"I can't believe I did that!"
"Why did I do that?" Vaelorian mumbled as he gripped his hair pacing from one end of the room to the other.
"Can't believe you did what? What did you do, my prince?" Came Elara's voice when she suddenly saw the Prince pacing around in the private quarters.
"I kissed him."
"Huh? Kissed who?" Elara asked confused.
"I kissed Riven," Vaelorian replied, his cheeks tinted.
"Hold on, let me see if I understand you. Are you saying you kissed the kid you're sharing a room with?" Vaelorian nodded, looking as if he were going to pass out. "Why would you do something like that?"
"I don't know! We were in the infirmary, and I just couldn't help it."
"Infirmary? Weren't you training him? Hold on! Is he the same kid who just got his arm broken by those mean kids? You were with him? And you just, what...ran off after kissing the poor kid?"
"I didn't know what to do. I wasn't thinking straight."
Obviously, because you're not straight.
"Oh my! You have always been level-headed. I was really worried when you didn't rebel like kids your age did, you just spent time looking for that person. Now I don't know what to think. Does this mean you like him?"
"Yes, I do."
"Well, that's a lousy way to show it," Elara mumbled under her breath.
"Elara!!!" Vaelorian whined, looking visibly stressed. "You're not helping."
"I'm sorry, Your Highness! I just don't know what to say. Will you go back to him?"
"I don't know. Riven might really punch me at this point, and honestly, I wouldn't blame him. I shouldn't have kissed him; this is not how I wanted things to start between us."
"Well, you should try to talk to him. And I hope you're joking about the punching part? Do I need to remind you that the punishment for hurting a single hair on your head is death?"
Meanwhile, back in the infirmary, Riven looked resigned and irritated. He was still reeling from the kiss.
"Way to make a guy feel like trash," he muttered, picking himself up from the infirmary bed and heading for the door. "It's not like I was the only one at fault here; we both kissed each other, okay. Why did he leave like that? Whatever! I don't care about him anyway."
Vaelorian can go fuck himself! Riven decided to go back to his room and go to bed early—he had a busy day ahead tomorrow.
When Riven woke up the next morning, he didn't see Vaelorian as usual. He probably left early or stayed out all night.
Did the kiss bother him that much?
Riven wouldn't lie—the kiss had been incredible! What? There's no use in denying it. Vaelorian is a fantastic kisser, that much Riven could admit.
But why had he kissed him?
Most importantly, why did he leave after kissing him like that?
Maybe it was all the chaos from yesterday. Yes, that must be it. He had gotten hurt, tensions were high, and emotions had gotten in the way of logic. There was no point in thinking about it too much. It wouldn't do any good, Riven thought.
He would just pretend the whole thing never happened.
With that in mind, he went about his day getting ready for the party. There were no classes, so he practically stayed in his room all day.
Before midday, Riven heard a knock on his door and he practically ran there thinking it was Vaelorian. Then, again why would Vaelorian knock when he could've just let himself in?
Anyway, it was delivered from. A formal evening wear was delivered personally to Riven, along with a letter from Duke Ashbourne, his father.
The content was simple:
"Dearest son, how fare thee?
Don't get involved with the wrong crowds.
Remember, work hard and make the family proud."
"How fare thee? What kind of Shakespeare bullshit is that?" Riven thought, shaking his head after reading the letter.
First, Vaelorian sounded like an old man, and now his father, who is probably an old man talks like that too? What a Boomer!
"Don't tell me that's how all the nobles are supposed to speak," Riven mumbled, visibly shivering.
The letter was disappointing, but his tailored tuxedo was fucking amazing! It came with a dress shirt, a bow tie, well-polished dress shoes, and a pair of white gloves that he was definitely not going to use.
Later in the evening, Riven took some time to get ready. He wanted to look his best. For the first time in his life, he was attending a formal gathering. That's not something to take lightly.
He slipped into the tuxedo they brought him and that seemed to transform him from the boy next door into someone altogether, someone more regal.
"You sexy beast!" he said to himself while winking at his reflection in the mirror.
As he stepped out, his feet carried him straight in the direction of the large training ground, now transformed into an elegant ballroom for their welcome party.
The space was alive with anticipation, lights shimmering like stars, and every inch decorated with gold chandeliers that caught the eye and made everything feel special.
Anya had asked him to meet her at the entrance so they could walk in together.
When he finally arrived, Anya's teasing voice broke through the buzz of excitement.
"Well, look at you!" she said, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "You clean up quite nicely when you want to, don't you?" Her laughter was light. She was genuinely happy seeing him all dressed up.
Riven chuckled, tugging playfully at the sleeve of his tuxedo. "What, this old thing? I didn't even think it would fit," he quipped, striking a pose and examining himself with a mock, serious look. Anya giggled at his antics.
She reached out, her fingers brushing through his hair, noting softly, "And your hair—you finally braided it." Riven nodded, a quiet smile spreading across his face, proud of the effort he'd made.
"Well, it's a ball," he said with a shrug, voice playful. "I had to make an effort, right?"
"I'm impressed, Weldon!" Anya praised
"Why, thank you milady," Riven replied playfully. Then, his tone shifted to something more genuine and affectionate. "Enough about me—let's talk about you! You look like a million bucks tonight." He took her hand gently, twirling her around, and her face lit up with giggles and blushes, the kind of happiness that bubbles up when someone truly notices you.
"Oh, this old thing? I just threw it on. Didn't think it would fit!" Anya echoed his earlier words, and both teens burst into laughter, their joy filling the air.
Riven shook his head, still laughing. "That was a good impression of me—I won't lie," he admitted, grinning.
Anya puffed up proudly. "I thought it was quite good, actually."
"Yeah," Riven agreed and then extended his hand. "Shall we head in?" he asked, his voice steady but filled with anticipation.
She took his hand gratefully, and together they stepped into the transformed space, and everything looked like a dream.