First meeting
(Xavier P.O.V)
Today is lord Roys' ball party in his Palace. I don’t want to go there because of the rumors roaming about me and the whispers, but I don’t know why but I feel like I should go there, like an invisible pull pulling me there.
I shake my head to get that thought out of my mind, that was just some nonsense, and get ready to go to the ball. I decided to wear my red tux and dark brown shoes. I take a seat in my carriage, and we leave for a ball.
As soon as I step a foot on the palace, everyone stops whatever they do and starts whispering.
??: “He is back!”
??: “With what eyes does he show up here?”
??: “I can’t believe it. I thought he is dead.”
??: “I heard he is back for sure.”
??: “What affront?”
??: “After what has he done,” They whispered, but what caught my attention was what that I can only dream off.
??: “Rumors don’t tell even the half of the truth aunt, Mellisa. He is the only man, and there is no need for people to act like this. He is pestilential,” I heard a female voice said to someone.
“In my case --” she said but stopped when I turn to look at her. She has dark black hair and green earmold eyes that captured my soul in an instant.
She is wearing a dark blue dress which compliments her pale skin. She was looking like an angel that walks down from the haven only for me. I internally shook my head to throw that thought away.
*I can only dream of having her. She is not in my league, and I don’t want to spoil her life like mine. I don’t want to draw her in my darkness.*I tell myself.
“Mines and everyone else in the room,” she murmurs while looking down at the ground.
“It’s been a long time, Your Highness,” I said to Mellisa while walking towards them.
“Greetings, my lord, It’s sure been some time indeed,” she said without a trace of a smile on her face. Well, I don’t blame her.
“Your daughter, I supposed?” I ask while looking at the girl who catches my attention below.
“Not at all, your highness, my daughter Erika and my niece Skylar,” she introduces them to me while pointing at them.
"It's a pleasure, lady Anderson. I heard about the engagement. My best wishes for your future and congratulations," I said to her daughter.
"Thank you, my lord," she said. And a new slow romantic song started to play.
"Would you like to dance with me, Miss Dawson?" I ask her niece while screeching my hand for her to take. And I can see Mrs. Matthew grab her hand from behind.
"By all mean," she said, taking my hand after freeing her hand from her aunt.
"Do excuse me miss, for inviting you to dance even though we just met. But there is something that I would like to tell you," I said while leading her to the dance floor.
"Don't worry about such things," she said as if she knows what I want to tell her.
“Shall we?” I ask and take her hand in mine, and her face shows a shocked expression, but she hides it very fast that I almost thought that I imagined it.
*She noticed* I thought.
“The thing I wanted to discuss...About what you said earlier,” I said to her.
“What about it?” she asks.
“You really should never say something in my protection, not when everything in here saying the opposite,” I said to her sternly.
“So you would prefer me lying about my impression?” she asks annoyingly.
"If that is the thing that will keep people from talking bad about you, then yes," I said to her. But what she said next shocked me.
"Let them talk. I don't care what they say. Never dose the rumors do a favor to anybody. I would know because there were always rumors about me. One of the reasons I never believe them," she said to me sternly.
"You shouldn't have accepted this dance," I said in a low voice.
"What would a dance do to me? There will always be the rumors and the conflict no matter what the era is?" she said.
"That only proves how little you know about me; a dance is enough to ruin your reputation as long as I am your partner," I said.
"If there is something that I should know, I will believe you and not the rumors that going on about you," she said.
*She is different from others* I thought.
"And what if the rumors are true? What if I'm everything they describe me?" I ask, being curious. The next thing she said shocked me to the core.
"How is that any of my business?" she asks.
"This dance will be the only warning you will get," I said in my warning voice, pulling her closer to me to scare her.
"Are you trying to scare me? Because I'm only getting curious," she said.
"In any way, there is no way someone like you could ruin my reputation Because I'm not the woman who only thinks about that. Good or bad, whatever the people said about me, I'm still me," she said, clenching her hands in a fist.
"You talk as if you know what it is to have a bad reputation," I said to her.
"So do you," she said.
"Ask every single one here in London, and they will confirm it, And by tomorrow they all will know that you dance with an ice cold-heart devil," I said, taking her face in my hand and looking in her eyes emotionless controlling the urge to kiss her.
"Take this as a warning for the next time you try to say something in my defenses," I said to her and led her to her aunt.
"Thank you for the dance. Excuses me, but there is someone who is waiting for me to talk with me," I said to her.
"Good night, my lord," Mellisa said to walk slowly, so I leave the ballroom.