Chapter 2- The dance
"Well, dear, you've grown up into a lovely lady, I must say. This is quite the kind of person you want to be before you freeze up for eternity", the king clucked as we danced across the ballroom.
"Thank you, your Majesty. Its an honor", I said, holding my tongue and resisting the urge to hug the sweet and loving king.
"Oh you don't have to be so formal with me, honey. Your parents are like family, so are you", he patted me on the back and strolled away as the song ended.
"May I have this dance?", an angel's voice called out to me as I turned around to face the person who'd occupied my thoughts, Arsenio. I couldn't help but burst into sarcastic laughter.
"YOU want to dance with ME?", I asked him, incredulously. He gritted his teeth and resisted a snap back at me and smiled too sweetly.
"It would be my pleasure, Miss Westlake", he said and held out his hand in invitation. The song that played for our dance was a feisty and high energy salsa number.
I was determined to outshine him and set fire to the dance floor so I tried leading. But man, Arsenio was so freaking good, that it turned out to be more like a dance-off of the couple rather than one with other couples. The other couples danced around the edges of the ballroom but Arsenio and I dominated the entire floor. He lifted me with such ease and I did the drops and twirls with such gusto that everyone stopped whatever it was that they were doing to watch us. We tore up the entire floor, but there was just something about it, how we moved together, trying to beat each other, but still moving in sync, entangled.
At last the song came to an end and Arsenio and I took our bows and he strolled off. But he never left my mind. Who did he think he was? Stupid royal.
"Aren't you going to tell me why you wanted to dance with me?", I asked him teasingly as he walked away from some other guests. He made a face when he saw me but he offered no explanation. He just stood silently brooding as I peered at him curiously. He seemed to be in some internal dilemma of whether he should tell me or not. He finally seemed to decide against it and just scowled at me.
"Just get over it. You knew I was better at dancing than you were", he retorted. I rolled my eyes and walked away. That royal had some nerve.
I danced with many fine gentlemen but I would always stick my tongue out at Arsenio when he danced past me and it made him furious. It was funny to see him trying to hide his annoyance from his lovely ladies. All and all, I had a great time at the ball. When all of a sudden, while I was dancing I felt that familiar electric current in my body. But it was different this time. It was so much more intense. My parents had already left and I didn't really know anyone there; because of my giant ego it was hard for me to make friends. I was alone. The current grew stronger and more painful, concentrated in my back. It kept shooting up my spine and in my vessels to every part of my body. Growing more and more until I could bear it no longer.
"AHHHH…." I screamed as my dance partner let go of me. I dropped to knees as the burning pain engulfed me. "Ahhhh….Arsenio! Help me!", I called as I felt the earth fall out beneath me. My head began to reel and everything went dark. I keeled over, anticipating the cold floor against my face but it didn't happen.
"Desiree, no, are you okay?" those words were whispered to me frantically and that's all I remembered before I went under.
Arsenio's point of view-
"AHHHH….Arsenio! Help me!" I heard her voice echo through the ballroom. There was a sense of urgency and panic that was unmistakable. She needed me.
Suddenly, I didn't even see the boring brat of a princess I was dancing with. I just saw that pest of a girl, Desiree. Desiree in danger.
"I'm coming, Desiree!", I shouted to no one in particular as I ran , pushing the guests aside to reach her. Desiree was on her knees and so dizzy and weak that she was going to hit the marble floor and crack her head. I grabbed her just in time. Crazy girl, what happened to her now? Couldn't she just stay out of trouble or out of the lime light? But her condition scared the daylights out of me.
"Desiree, no, are you okay? Desiree?" I called but she was out like a light.
"Who did this to her? Alex?" I shouted in rage. Alex paled but said noting. Everyone had stopped talking and stood, shocked by their prince, on his knees holding an unconscious girl in his arms. Eww, that was going to be a controversy I wanted to avoid. I wanted to drop Desiree and walk away. But how could I leave her? She was hurt, possibly by my brother.
"What in God's name is going on here?" I shouted but no one spoke. Father and mother slowly started to usher the guests out the door. Looks like the party's over.
"Alex, what did you do?" I growled as he looked at me, terrified to think I was mad at him. People knew it was safer and less life-threatening if they avoided me when I was in one of my rages. No one provoked me when I was mad. The results would be explosive. Everyone, except Desiree. She really didn't care that I was a prince; she did what she wanted, how she wanted. She just really pushed my buttons.
"Alex….." I began but I was cut of by my father.
"Alex only did it because I told him to. He is innocent. Hold me responsible, Arsenio", he said as he knelt down beside Desiree and checked her pulse. "She's okay. Your mother and sisters will take care of her from here, son", and gently allowed his wife and 2 beautiful daughters to carry Desiree away.
"Why did you do it, father?" I was shocked to even think he could do something like that, let alone to someone he liked a lot. Yes it was he, who forced me to ask Desiree to dance, because he thought she was such 'a charmingly pleasant' young woman. Yuck.
But why would he want to hurt Desiree? And using Alex to do it? What in the world was going on?
"Father?", I repeated, my confusion only growing by each passing minute. He sighed in defeat and looking into my eyes. In his eyes, I saw pain, burden and a strange tiredness that I had never seen before.
"Father?", I whispered, softening my tone and gaze at once. I can never be mad at people who had no choice.
"Son, I want you to know that I love you, no matter what I do, it is what's best for you, okay? I did that to Desiree because I was forced to test you. I have to ask you, Arsenio, do you like her?", he looked at me gravely.
"No way! Who likes a snobby know-it-all like her anyway? She is so infuriatingly annoying. Urrr", I scowled. Father began to laugh, seeing how immature I looked with my ranting.
"Okay, Arsenio, if you say so", he said and walked away, not bothering to tell me what the 'test' was all about. Way to go, father.
I busied myself with looking for Desiree. My sisters Alice and Mary had her at the bottom of the grand staircase, laughing about something girly.
"Oh gimme a break! Girl giggling? Really? Could you ever get more clichéd?", I groaned as Desiree stuck out her tongue at me. My sisters had to leave so they went upstairs, leaving Desiree with me.
"So Prince Charming, how do you do?", Desiree began sarcastically.
"Don't you have work to do, like other than annoying decent and sensible people?", I snapped, eyeing her in condescension.
"Well, my prince, not everyone is a royal colossal waste of space", she yelled in rage.
That does it.
I sprang for her and slammed her shoulders into the wall. Desiree was taken by surprise and cried out in pain. Normally, it would have permanently damaged a human's spine but Desiree was a half-blood so she did have a part of her super strength, super speed and heightened senses. But she didn't need blood like I did. And right now, I was blazing with thirst. And Desiree's blood smelt intoxicatingly good. I inhaled and leaned forward, desperately trying to fight the demon that thirsted for her life. Trying to regain control. But, oh, it was just so good.
I saw Desiree's eyes widen as she realized what was happening to me. 'Run, run, now! Before it's too late!', my mind screamed at her but she just stood frozen, watching me with caution. I just barely managed to push myself off her and turned away. My breath came out in ragged heaves, as I fully absorbed what I had been about to do.
"LEAVE! Now!", I commanded, trying to repress the thought of the lovely warm liquid, trickling down my throat.
I felt better once she was gone and I sat down on the floor, full of regret. What if I'd lost control? I doubted that Desiree would even be alive right now. I squeezed my eyes shut and pinched the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger, lost in thought and worry.
"I trusted you", I heard her voice from the door.
I chuckled darkly, without any humor. "You know, you are endangering your life, every second that you're with me", I said, not looking up.
"I trusted you. I knew you would never do it", she continued, completely ignoring me. She stared walking towards me slowly.
"Do what?", I snarled. It was getting harder to stop myself now.
"Hurt me or bite me or whatever. I know you could never do that to me. I believe you", Desiree knelt down beside me and looked into my eyes. I felt as if she was opening the window to her soul, daring me to look into it.
She was an immaculate person, and yet so hugely narcissistic. Who was she, really?
"You're drooling", she broke the silence.
"Huh, what?", I said, recovering from my deep ponderings. "I'm drooling?", that's it. I take back anything good I ever thought of her. She was just the same old jerk.
"I don't mean that, I mean you're literally drooling. The smell of blood is too strong and getting harder to resist, so you're salivating", Desiree stated in matter-of-fact way.
"Yeah, so? You'll have to live with this too, you know? You're going to be a vampire too", I said, feeling a little annoyed by her observation.
"Yeah", she was distracted. "I wonder what happens when I do this…..", and she leaned dangerously close.
"Desiree!", I called out, shocked by what she was doing? Did she have no self preservation? Desiree burst into laughter by my reaction and jumped up to go.
"Goodbye, my prince", she cooed.
"Good riddance, you little pest".