A/N: It's been a while and I've had this chapter written for weeks but it was, once again, a monster so I cut it in half. As I am undergoing some major life changes in a few months (no I'm not pregnant), this story will suffer but I have every intention of finishing it. More info to come. For now, I hope this entertains you.

[Edit 07/04/2019: Proof-read by OfSilverRaindrops. Thank you so much for your work!]

King of Anything

Act 1, Chapter 6, Part 1

In which Merle shrugs and Millerna suggests something.

Anybody seeing Hitomi this evening in the golden elevator together with Allen, dressed in a red chiffon cocktail dress, might ask themselves what was going on. And rightfully so—Hitomi was still in disbelief too. Why were they on the way to the palace again?

Ah, yes.

Two days ago, she'd received a message from Allen. Not to ask her out, but because Princess Millerna had personally requested her attendance this evening. The Fanelian royal family was hosting a banquet in honor of the princess' birthday. Of course, it would also be the perfect occasion to announce the big betrothal.

"You know, the two of us could go somewhere else together one of these days if you make up your mind," Allen said with a slight pout that immediately melted into a weak smile. He'd come to escort Hitomi to the palace.

Yeah, he'd asked Hitomi for a formal date before but she hadn't said yes- yet. And why not? She wasn't even sure why herself. Any woman in her right mind probably would but something was making her consider this way too carefully.

Allen offered her his arm as they walked across the courtyard with the mosaic in the middle together with more party guests. Hitomi felt like such a tourist, turning her head left and right to drink in the sight of the palace up close. She'd never been here- only seen it from the bottom of the stairway and in pictures.

Hitomi felt out of place. She wasn't part of the aristocrats of Gaia and neither did she work here. Even though Princess Millerna had been very kind to her, Hitomi was baffled to have received an invitation to this event. Surely, the princess had a ton of important friends in high places.

The security detail at the front entrance, all clad in Fanelian crimson, didn't check invitations. They probably remembered every single member of high society by face—naturally, and she was with Allen, so that checked out.

In the massive entrance hall, there was marble as far as the eye could see, and a red carpet covered the floor along the way. By the looks of it, it had likely been imported from Freid. The country in the south east was famous for exquisite goods such as fabrics, ceramics, and other artful wares of high value.

A lot of people obviously knew each other. Groups of guests were gathered here and there in the grand hall and all the way leading to the ballroom where the festivities were taking place. Everybody was so beautiful, dressed in expensive suits and gowns, that it made Hitomi feel inadequate. At least, she wouldn't stand out.

She was already a bit uncomfortable, unsure what to say if anybody asked her how she tied into the mass of rich folk. Was she supposed to say she was a friend of the princess? How did they know each other? Oh, from a club. It didn't sound convincing or important. And they'd only just met a week or so ago.

It was all a bit much and the overwhelming glitz got to her. She needed to take a minute and collect herself.

Bingo. The ladies' room.

"Hey Allen, I need to take a moment to touch up my make-up," Hitomi told him, pointing toward the door. "Why don't you go ahead to the ballroom? I'll find you in there."

"You sure?" Allen raised a brow in friendly question. "Wouldn't want to lose you in this shark tank."

Hitomi was thankful for his attempt to loosen up her obvious tension with a joke. "Positive."

"Very well," Allen nodded and continued on. The sight of his usual; blue suit and blonde hair was soon swallowed by the crowd.

Hitomi was stunned by the sheer size of the washroom. It was probably as big as their entire apartment. Expensive looking stuff everywhere: golden faucets, huge mirrors, fancy vanity tables and plush chairs, real towels and…pretty much the poshest ladies' room she'd ever been in. There was currently only one other woman.

And who but the birthday girl herself clad in a stunning, lavender hi-low gown which was no doubt custom made by some famous designer just for this occasion. Princess Millerna was in front of a full-length mirror, fluffing her wavy golden locks when she saw Hitomi in the background.

"Hitomi!"

The royal whirled around, excitement evident in her greeting. She closed in on Hitomi, grabbing both of her hands. "I'm so glad you could make it!" Her periwinkle eyes sparkled. Damn she was beautiful.

Hitomi was caught off guard by the overwhelming joy in Princess Millerna's greeting. Yes, they'd had a great conversation at the Mystic Moon, as far as she could recall, but she'd expected for this invitation to be no more than a cordial gesture.

Temporarily suspending some of her worries, Hitomi smiled. "I'm flattered to be invited considering that we've only met once before."

Millerna released her and waved her hand through the air for emphasis. "But of course!" Then added more quietly, "I don't recall having such a good conversation with anybody in quite a while. Foreign diplomats don't usually share my interest in medical topics. Especially not if it's something bloody."

Hitomi winced a bit. Right. There was that still too. "Speaking of medical stuff," Hitomi began. "This is a bit embarrassing but I'm afraid I don't remember much of what happened after we talked at the Mystic Moon. Which also reminds me that I need to thank you- for taking care of me when I was so completely out of it."

"Don't even mention it! There is no way I'd just leave you to the wolves. You were lucky Van and I noticed what was going on in time," Millerna's eyes twinkled a bit. "This reminds me of something exciting I want you to know about before the official toast this evening."

Hitomi's stomach turned upside down. Millerna was clearly stoked about the engagement and wanted to share that with her. A forced smile was all she could muster as a response. Just for once, the timing was perfect when the door opened behind them and three women came in. It spared Hitomi the awkwardness that was to come.

Millerna was cut off when the ladies acknowledged her and started chattering about how great the party was. Propriety, of course, dictated that she reply politely. Gone was the opportunity to have a private conversation.

Sighing in relief, Hitomi excused herself, mumbling that Allen would be looking for her.

"Alright, I'll catch you later," Millerna agreed. She seemed dissatisfied about the interruption but there was nothing to be done for now.

Millerna was so nice. Hitomi really did like the princess so that made it a bit weird with her being officially engaged to King Van as of later tonight. But it was cool. It wasn't like Hitomi had a reason to resent her for that. At least not one she was consciously aware of.

At this point, it felt like Millerna could be Hitomi's bigger sister. The blonde had perfect manners and, despite her playful notions, always seemed to know exactly what to say or do. That surely was expected from a royal. Just like appropriate behavior had probably been drilled into King Van since he was old enough to comprehend.

They'd make a stunning couple and, really, not a single soul on Gaea could oppose such a perfect union. And… and…letting go of something you never had was, apparently, way harder than Hitomi thought.

She lingered by the ballroom entrance, clutching the door with white knuckles before taking another step towards the bustling crowd inside. Modern music was playing, reminding her of the nightclub and many guests were already dancing in the middle of the room.

She gulped when she saw him. Yum. The king was, as per usual, frustratingly handsome with perfectly-combed ebony hair and dressed in a black suit embroidered with the Fanelian crest on the breast pocket. Pretty much the same way he always looked during official appearances or in pictures.

He'd also stand out anywhere with those striking, ruby eyes of his. It would be better if Hitomi stayed away from him. Far away. He was undeniably attractive and well-built, so her memory reminded her and Hitomi had to scold herself for being drawn to him for such a superficial reason. It made her no better than any of the women gushing over his image in those magazines.

But was that really all?

Hitomi observed him for another minute from the sanctuary of the hallway. He was wrapped in a cocoon of adulation. A group of men and women were with him. The women laughed coyly while the men boasted, no doubt, about something silly, trying to impress him or gain his favor.

Steeling her will, Hitomi attempted to shrink a few inches as she ducked inside the big ballroom, going the opposite direction and hugging the wall as much as she could without looking silly. Great. This was already going not excellent. She snuck around the side of the room to avoid being noticed.

It was so dumb. Hiding from him. Pining after a man she couldn't ever have. How she hated to even consider it. It wasn't even anything more than appreciating his good looks and the fact that she liked him as a person. Like an acquaintance you were slowly growing fond of because you'd met them a good number of times and had history with them.

Yeah, that was a perfectly good explanation.

Van was well educated in the matters of etiquette; he knew how to carry a conversation naturally even though he was bored out of his mind. he also knew that the counterpart of the current conversation was vying for his good graces. Luckily, so did Millerna.

She was currently on her way over to the group of people, smiling brightly when she gracefully wedged herself in between him and one of the younger aristocrats hailing from Caesario. The guy had been talking his ear off about seeing a pack of dragons a few days ago from up in the air when arriving.

He'd been busy describing the beasts, arms swinging in wild gestures for embellishment. The ladies were impressed. As for Van, not so much. Yeah, he knew exactly what a dragon looked like and he didn't particularly enjoy hearing others talk about how dangerous they were and how Gaea needed to be cleansed of their presence. Fear-mongering wasn't wise.

Van, as diplomatically as possible said, "What you are forgetting is -that the whole world depends on Fanelia's drag energists as a source for power. We'd be smack dab in the middle of the dark ages again without dragons, so it is necessary to have them around."

Everybody looked to Van. The guy who'd spoken before was only mildly embarrassed by having been called out. The few drinks he'd already had were numbing his sense of propriety.

"Sorry to interrupt this conversation, but I need to borrow the king," Millerna feigned an apology. "We have something important to discuss."

The others in the group exchanged eager, knowing looks and readily agreed to part with Van. Who'd deny the princess, after all?

"Thanks. I owe you one," Van nodded while offering her his arm.

They walked away several steps, already looking like they were in deep conversation.

"I got you fam," Millerna answered her childhood friend a lot more casually than she would have if others were listening. "Let's grab some appetizers and a drink."

Near the refreshments, the most brightly clothed person in the ballroom joined them shortly after. Merle complemented Millerna fabulously in a mint green cocktail dress which, in combination with her hair, made her look like a cone of cotton candy.

"This is the least stuffy party we've ever had. I can't wait for Millerna to move in!" Merle gave her soon-to-be sister-in-law a quick side hug.

"Merle, calm down." Van was raining on her one-girl parade in a typical older brother fashion, trying to rein her in.

"Oh come on. Everybody already knows. It's only a matter of putting it out there officially." Merle crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, briefly looking five-years-old again. "But whatever. I suppose I can wait another hour." She then shrugged, popped some finger-food in her mouth and grabbed a glass of sparkly water from a passing waiter.

Merle downed her drink in one go and placed it right back on the tray. "Till then, I'll be right over there, dancing my heart out with my friends." She pointed to the side of the dancefloor where a group of stuck-up looking rich kids was chatting casually. "Ooooh wait. Even better. I'll ask Balgus to dance. He has no rhythm, so forcing him to dance will be perfect payback for giving the governesses a hint as to where one of my secret gum stashes is."

Just like that, she was gone again. While Van's eyes followed her sister, they came upon a face he'd not expected to see here tonight. She was far in the back by a wall but it was undeniably her. No way. How did she get here? How'd she…

"Millerna, did you make any last-minute additions to the guest list?"

The blonde tapped her chin as if deep in thought. "You know, I may have added a few people. Anybody in particular catching your eye?" When she followed Van's gaze, she saw Hitomi's short mop of honey blonde hair immediately in the distance.

Van was looking at Millerna again. "No. Just wondering."

He couldn't help himself when his gaze flickered back over to Hitomi once more. It was just a fleeting glimpse, but a very telling one.

Millerna was hiding a grin of amusement behind a smile of apology. "I know you are more interested in her than you were letting on at the Mystic Moon, so I thought I'd invite her."

Van pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why on Gaea would you do that?"

His friend shrugged. "Because I thought I was doing you a favor. I tried to talk to her earlier but then we got interrupted."

"Millerna, don't. I know what you're up to and it's a bad idea," Van said in a serious tone.

"Well then, maybe you'd like to tell her instead of me?" Millerna suggested.

Van's face twisted in irritation. "I'll think about it."

Hitomi lingered by the side of the dancefloor while Allen made a quick round, checking up on his crew. She didn't strike up any conversations with other guests and likewise, nobody attempted to talk to her. It was a relief and slightly unnerving at the same time. Of course, she didn't have any connections to these people.

Allen wasn't required to stay with her but being that she knew nobody else here, he had taken it upon himself to keep her company. With a personal agenda, naturally. Hitomi didn't really mind. He wasn't pushy and had only brought it up once this evening- so far. She had to admit that she liked the attention.

At least, Hitomi mused, for now she could hold on to this glass of wine she'd decided to get for herself at the bar. The sweet liquid, no doubt poured from a bottle bearing a sizeable price tag, was a good consolation for the time being.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up when she felt somebody approaching her. Sure enough, that somebody touched her shoulder a second after.

"Hiding all the way over here?"

Hitomi cocked her head after she turned around. "I'm not hiding. I just feel more comfortable on the sidelines."

Allen smiled charmingly. "Ah yes, beautiful things rarely ask for attention. If you prefer, we can stay here, but I do hope you'll dance with me eventually."

It made Hitomi chuckle.

And dance they did after another glass of wine. The mild influx of alcohol helped Hitomi relax tremendously. She didn't have to think so much anymore about how she didn't belong here. Being with Allen made her feel more comfortable.

At least by his side, she looked like her presence was justified. Even though the princess had personally asked for her presence, nobody else knew that. Now that she was more immersed in this function, she could maybe even enjoy it.

Oh, keep it real.

Surrounded by so much beauty, both in the ambiance and people, Hitomi felt like she was in a fairy tale. Was this why Yukari liked to follow high society news so much? Because it was like escaping normal life for a bit?

Hitomi began to wonder whether Allen would stay with Millerna as her head of security or be transferred back to Asturia after the wedding. Given that he was employed by the Asturian royal family, it was no great leap of logic to assume that he'd return home to Palas to resume his duties there, possibly leading another security detail. Maybe even for Princess Eries.

"You finally look like you're enjoying yourself. Liking the royal glam more than anticipated?" Allen pre-empted an explanation, teasing her in a friendly way.

Hitomi laughed weakly, having been caught contemplating. Luckily he didn't realize that her mind was already way ahead of him. "Oh. No-no that's not it," she smiled sheepishly. She absolutely could not tell him that she was already wondering where he'd be in the future and that her decisions may somehow end up coinciding with that."I'm just surprised it's less stiff than anticipated."

No lie. These people knew how to party. Everything just had a higher price tag. There was an open bar and a buffet on the side but servers weaved through the crowd with trays of snacks and drinks to make sure everybody was taken care of.

Huge flower bouquets and other tasteful decorations gave the already glamorous ballroom a festive flair. One side wall was entirely made from glass and offered a stunning view of Fanelia below. Far, far in the distance, one could even make out the wall.

Hitomi wished she could climb to the rooftop to get an even better view. The only other time she could see Fanelia from high up was on the way in or out of the country via levi jet.

"You know, if we did start dating, you'd see that high society really isn't all the drama those trashy magazines make it out to be," Allen dropped a hint again.

Hitomi laughed. He was probably right; he would know, and she really didn't have a good explanation for why she wasn't jumping at the chance. "I'll think about it. I promise."

"Let's get something else to drink. I'm parched," Allen suggested. Ever the true gentleman, he quickly changed the topic so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable.

Bless him.

While they lingered by the dancefloor to catch their breath, Allen felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Excuse me."

Allen smiled brilliantly when he saw who it was. "Your majesty," he greeted Van, gently placing his hand on Hitomi's lower back as they both turned toward the dark-haired man.

"May I borrow Hitomi for a dance?" the king asked politely.

Hitomi grew rigid inside. Hell no. She threw a desperate glance at Allen.

Her escort looked surprised at the request but he didn't protest. "I'm sure Hitomi would be delighted!"

No, she wouldn't be!

"Would she?" Van asked Hitomi.

No!

"…..okay," Hitomi said helplessly.

The king didn't look much at Allen. Instead, his eyes were focused on Hitomi, who felt like a tribute being offered to entertain a dragon. Hadn't she just recently decided that she liked how Allen never appeared jealous or possessive? She may have just changed her mind about that.

She'd prefer, right about now, that he told the king to beat it—that he couldn't have her. Yes, because her dance card was full for the rest of the evening.

Like on autopilot, Hitomi extended her hand and placed it into Van's, captivated by his ruby gaze. He spared Allen a quick nod and led Hitomi into the middle of the crowd on the dance floor. People parted willingly to let the king pass and women skewered her with envious looks.

The king wrapped his right arm around her narrow waist while his left hand cradled her right one. Hitomi was at a loss. On the outside, she was stiff as a board, her body rigid and unsure so close to his, but on the inside, she was a mushy mess. Their hike in the woods and how he'd gotten her through the dragon encounter was suddenly right at the front of her mind again.

She couldn't deny that she reveled in his nearness now. There was something about it that made Hitomi feel safe, and it was way different than being near Allen. It was much simpler, rawer, more natural. Maybe it was because she knew that he'd fought a dragon and lived which invoked a sense of safety. An instinctual, female desire to be close to a skilled fighter. A sad, primitive longing.

As they moved together in the rhythm of the music, Hitomi could see people peering at them from afar, not letting her forget for a moment who she was dancing with. Not that she'd been in danger of forgetting. King Van also was an excellent dancer. It was probably one of the many things he'd been tutored in.

Now, what prompted him to want her close to him this evening? Running away from somebody again? Hadn't he made it clear that they were done bumping into each other? That he'd rather forget about everything that'd happened between them already? Was this an attempt at being cordial or was he trying to confuse her on purpose- playing some dumb game just because he could?

Although she didn't think he'd purposely mess with her, there was a bit of wariness in her eyes. Maybe disbelief, given the circumstances. She turned her head away a bit so that her stare would be less blatant.

"Didn't you tell me at the club that you don't dance?" she asked finally.

"What I meant was that I don't dance in places like that night club," Van's voice smoothly carried across the narrow space between them.

Hitomi pursed her lips.

"What keeps you from dancing?"

Dilandau looked over his shoulder to see who'd snuck up on him so rudely. By the voice, he could already tell. The blonde's face was adorned with an ever-present cheerful smile. How he hated it.

Her long-sleeved sheath dress was made entirely of ivory lace and went all the way to her knees. Innocence personified, at least on the outside but Dilandau knew better. Still waters were deep and he'd so far only dipped his toe into that one.

"Slothfulness," he answered indifferently and turned his head back around to take a sip of wine from his glass. The medical tape covering his right cheek made emoting feel weird.

Celena appeared beside him despite Dilandau's blatant disinterest. "King Van has been looking a bit gloomy so I was going to ask him for a dance."

"That so?" Dilandau asked, the cameo of patient interest. Not that he really cared.

Celena giggled. "Yeah but now he's found a different dance partner."

"Sounds like he dodged a bullet there." Dilandau's voice dripped with mockery while he swished the wine in his glass in a circular motion.

Why was she telling him that anyway? Did he look like he gave a rip? He was beginning to resent her for talking to him so much. Hell, was her brain permanently wired to broadcast or something?

"Would you dance with me?"

He almost choked on a mouthful of port. Oh no she hadn't really just asked him that, had she? One thing was for certain: Dilandau Albatou did not dance. Of course, he could. He'd learned. But no. Decisively- no.

One of her small hands gently touched his shoulder. "Please?"

Dilandau stiffened, his throat briefly constricted by shock. He remembered what she'd done to him not long ago. Heck, she could probably make him dance like a sock puppet if she wanted to, no matter what he said.

Setting the wine glass down a bit too hastily, some of the liquid sloshed out, staining the white tablecloth.

"Fine," Dilandau agreed, gritting his teeth.

He was just doing it to get her off his back. To make sure she wasn't going to use any of her dirty tricks on him. Not because he wanted to. Let that be known.

The girl was patiently waiting for him to stand and button up his burgundy suit jacket. Her anticipatory smile reached all the way to her ice blue eyes.

Why did she even bother? Dilandau pondered this while the blonde took his hand and pulled him along to the side of the dancefloor. Certainly, it wasn't because she liked him. He'd made absolutely no effort to be liked by her. He didn't want her to like him. He didn't want anybody to like him, really.

While they walked, he was staring at the back of her neck. Some wavy, short locks along her hairline looked especially soft at the nape. The zipper of the dress ended only a few inches below that spot and the short collar in between was held together by a single pearl button.

He wondered if he could possibly sneak his fingers up high enough to touch her there while they were dancing.

Probably not, but it was a weirdly enticing view. He didn't usually have this problem. If he wanted to touch a woman, he found one he could pay. None of them were ever interesting enough to waste much time thinking about.

Huffing silently in irritation, Dilandau placed his arm around her and pulled her close. At the very least, he wanted to get a bit of enjoyment out of this in some way. He couldn't lie about the fact that Celena was attractive and even he enjoyed the feel of a female body snug against his.

It was a waltz of some sort, which gave them the opportunity to talk a bit since the pace allowed it.

"You don't seem to be uber excited to be here. What's got you down today?" she asked.

Her tone was soothing but amused and it pissed him off.

"I just don't care for functions like this. What's it to you?" Dilandau answered, irritated.

Celena shrugged as much as their position allowed. "Just curious. Why are you here then?"

"I'm representing Zaibach tonight."

"Ah. What's Ambassador Gain up to on such an important evening that he decided to send a stand-in?"

"The hell if I know. He's probably busy fertilizing his backup mustache," Dilandau stated.

Celena laughed heartily.

When Dilandau's gaze passed Van and his dance partner just a few moments later, he stared, following them with his eyes. Craning his neck above Celena, he turned his head as far as he could without making a fool of himself. What the blazes? It was her. That woman again.

How'd she get here?

Most importantly, why was she dancing with the king like they were close friends or something? Wasn't he supposed to be engaged as of later tonight? Dilandau'd never seen her before that night at the club, so he'd assumed she was just a random stranger. It appeared there was more to her.

Was the royal bastard already fixing to start an affair before the engagement with the Asturian princess was officially announced? Personally, he didn't care. It just showed again how fallible even the oh-so-dutiful king was. In fact, this gave him a splendid idea for some entertainment!

Van hadn't said anything else. They were just dancing but what was the point of it? They weren't friends. Acquaintances at the most. Halfway through the waltz, Hitomi spoke up again. "Why me?"

Van looked a bit surprised. "Why not you?"

"Maybe, because I'm not your betrothed?" Hitomi answered heatedly.

The king averted his gaze. Yeah, that's right. She already knew. Heck, everybody probably knew already. Just because she wasn't as informed as Yukari or others who followed high society news didn't mean she was ignorant.

Hitomi swallowed the lump rising in her throat. Not having brought it up until now at least had given the illusion that she didn't care. Or, at least that it didn't somehow affect her personally. Now that façade was threatening to crumble.

"Congratulations. Princess Millerna is awesome and will make a lovely queen," Hitomi forced out with the ghost of a smile on her face. She'd saved it until the music slowly began to fade and detached herself immediately when it stopped.

A nod of resignation- nothing else. That's what she thought. Not that he owed Hitomi an explanation, she had to ruefully admit. He didn't owe her shit.

Likewise, Van had come to the decision to remain silent about Millerna and himself. It was just better this way. Simpler for everybody.

Hitomi couldn't go back to Allen right now. She was too riled up inside- too confused about what she was feeling. She didn't want to calm down. She preferred anger at the moment, and almost savored it. The uncertainty of her emotions underneath was too confusing. Anger was refreshing and much easier to fathom.

Her dramatic exit was timed perfectly. In the distance, she could hear a loud voice calling attention to the Princess and the King in preparation for making the toast and announcement everybody knew was coming.

All hail the future Queen of Fanelia, and happy fucking birthday.

She didn't want to hear it. There was no reason to stay around.

Hitomi rushed away, practically storming down a few deserted hallways until she had no idea where she was. Only when she found herself out of earshot did she slow down. Some fresh air would be great right about now. She didn't know whether there was some sort of balcony close by. Even a window would do at this point.

Rounding two corners and turning left proved her right. There was a window at the end of the hallway, except somebody was already occupying the real estate in front of it.

A tall guy in a burgundy suit and silver hair was standing beside it, leisurely lighting up a cigarette. It was pretty clear that smoking in the palace was not allowed. Hitomi couldn't find it in herself to be bothered by that. Why should she care if he fumed up the king's crib? It served Van right, because…ugh!

"Well, hello there," the stranger greeted her after taking a long drag from his smoke, then exhaled it in the general direction of the open window. He wasn't making a huge effort to aim well. He also had some medical tape on one cheek which prevented him from moving the right side of his face.

Why did a fancily dressed guy like him have a wound right in his face?

Hitomi instantly felt weird in his presence, but she attributed it to her current mental state. Just because he looked like a bit of a bad boy didn't mean she needed to be scared. They were in the royal palace, after all, and not some dark alley.

She smiled lightly. "Hi. Mind if I hang out here for a bit? I need some fresh air."

Dilandau was leaning against the windowsill, speaking in a taunting voice, legs crossed and face adorned with a condescending smirk. "I sure don't. But wouldn't you much rather be in the ballroom, listening to a certain announcement?"

He was testing the waters, trying to see how much she cared. If she showed jealousy, it would only confirm Dilandau's suspicions about a possible affair.

Hitomi crossed her arms while breathing in fresh, warm Fanelian air from outside. "I don't really care about that."

The silver-haired guy raised a brow, "Oh? I saw you dancing with the king earlier and assumed you were friends."

Great. This guy remembered seeing her with him and that was already more attention than she wanted. "I wouldn't say that. We've met a few times, but we aren't friends." What she'd told him was pretty vague, but hopefully served as a good enough explanation.

"Well, I suppose that's good then, because if the king saw you talking to me he'd be pissed. He hates me," Dilandau explained, amusement in his voice.

Hitomi was surprised to hear that. "How so?" Why would the king outright hate somebody who was invited to this event?

"Oh, many reasons. On top of it all, let's say I could ruin his whole evening," Dilandau drawled. "But he has no idea about that." She was walking right into his trap. It should prove to be entertaining.

"Want to know why?" he asked.

Hitomi was hesitant- unsure. Suspicious. But also curious. "Hit me with your best shot," she responded.

"Check this out," the guy said and fished a cell phone out of his pocket.

When the screen lit up and he showed her a short video clip, Hitomi's chest constricted with shock, as if she'd been hit with an arrow smack dab in the center.

Bullseye.

Dilandau savored her frozen expression, but his spiel wasn't over. "Crazy, huh? She has similar hair to yours. What a coincidence."

"Totally," Hitomi muttered quietly, her heart stuttering in her chest.

"If the people of Fanelia knew that their precious Dragon King was out there, getting it on with some random woman in a club, Asturia would probably think twice about that marriage," her new acquaintance ranted.

"Absolutely. I think…I've had enough fresh air for now," Hitomi said quietly. It didn't compute. Not right away. What she'd seen confused the hell out of her though. The video showed King Van and a girl that looked a lot like her, but she couldn't recall anything of the sort happening.

Surely, she'd remember if she'd kissed the king of Fanelia- again. Unless it'd happened while she was drugged. Which was entirely possible because there was still a period of time she could not account for. Which also meant he'd lied to her that day at the clinic when she'd asked him if she'd done anything weird.

Hell. Weird didn't even cover it. More like obnoxious! If she'd done this while under the influence, there was no telling just how much she'd embarrassed herself before and after that kiss.

Hitomi was glad to have worn a knee-length dress per Yukari's suggestion. It made it easier to get away as fast as she could and out of this guy's sight with as much dignity as she could muster.

Before he realized it was really her in that video.

"Well, that was fun for a whole five ass minutes." Dilandau shrugged, flipping the butt of the cigarette out of the open window. He'd hoped for more. He'd hoped she'd freak out. Did she not remember because of the Intensified Luck? Was she such a lightweight that only one small dose of the drug would so utterly debilitate her?

Pathetic.

Tbc…