A Game of Relay

 The lavish ball had more guests than Zeya had anticipated as Varen guided her through the dense crowd of the ballroom. Fortunately for them, it was already time for the first dance which, much to Zeya's relief, allowed their presence to be disregarded.

 Just a few glances from curious eyes were enough to put Zeya on edge, but she somehow managed to keep her composure as she walked alongside Varen, who kept her close to him as they moved through the dense crowd.

 "Shouldn't we be searching for the others?" Zeya warily asked when she noticed Varen heading towards a flight of stairs leading to the upper floors of the ballroom, where it was less crowded. "There's no point in letting them search for us when they can't even recognize me."

 As if sensing Zeya's hesitation, Varen grabbed hold of her hand to prevent her from escaping before leading her to a private gallery where the pair could oversee the entire ground floor.

 "We can wait until the celebration dies down." Varen stated while his attention laid in the commotion that was taking place in the middle of the room. "It'd be shame to miss out on the main spectacle of the day."

 "Then you can stay and waste your time if you'd like." Zeya replied coldly as she turned to walk away. "I'm sure I can get by well without your help."

Before she could take another step forward, Zeya was quickly stopped by a powerful hand grabbing her waist, pulling her next to Varen's tall frame.

 "I thought I told you to stay close to me." His eyes flickered a bright red before he quickly readjusted his expression when he noticed a small group of noblemen observing their entire interaction. The emperor casually mustered a small smile, as if urging them to mind their own business, which they quickly did after realizing who Varen was. 

 "Do you want to risk having your identity revealed so soon, dear?" Varen whispered into Zeya's ears to make sure no one overheard after the close call. 

 "As much as I'd love to do as you want, my main priority is to make sure that you're safe." His hand that was snaked around her waist loosened ever so slightly, allowing Zeya some breathing room. "It'd be a nuisance for me if you were to slip away yet again."

 "... I've had this bad feeling ever since we entered the ballroom. My magic is weaker in the dark and it's giving me a difficult time whenever I try to make out our surroundings." He reasoned, his grim expression illuminated by the dim chandelier lights situated right on top of them. "All the lights will turn back on once the dance is over so please, have some patience until then."

 "I doubt that the monster will try anything on the first day, but it never hurts to be careful." He spoke with a regal tone before flashing a smile towards Zeya.

 "Until then, would you care to join me?" He asked as he pointed to one of the servants that was tasked with distributing wine to the guests. "A glass or two will definitely help calm your nerves. I can hear your heartbeat from all the up here."

 "I don't feel like drinking at the moment." She replied, watching Varen grab a glass for his own enjoyment. "Especially not with you around me."

 "Your hostility is making me quite sad, my love." Varen joked, taking a small sip. "You have no idea how much I've missed you while you were gone."

 "... You've been oddly calm this entire time we've been together." Zeya confessed as she continued to watch the crowd dance along the music passionately. She noticed how Varen's movements faltered ever so slightly after what she said before managing to keep his cool right away. "And it's so unsettling that I can't help but feel disgusted."

"I was expecting a more deranged reaction from you after my departure." She let out a small chuckle before continuing. "Or perhaps, my opinion of you have been rather distorted although, you can't really blame me for that, can you?"

 "... It would be a lie to say I wasn't upset." He spoke after a moment of hesitation, his attention now solely on Zeya. "However, it made sense why you were so keen on avoiding me. Especially after what I tried to do to you that night."

 "Oh my, it seems like we've been blessed tonight." Zeya said with a humorless smile, her voice dripping with toxic sarcasm. "Who would've thought you'd remember what happened considering how you're such a hopeless drunkard?"

 "I knew you were sick but... you just never fail to surprise me." Her voice hardened despite her effort to manage her cool. "Was that why you wanted me by your side? To satisfy your alcohol-induced hard-ons as some sort of sick punishment?"

"Weren't you the one taunting me to go further?" She could feel Varen's eyes on her now as he spoke, his voice low and apathetic. "Why are you pretending that you didn't like it either, Zeya dear? It's rather unfair to put the entire blame on me, wouldn't you agree?"

 "... You know, I would've gone all the way if it was someone else." She snapped back, her smile growing as she noticed Varen's expression grow darker. "Hell, I would've let anyone else fuck me considering how long it's been, but it just had to be you that night."

 "... What happened that night was an accident. I never intended to go that far, especially not without your consent." He reasoned without an ounce of remorse in his voice, further upsetting Zeya.

This was his way of blocking the conversation from going any further; whether it was to protect Zeya's identity or to prevent his own anger from tipping over, only he was aware of the truth.

 "Forget it. What's the point of mentioning it to someone that barely feels any sort of remorse?" She clicked her tongue in disdain, knowing that there was no point in bringing up the past. "I'd be better off talking to a wall than the likes of you."

 "I hope you find it in yourself to forgive me, Zeya. It'd be a waste to be upset on such a special day like today." He tried to hold Zeya hand, but she quickly pulled away before placing some more distance between the two. 

"I was patient enough to wait this long just for you to come back to me. What makes you think I can't wait a bit longer for you to finally accept me?"

Their conversation came to a halt as a procession of noblemen approached, led by a figure they recognized to be the emperor of Toyah. 

 "Varen, what a great coincidence to find you here!" Muir greeted the pair with a dazzling smile. "Please, allow me the honors of introducing them to you, dear friend. They are the guests I had invited from the human realm, and they had been wanting to meet you."

 "... Such perfect timing, Your Majesty." Varen struggled to contain his disdain, but for the sake of his image, he managed to muster a small smile before proceeding to greet the elated guests.

 Within seconds, Varen was surrounded by intrigued noblemen and women alike, hoping that they would get an opportunity to gain the monarch's attention. Before Zeya could react, she felt a hand on her shoulder gently pulling her away from the growing commotion.

 "Do not panic, Zeya." Muir stated, noticing the Roseabelle tensing up when he placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's only me."

She turned back to look at where Varen was and sure enough, Muir was no longer standing next to the Kaxarene like she had previously seen. 

 "M-Muir." Zeya blurted out in surprise and relief, her body instantly calming down at the sight of a familiar face. 

 "Come on, let's leave before Varen finds out I exchanged these boring folks with you." 

The ethereal Toyahan smiled mischievously at Zeya's expression before he pointed towards the nearby stairs.

"Quickly, I have something I wish to show you."