The royal guards were scattered all around the ballroom earlier, but Ellis hadn't thought much of it at the time. He had assumed it was just standard palace security. If he had known it was because Prince Alastair was present, he would've turned and run the other way without wasting a single second!
Ellis slowly let go of the doorknob, turning to face the man lounging on the sofa—utterly unbothered by his presence. Prince Alastair seemed completely intoxicated, the rich, heady aroma of red wine saturating around him like a heavy fog. The whole room was engulfed in a dark, consuming scent of the crimson grape wine. Ellis didn't know how much the prince had drunk, but judging by the scene before him, it had to be a lot. Alastair was drinking straight from the mouth of the bottle, the dark liquid spilling slightly against his lips in careless indulgence. He kept drinking straight from the mouth of the wine bottle like a debauchee until his golden eyes fell on Ellis standing still in front of the doors.
"Not gonna come closer?"
Leaving the wine bottle on the low glass table before him, Alastair spoke, his gleaming eyes fixed on him. Ellis stayed silent—he had no desire to approach the prince, yet he couldn't bring himself to voice it aloud. Alastair's expression revealed how little patience he had left; his features tightened, the faint trace of a smirk fading into irritation. After only a few seconds, he shrugged off the heavy white-and-gold cape draped over his shoulder, letting it fall onto the sofa with a muted rustle before striding toward Ellis.
"Your highness... I wish to return to the ballroom."
Ellis spoke nervously, his voice thinner than he intended. He didn't know why, but an instinctive sense of danger was starting to feel—the danger creeping around from this person. His palms grew damp with sweat as Alastair drew closer—each unhurried step making the air feel heavier. The prince raised a brow at his words, the faint curl of his lips suggesting amusement rather than concern.
"Did you not walk into here on your own accord?"
Alastair's voice dropped into a low, controlled anger that made Ellis's spine stiffen. Ellis replied quickly, the words tumbling out before he could stop himself—anything to keep the prince from getting any angrier.
"I did..."
Ellis realized too late that he must've angered the prince—first by walking in of his own will, and then by trying to flee the moment he recognized him. And yes, that was exactly what he had done. Alastair halted in front of him when their bodies were almost touching. Ellis didn't raise his lashes to gaze at those golden eyes that were boring holes into him, but then, without warning, Alastair leaned down—his voice dropping to a murmur that ghosted against Ellis's ear.
"Have you not heard? I don't like being called 'your highness.'"
How was he supposed to know that?!
Ellis shifted uneasily as Alastair's gaze trailed over his face, lingering before drifting lower—to his neck, to the faint line where his collar met skin. The scrutiny made his nerves twist uncomfortably. He didn't like the closeness, didn't like the way the air between them seemed to shrink with every second.
Recalling the cursed boy's love tag that had marked this world, Ellis instinctively stepped back until his shoulders met the solid surface of the door. The cold metal of the knob pressed into his palm as he clutched it tightly, ready to run out the moment the doors were unlocked.
"Alastair..."
He called out in a voice that was almost inaudible, but the small gap between them was enough for Alastair to hear him, and soon, before he could finish his words, a warm hand clasped his mouth shut roughly. Alastair sealed his lips with his palm, and a low scoff slipped from the prince's throat, sharp with disbelief, as if Ellis's attempt to speak had been nothing short of ridiculous.
"You dare address me so casually on our first meeting?"
What do you want me to do then! Not your highness, not your name—what else!
Having his ability to speak snatched away by force, Ellis could only voice his grievances inside his head—not that he would've dared to say them out loud even without the hand silencing him. Alastair's voice carried a grave seriousness, yet his anger seemed to have dulled. He stared down at Ellis quietly when, out of nowhere, he dipped his head lower into the crack of his neck.
Ellis froze instantly, every muscle in his body locking up as Alastair's breath fanned against the exposed skin of his neck. A chill rippled down his spine, goosebumps prickling across his arms. His pulse thudded erratically in his ears. Too close—far too close!
"You smell."
Alastair suddenly muttered in a low voice, leaving him utterly speechless by this man. He blinked in a daze. He smelled? If he smelled, why was this debauchee of a prince wanting to come so close, crossing the road to invade his personal space! Ellis was about to resist the hand off his mouth and retaliate when a wet and hot tongue began licking the side of his neck.
If I smell, why are you licking me?!
Ellis's eyes widened unconsciously, startled. The tongue continued to move on his skin in circles, making him clench his fists. His body tensed as he stood silent in shock.
This debauchee was also a pervert! Saying he smelled and then even licking the same spot... this was beyond anything Ellis could've expected. Even as the hand on his mouth moved to the side of his face, plastering on the door, he didn't say anything. Gritting his teeth, he held his breath, looking for a way to get out of this room. He observed his surroundings. The room didn't even have any windows, and the sparse furniture in the room couldn't even hide him.
The tongue was slipping from his neck to the collar, and then skipping past, Alastair abruptly yanked his shirt to further reveal his chest and bit into his protruding collarbone, provoking a yelp from Ellis.
"Ack—"
That soon died down as Ellis tried to hold back the sound. He placed his hand on Alastair's chest to push him back. Just as he pushed, Alastair moved back himself, his face still a few breaths away as he spoke.
"You're an omega?"
He faintly frowned in disdain. Ellis, noticing it, nodded eagerly, thinking he would be let off if Alastair realized he was an omega.
"Useless idiots. They can't do a single thing right."
Alastair glanced at the door behind as he spoke. Ellis tried to slide out from Alastair's frame as he also voiced out his worries, trying to reason with him.
"The doors are locked. Can you tell them to unlock the doors?"
Surely, no one would go against the prince's orders and open the doors instantly if only Alastair said so. Ellis was just about out of Alastair's sight when his hands were seized, and he was pressed against the door—his entire front body crushing into the door's engraved golden design as if he was being arrested for a sinful crime, but Ellis had done no such thing!
"What are you doing? It hurts, let go..."
As though Ellis wasn't already being melded into the door, Alastair closed the remaining distance between them, pressing his body firmly against Ellis's back. Ellis's cheek rubbed onto the cold surface as he breathed sharply and felt the movement from Alastair's lower body.
This man... he was dry-humping him...