hello! im sooo sorry for the long few days i havnt updated; i had important stuff delaying me :3
warning : this story contains yaoi / boyxboy
disclaimer : i do not own ben ten alien force
THE FAIRYTALE WAY
Chapter five : The selfless young man
Benjamin stood proudly in front of Mother Willow. She smiled happily at him after putting on him the finishing touches, "My! Don't you look handsome!"
Altogether, Benjamin blushed. His dark green satin suit was really a complement of his slim figure, with a green rose (a rare flower in the kingdom) was pinned to his breast pocket. His hair was otherwise adorable-messy, but now it was combed and shone like smooth silk as a great fringe hung in loose waves over his forehead, making him look beautiful. Mother Willow had sprinkled cologne on him, that had an alluring scent to itself.
Straightening the silk tie carefully, she smiled, "Now, I want you to remember; enjoy yourself, alright?"
"Yes, Mother Willow," he pressed a loving kiss on her cheek.
o.o.o
Clutching the golden envelope, Benjamin slipped out of the carriage, he eyes drinking in the wonder of the unimaginably grand and huge castle front, not quite sure how to fathom how large it was all over when its entrance itself was so big. Lights of candles and dancing flames created by professional wizards shone everywhere. A path led to the Main Door, with roses and carnations pinned on either side. All around him people were still arriving, there was laughter; sweet 'thank you's and 'my pleasure's sounding as carriages escorted the guests. Benjamin felt a lift of spirit just to be part of this.
Breathing in the night air mingled with several varieties of perfume and scents coming off from different guests, Benjamin proceeded to the Ball.
o.o.o
Prince Collin sat on his throne, dressed in twice the elegance he usually was. His snow white suit was flush at the sleeves, and it's bodice lined with delicate gold and blue embroidery work. Diamond and silver brooches pinned his red velvet cape around his shoulder, whilst a bedazzling scabbard hung at his waist, showing the intricately-gemmed hilt of a long sword. Strong slim legs sheathed in white pants with the blue-black boots greatly polished, gleamed in the chandelier light. Upon his silken and perfect black hair, sat his princely crown of diamonds and silver.
Although he looked very much bored, he humoured his guests with a pleasant smile, and thank goodness none of the women fainted.
His throne sat atop a large platform raised from the ground several feet, it's base surrounded by semi-circular steps. From his position, he could see all the guests laughing in conversation, drinking from the wine fountain, eating from the buffet table, chuckling, talking, making merry. Waiters in white full-sleeved shirts and dark green button coats zoomed about, carrying oval silver trays laden with snacks, or glasses of vine and cider
Many of the groups of women, young and middle aged, were giggling and looking at him, possibly trying to catch his attention, but failing obviously because the prince's mind was blank as to what he was supposed to do till the cake was to be cut.
He slipped off his throne and walked down the steps, his cape licking the floor as he went. He smiled at everyone who looked at him, and in return he was shown red blushing cheeks. He walked around with Samuel who introduced him to Dukes and Duchesses, kings and Queens of his family who were glad to meet him again, and some of Samuel's family had arrived as well. Although it was nice to speak to everyone, they all looked at him, and treated him, as if he were some godly spirit; no one looked at him as a normal human with normal feelings. He was always placed high up on a pedestal of fame; it made him unique but lonely.
And he was getting rather irritated with all the women surrounding him and cooing requests and asking him personal questions. They were looking up at him with their large thickly-lined eyes with the very long curled lashes, and painted faces. Openly, they wished to catch his attention, pouting their painted lips, inflating their bosoms already swelling above the tight corsets that wound within their dresses, flourishing gowns and fans in a coy manner, all of which Prince Collin pretended to find amusing but actually felt very much blank about. They were allured by the delicate scent of attractiveness that surrounded him, like moths to a flame.
How dejected the Prince was.
o.o.o
"So you finally did come! Ha, how ridiculous!" Owenson observed, his red eyebrow raising, his lips stretching in the dimpled smirk. The three brothers had met their stepbrother in the Main Lobby that led to the Hall, and were they not surprised?
"All that talk about 'looking after Mother', indeed!", sneered Cynthia. Her sisters-in-law also chuckled.
But Benjamin's enjoyment could not be tampered with; he was far too happy to be in the Ball, that he simply added with a pleasant smile, "Mother Willow forced me to come along. Are you all having a good time?"
The men blinked at him. "Of course we are," answered Jameson answered coldly, his blue eyes running up and down the suit Benjamin wore, "Until you came along." It was to their jealousy that Benjamin looked very handsome in the suit.
Unfazed by the rude comment, Benjamin smiled again, bowing, "If you shall excuse me, I shall relieve my irritable self from your vision" and he walked away in mirth of his own sarcasm. Seeing that they had made no impact on him or his happy face, the men each turned with their wives to a different direction, to meet some important official to whom they could boast.
o.o.o
Benjamin spotted the Prince for the first time, in the same air they breathed. The young brunette had been drinking apple cider from a wine glass whilst admiring the intricate designs on the glass leg as he enjoyed the sweet liquid. And then he heard it, a laugh, a string of polite chuckles to be apt. It caught Benjamin's attention in a knot, and he turned to see admist the several people bustling about in the crowded hall, the Prince himself.
And what a marvellous sight he was to Benjamin. The young man could only stare rather stupidly at the handsome face that sang of perfection, the short black curtain of soft silken hair that caught the gleams of invisible candles, even from afar, Benjamin could see the slim eyebrows and caramel eyes glinting under short eyelashes. However, Benjamin could also see a sense of anxious boredom playing gently in those eyes as the raven spoke to a few officials, each trying to appear important than the other; the Prince was so beautiful that he even made a few men straighten their bow ties and feel self-conscious to impress him.
Benjamin wouldn't blame them; he himself felt a blush softly meander across his own face. "How can a man on Earth be so beautiful..." he wondered in curiosity.
When the group of men, and Prince Collin, seemed to be approaching an area near Benjamin, the young man jumped in nervous reflex and hid behind a knight-in-armour propped upon a stand, holding a sword in both its hands. Benjamin peered from around the knight's waist, as the group passed him, a whiff of delicate scent caught by Benjamin.
o.o.o
After a tiring time trying to rid himself of the females, and males, following him about, the prince sighed in relief when Samuel announced that the Royal Birthday Cake to be cut had arrived; stacked like a tower high above, in white and pink cream. That was what made Prince Collin smile genuinely for the first time this night; he loved cakes and above all, the manner in which it stood proud and tall in its glory of delicious creaminess.
Soon, with thunderous clapping, Collin sliced a large piece of his cake with the large slivery knife. The grand orchestra strung away the delicate but loud and beautiful music of rejoice, as Prince Collin fed his uncle a piece of the cake he cut. Samuel smiled, returning the favour, more claps ensuing.
The cake was soon broken down into numerous pieces for the guest, wizards helping the chefs for maximum accuracy.
When Benjamin had his share of moist soft cake, he smiled to himself, "My, I shall try to make one of these of my own! My complements to the chef!"
o.o.o
Prince Collin's small good time ended. He had cut the cake, received the sweet goodness of the creamy dish, and now all he could do was to watch the pile of gifts grow and grow, the expensive ones were handed directly to him, which he in turn handed to Samuel who kept it in a separate pile.
Rather bored to irritability that he did not wish to maintain in the presence of all the subjects of the kingdom he was to rule; Prince Collin meandered aimlessly through the crowd of happy guests, smiling at those who looked expectantly at him. Somewhere, Samuel caught him and introduced him to an Office General. The two elderly men were sublimed in the talk but Prince Collin felt terribly bored again.
When he looked about, he spotted a small puddle of apple cider on the mosaic floor, near a buffet table.
"Oh dear, someone had spilt a glass," he observed amusedly, "Someone could slip and hurt themselves! I hope one of the waiters notice it?" he looked about. The tall waiters disappearing in and out the crowd seemed to have missed the area. Being a Prince, and being waited upon by hand and foot, he shouldn't bother about the puddle. But Collin did fear on of his guest slipping over it and creating an embarrassing turn of events for themselves in front of everyone, and hence, he slyly made his way towards the table.
That was better in though than done; there were still so many people who wished to talk to him and be in his royal presence, and hence he could only nod and smile at the their words while his eyes were on the puddle of soft brown liquid.
Just as he had suspected, a tall waiter came, with a plate of hors-d' oeuvres held high in regal etiquette.
"Oh dear..." Collin observed to himself helplessly.
The events that followed were remarkable to Collin. It all happened rather slowly since he had been watching it second by second.
At first, the waiter stepped on the wet puddle. The next moment his foot slipped up behind him and he floundered forward, waving his free gloved hand as unnoticeably as he could. The tray of delicacies went up in the air, the pieces floating in mid fall. He tried to keep himself from falling forward on his face, by performing a clumsy twist of his free foot. No avail, he would soon fall flat on his face, and humourlessly break a jaw or lose a tooth or two.
But out of nowhere, a slim figure jumped in, the short petite brunette caught hold of the tall waiter around the waist with one hand just in time, resulting in the man swivelling around on the slippery liquid and clinging rather femininely to the shorter man. Prince Collin watched in a daze of awe as the brunette raised his free hand and caught the tray that had been thrown up, and then with a clever set of flourishes, caught every single one of the hors d'oeuvres in quick surprising succession!
The brunette was, as guessable, Benjamin Teradrian. He quickly placed the safe tray upon the table and used both his hands to support the tall waiter who had now half-sunk to his knees in pain while holding on to Benjamin's arms.
"Sir, are you alright?" Benjamin asked of him. The waiter looked up with hazel eyes scrunching in pain, "I think I have sprained my ankle, sir!"
Benjamin looked about and led the waiter to a chair, having him seated on it. No one in their merry had noticed this little turn of events, except the observer Collin, of course. He watched interestedly, able to hear their conversation despite the music and chitter-chatter of the guests.
Benjamin looked about fro help, "Please, excuse me!" Benjamin called out to one waiter who happened to pass by. The moment the blonde saw the tall man on the chair wincing as he held his ankles, he rushed towards them. He looked a the seated man in pain. "Sir?" he turned and asked Benjamin, who answered, "Here, please help; this man has sprained his ankle! And that puddle of spilt cider be the culprit!"
The blonde man nodded, and bent over to the taller waiter, "Noel, how horrible does it hurt? Can you walk with me?" the blonde asked. The man nodded unsurely, "I- I suppose so, Harry; I could try, but goodness it hurts, I shall be rather slow!" answered the waiter Noel.
"No matter, up you go," Harry spoke, helping the Noel stand up, his injured foot held off the ground. The visibly taller and leaner Noel had his arm around Harry's shoulder, whilst Harry held Noel around the waist. The two turned to Benjamin.
"Thank you, sir, for helping me avoid the fall!" Noel spoke politely.
Benjamin put forward a very pleasant welcome smile, it made the waiters look a little surprised, and the observing Collin perk a little in interest.
"Its alright; I shall call another waiter to have the puddle cleaned away. But you are short of one waiter is it not?" Benjamin asked them.
The two looked at each other. "I suppose we can manage..." Harry smiled unsurely.
"Surely you cannot! Even a single waiter is important for so large an event! Here, I shall fill in for you, Sir Noel", Benjamin offered happily.
The waiters both jumped in shock.
"NO! I mean, no... sorry, but I am afraid I cannot let you do so, sir! You are a guest of this event and we as the waiters do a great injustice to have you, the guest, serve as a waiter!" Noel spoke in alarm. Harry nodded in agreement, "We shall try to cope up ourselves, sir!""
"No, that shan't be done," Benjamin shook his head, "Let me ask you, Sir Noel. You are not allowed to decline the request of a guest, is it not?"
"No, we aren't..." Noel answered.
"Then, how may you decline my request to serve in your place?" Benjamin smiled smartly, making the red haired Noel blush in embarrassment, "But sir -"
"Now, now; you needn't speak anymore! You have a foot to be attended to!" Benjamin shooed at them playfully. The waiters both stared in awe; not even once in their employment had a guest or person behaved so casually and friendly to them.
Prince Collin found himself enthralled by the friendly young man.
"But sir," Harry asked, "Wouldn't it be odd if an elegantly-dressed man, like yourself, should go about serving hors d'oeuvres?!"
"Hmm, that shall soon be settled," Benjamin looked down at himself and then at the uniform of the waiters. His face lit up suddenly, "What luck! The shade of green of your coat is the same as that of my suit!"
The young handsome Benjamin proceeded to take off the top overcoat of his suit. Revealing was his white full-sleeved shirt and a small tight coat the same subtle shade of dark green. "Now I can very well pretend to be a waiter in uniform and serve everyone in joy!" he plucked out the green rose from his overcoat and pinned it to the breast pocket of the coat he wore.
Noel and Harry blinked. So did Collin, a smile of appreciation and curiosity spreading across his beautiful face.
Benjamin smiled at them pleasantly, "Well? Are you two going to stare all day or has the pain receded, Sir Noel?"
In reply, the Noels face went a cherry red as he smiled, "Thank you, sir!" Harry too nodded, before escorting his friend away towards the Health Wing.
Benjamin nimbly picked up the tray of delicacies and imitated the waiters perfectly as he swam into the crowd, politely offering the guests the food, with a smile as well.
Collin merely gazed wide in wonder. A man so selfless and friendly. And rather adorable in the face. The next moment, the man was gone and that was when the prince's sense floated back into his head.
"Oh! He's gone! I wished to speak with him..."
Collin could not believe himself; it was the first time that night that he had wished to actually be in a person's presence!
- End of Chapter -
Will the prince meet the brunette again?
:3 kukuku read on!