Entrancing
Summary: When Sofia, Amber, and Calista all appear to be under the spell of an enchanting guitarist, Cedric, Desmond, and Angel team up to break the musical enchantment. However, things aren't always what they seem.
Disclaimer: I only own Angel. Any other OC that appears in this story belongs to MarionetteJ2X.
A/N: All right! Let's see how Desmond handles his future wife when she's under a trance. Lol. Let's just say, poor Des has no idea what he's up against. 😉 Note that the "Dilemma" chapters will be a great deal shorter than the other chapters in the story, because we're just seeing snippets of each girl and what she's going through. As this is the case, all of the "Dilemmas" are released at the same time. :D So it's one consistent read.
Chapter 2: Amber's Dilemma
Desmond had somehow managed to get his lovestruck fiancée downstairs and into the main hall. However, doing so proved a bit difficult. As she was so absent-minded and flighty, not to mention perpetually in a dreamlike state, her movements weren't as fluid as he would have liked them to be.
"Amber, snap out of it," Desmond pleaded, placing his hands on the sides of her face. He looked at her eyes, which were still a bit hazy. Her lips were quirked into a lazy grin. "Amber, are you in there?"
"Have you ever had someone serenade you before, Desmond?" she asked airily, swooning as she grasped his hands and lowered them. She twirled away, nearly tripping over her dress, as she giggled. "Not just with words, but with music from the heart…"
"This isn't good," he mumbled, sighing.
"Dance with me, my love," Amber insisted, grabbing the prince's hands and twirling around the floor with him, giggling lightly as she did so.
Desmond blushed heavily at her motions. Sure, they were engaged, and sure, they loved each other, but they weren't overly affectionate like this in such an open space where anyone could see. To him, based on what he'd been taught, it was inappropriate. And betrothed couples like themselves were supposed to 'exhibit modesty and decorum befitting royals of all backgrounds.' His Aunt Nadine's words, of course… She was such a stickler for the rules.
Still, when Amber insisted on such a loving gesture, he almost found it difficult to resist… And still…
"No, Amber," Desmond insisted, pausing and placing his hands on her shoulders. "You're not yourself. You're not the same Amber right now. Something's wrong…"
"Nothing's wrong," she replied softly, still smiling. "But if you don't want to dance with me, I can always find someone who will… That charming, beautiful, adoring guitarist, for example. He could dance with me into the night, sweep me off my feet, and carry me into the world where dreams begin."
The fair-haired boy frowned at her words. He wanted to counter them, but he knew it would be useless in this situation. "Let's get you to bed, Amber. You've had a long day."
"I have?" She yawned before giggling. "I don't remember, Desmond." She hummed the song she'd heard the guitarist strumming and humming earlier as her fiancé guided her up the stairs toward her room. As he stopped them next to her door, she grasped his dress jacket and leaned forward, kissing him gently on the tip of his nose.
Desmond flushed at her actions. "A-Amber, what are you doing?"
"I love you too much," she whispered, nuzzling her nose with his. "But if you don't mind, Desmond, I think I'll be swept away in a dream tonight by the dashing, smooth guitarist." She winked playfully before disappearing behind her door.
The prince stood, staring disbelievingly at the shut door before him, before turning and slowly (and concernedly) walking away. This was an absolute nightmare.
Meanwhile, Angel wasn't faring any better with his best friend…
To be continued…
Next chapter: Calista's Dilemma