have to grip so tightly.
"Just place your hand in mine. Yes, that's it. Make it light as a feather, but not too tight. I don't want to make you fall or bump into someone." He smiled.
-------
Lightning did what she was told quickly and easily. 'Grip like a feather. No, grip gently. Okay, I got that down. Oh, god. I feel like an idiot.' She looked down in embrassement. Then surprised herself. She never felt embarrassed before, this was a first.
"Miss? You have to look up at your partner."
She looked up and her eyes widened in amazement. The Nora's spy was handsome. Very handsome. Behind his mas, she saw dark, blue eyes as deep as the ocean. His face was manly, but clean-cut unlike Snow's. His hair caught her eye. It ws a dark, very dark blue, almost black. The dark blue eyes blinked as light blue eyes stared in awe.
Lightning hated to admit it, but this Nora Spy looked almost like a God. 'No Don't! What the hell do you think you are doing, Lightning? I am here for a mission, not to dance around and stare idiotically at a Nora Spy! Just break contact. Break eye contact. Break it now!'
She broke eye-contact, averting her eyes to the floor.
-------
Noctis felt the tension ease and relax. He allowed for a moment or two to let his heart catch up with him.
------
The couple stood there the entire time, he was teaching her the basics. Some couples whispered to each other and others polietly told the couple to dance or move out of the way. Lightning grimaced and her partner took notice.
"Is something wrong?" the man asked, his voice still smooth. Lightning shook her head, ignoring the various eyes that were on them.
"It's nothing. I'm not use to this dress and high-heels." The woman said with distaste. The man felt his lips form a smile again for the hundredth time.
"Maybe you need practice." Light blue eyes glared at him and she broke apart their dance. Scanning the ballroom scene, she quickly found an open door that led outside and slipped inside it.
I know how you all love cliffhangers! (smiles)
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Yours Truly,
~Yuki M.~