forum Love? You think this is out of love?

Started February 19, 2021 by @Fenrir

tune

"you need't promise me anything, Malachi. You've already done so much. I would never regret this meeting. He curtsied respectfully. He felt a little akward if he were being honest. He felt as if something was supposed to happen before marriage.
He took a deep breath and nodded "I believe you're correct." He agreed, going back to skimming the bookshelves, needing to distract himself a bit from the decision he just made.
"would you mind if I stayed here a bit instead of going back to the ball? I just need time to…think through everything." He smiled softly, trying to ease the weird air that had fallen between them. "Never would have thought I'd be married now." He admitted with a small laugh, settling in the chair. "Especially like this, not that this is a bad thing if course! It's just different than what I had planned for my life." He breathed a laugh and glanced up at Malachi. "Tell.me something. Who's the true prince, the people other people have told me you are or the one I'm seeing now?" He asked softly, shifting in the chair a bit.

An unfamiliar wave of a strange feeling overcame him as he listened to Abrose. He could sense his toes curling in his boots as he kept standing still. Returning the curtsy, he only gave a simple head nod before glancing up athe ceiling.

Malachi gazed out the window briefly in hopes of finally understanding what's happening. And yet, he still found himself to be awfully confused. "Not at all, take all the time you need," He said. Quietly, he let out a sigh as he walked over to his desk and sat down. "I believe I'll stay over here for a bit, I need some time to sit down if that's alright."

The question left him in a deep state of ponder. Which is the true prince? How should he know? He didn't want to go off with saying the first, that'd make him look bad in front of his now-fiance. On the other hand, he is technically lying to Abrose by putting on this superifical nice image. Guess he knows the answer to it then.

"Neither of them. Their words are only true to a certain extent, just like my actions right now. Guess it's something for you to determine on your own," He shrugged.

The thought of the wedding now is beginning to make him lightheaded. For the last six years, the idea of it seemed to be impossible. Everyone was constantly on him to get married to someone, anybody. And now, someone has finally agreed to marry him. Malachi found himself rubbing his hand over his neck.

"Honestly, I never expected anyone to say yes to me. Even when I got down on one kneew in front of you, I expected you to say no," He admitted, then proceeded to let out a chuckle. "Before I proposed, what did you have planned for your life?"

He nodded slightly, not exactly the answer he had expected but one that seemed more genuine than a yes or a no. "We all put up an act, whether for ourselves or others. I only hope that they'll be a time where acting is not needed between us." He said with a small smile.
He lowered his gaze once more, giving the both of them a chance to organize their thoughts. God's above he was going to get married! To a prince he barely even knew no less. What would his sister say? No, what would his brother say? Would he truly go tiwbar against Malachi just for proposing? Surly Shire was being dramatic. He'd deal with his siblings later, right now Abrose needed to focus on his kingdom and what the marriage meant for them.
He shook himself of his piling worries as Malachi asked a question, thankful for the temporary distraction. "Honestly I'm not entirely sure. I guess the same as my siblings. I'd stay unmarried until the right one came along. It's worked wonders for Shire and Lili. I though why that couldn't work for me until I met someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with." He chuckled lightly "odd I know but I never really gave having a partner a second thought. I guess I've been more focused on the kingdom, especially since my father's passing that my personal life was put on hold until all was well."

The response from Abrose made him a bit dumbfounded. Usually he'd receive a funny look from the other person. Well, sometimes he would simply lie and still not receive such a….warm reaction just like the one he witnessed now.

Malachi found himself humming in response. Barely any words were able to formulate in his mind. The shock from the proposal hadn't settle in him yet. Why didn't anyone tell him about this before? His mind still was not able to recover from the whole ordeal in the morning, but now it's jumping ahead to wedding planning and avoiding any trouble.

When Abrose began to speak, he found himself looking over at the prince. His eyes stared straight inti the others. He rested his hands on the desk while keeping his head titled at a slight angle. It was rather a bit surprising to hear this. In a way, he could imagine himself practically saying the same things.

The word "passing" caused his expression to soften just for a second. "Ah, my deepest condolences." While it did make his eyes glaze over with a somber feeling, hearing the word caused his to turn his chair to face the window. It made him return to the way he was beforehand. Stone-like.

"Do you really believe in finding the right one?" He asked, "This is the first time I've ever heard a royal say something like so. Marriage was always a kingdom and political-related affair, I don't recall it being a soul mate or personal one."

"thank you Malachi." A small smile quirked at his lips remembering back to when their father was still with them. "He was much like Shire, though admittedly far more mature. But he loved everyone despite their status." He chuckled lightly and relaxed back in his chair, eyes growing distant with fond memories. "Shire and him.look the most alike, except for the red hair, that skipped my siblings." He glanced up at Malachi, eyes softening as he watched the prince turn towards the window. "You lost your mother a few years afterwards, correct?" He asked softly "I never got the pleasure of meeting her but from what I've heard, she's a woman to be celebrated, not mourned." He released a shaky breath and wiped away the tears prickling at the corner of his eyes.
He took a few moments to compose himself and send a small prayer to the heavens before turning back to Malachi with a small laugh. "My father never really believed in arranged marriages even when we used to have a council. In all of history, when have you heard an arrange marriage actually working out to benefit the kingdom? Not too many times. Father believed that you should choose whom you love, both for the couple's benefit and the kingdom's. It shouldnt matter who you marry as long as you both believe you can make each other happy. The rest will fall into place later." He shrugged "it's a bit cliche but I think it actually worked. For a time we were all happy, our kingdom, despite it being one of the smaller ones in the continent, was happy and doing well. When he passed, we wanted to to keep that choice, even if we never married, we wanted the choice of freely loving who we chose and who in turn would choose us."

Malachi did not say a word. Instead, he stayed in his chair as he listened. His arms were crossed as he took in each word. Despite having his face gazing out the window, he slowly nodded.

Out of everyone else, Abrose had to bring up his mother. Malachi could already feel the blood in his veins start to boil. He rolled his eyes before letting out a sigh. His jaw clenched while he tried to hide his face with his hand.

"Her Majesty passed away a few mintues after I was born. While I, personally, do not know much about her, everyone tells me that she was a marvelous woman and queen," He mumbled. "You would have never been able to meet her in the first place, you're roughly twenty-five years too late. She is someome the people love to celebrate."

Letting all his weight rest on the balls of his feet, he took another step closer to the window. He secretly hoped for a spy or something to be wandering in the forest area. Anything or anyone to use an excuse to leave. The moonlight shined through the glass, causing him to face the rest of the room. As he began to wandered around, he let his body relax again.

"Interesting. Despite this kingdom going through many reforms, we kept many 'older' traditions and ways. Now of course, we have too in order to make sure those damn Valenians don't kill us in our sleep, but we never thought to dissolve the council or marry out of freewill." His fingers traveled along against the spines of books as he ambled by. Stopping at one book, he pulled it out and started to look through it. "Only a few times has a monarch in the Leeros married out of love. One of my great-grandfathers, King Haimo, did and it worked out well. I would've never been able to. I am a great ruler, but not a great lover, apparently."

Abrose slowly nodded and glanced away, feeling as if he had overstepped their boundaries. Who was he to speak of such thing? Even if he had went through similar, every loss was different. He wasn't going to pretend like he knew anything about Malachi's mother, much less what he had gone through growing up without one. He took a deep breath, ready to apologies for his rudeness when he was cut off.

He tilted his head, "who'd say that? Have you been in a relationship before?" He asked, not out of jealousy but more out of his own curiosity. "How would anyone know how you form a romantic relationship with anyone other than your partner? And not that odd political partnership for everyone else to judge, more of the true partnership most want in life. Is it really others responsibility to judge how you're involved with another?"

What a fascinating prince Abrose is. Malachi chuckled as he stared down at the pages of the book. His eyes flickered up to the ceiling. Lifting up his hand, he started to count with his fingers. Silently, his lips mouthed names while he tried to recall how many times he has been in a relationship. Well, going by the typical definition everyone knows and uses.

"Mhm, quite a handful I'd say. Most of them ended up cursing me and then leaving," He replied, solemnly. The remnants of his previous amusement lingered in his expression for a while till it dissipated. At hearing Abrose's next line of questions, he immediately shut the book. "I am not sure. You know, here we have this special saying, 'Love is a peasant's delicacy.' I don't say it often, but when it comes to discussions about me by the nobility and those with real power, you'll hear it every time. In the end does it really matter politically or romantically and whether or not others judge?"

He slid the book back into the shelf. Wandering over to Abrose, he buttoned up his coat then knelt down in front of the chair. "Frankly, my Abrose, it doesn't because eventually I will snap every single one of their spines once I get them off my back," He whispered. Malachi reached up to caress Abrose's cheek. His head tilted as his eyes flickered up. "Just don't worry too much and let's make this marriage successful for the both of us, hm?"

Abrose arched a delicate eyebrow as Malachi started counting on his hands, maybe he had underestimated the council, maybe they did have reason to judge.
"It matters not whether you are a pleasant or nobility, does everyone not deserve to be happy?" He shook his head with a humorless laugh. "It matters depending what you married for." He stated, watching Malachi carefully as he walked around the room.
He straightened slightly when Malachi knelt in front of him. His emrald eyes widened at Malachi's words. Was this really the man he was going to marry? One that made threats? Even if they were meant to scare him off or vents of anger in the moment, was he really comfortable being with someone who made such open statements? Despite his slowly growing nerves, Abrose leaned slightly into Malachi's touch, his eyes closing in content before lazily meeting Malachi's gaze. He could feel the music keeping time with his heartbeat, the strong best of the drums paired with the keel of the violins arousing his need to be free, both from his responsibilities as well as Malachi's current grasp. He loosely wrapped his arms around Malachi's shoulders and offered a soft smile, "I don't worry for this marriage my dear Malachi. After all, it was your council who accepted my request. Despite your claims to, as you said, break their spines, I don't think you'd risk doing something so drastic. Not if you valued your kingdom." He gently nudged Malachi back so he could stand.
"I do believe your guests are awaiting your presence, your highness. I'll meet you down there." With that, Abrose curtsied once again before leaving the room, head held high as he defended the stairs back down towards the crowd of people, his red sash flowing behind him as he made his way through the throng of people clad in deep blues, blacks and Grey's. The colors of the coming winter. Abrose would never understand how people could celebrate something that killed so many without mercy or remorse. He kept a tight smile on his features as he dondged and weaved through the crowd of noblemen and nobleladies dancing and gossiping around him, trying his best not to look like a deer among wolves. Eventually he made it out the front doors. Instead of immediately taking a carriage, Abrose made his way around the side and back of the castle towards the gardens, needing to find comfort somewhere other than the stone walls. Not caring if he was meant to be there or not, he turned down a path into hedges and bushes of roses and late blooming peonies, his breath catching as he saw a fountain made if white marble, ivy climbing the sides. He sat on its edge and looked around, needing to distract himself from thoughts of his future

Words cannot describe what was going through his mind. The whole time Abrose spoke, he just kept quiet and carefully listened to each word. What left him dumbfounded was when Abrose leaned into his touch. The slight feeling made his whole body become rigid.

"I'm marrying you as a way to get what I want among other things," He admitted, "Love isn't a delicacy that I should be enjoying anyways." Malachi gently stood back up and watched as the prince left. After a few seconds, he relaxed into a chair nearby. Gods above this is more complicated than shooting a rifle.

Eventually, the servant from before had to check in on him. It was only a few minutes since the other prince had left. Honestly, he wanted to stay in his study longer, but knew it would be impossible to right now. Handing the treaty to a scholar, he decided to leave and make his way to the ballroom.

He did not stay in the ballroom for long. Probably five at the least. A few councilmen came over asking about the treaty and proposal then left with a relieved expression on their faces. Despite people talking to him, he couldn't help but try to look for Abrose. His eyes scanned the whole place a numerous amount of times till deciding to look for the prince on his own.

A guard came over to him reporting that the prince had left. The fact was surprising given that it was only ten thirty in the evening. He rushed out to the front of the castle, only to find that none of the carriages had left. "What kind of foolry is this?", He whispered to himself while taking a glimpse around.

Malachi found himself at the garden. It is starting to get late in the evening. The moon shined brightly while the stars were among it in the night sky. He found himself looking up at it till remembering why he was there. It surely would've been a lovely evening to go out for a ride.

Wandering around, he looked at the flowers and other plants. A shame that they'll be gone during the winter. When looking up from a flower bed, he noticed Prince Abrose sitting by himself at the water fountain. Chuckling quietly, he shook his head then made his way over.

"You said I'd meet you back in the ballroom. Why are you out here in the cold?" He questioned. Malachi pulled his gloves back as he sat down close to Abrose. "Are you fine?"

While alone, Abrise scanned the area around him, taking in the garden now awashed in moonlight, tirning everything silver. He remembered spending nights like these with his father when he was younger, venturing out into the cold with heavy cloaks and trecking to the nearby beaches to watch the moon rise. He remembered curling g up in his father's lap and watching in awe as the sun lowered beneath the eater's horizon. His father used to tell him he came from the sun, hence why his hair was so red and that their mother was the moon, always shining so beautifully. Abrose had always been so proud that out of his two siblings he inderited his father's shade of hair. Now it seemed silly but it did it did bring him warmth in an otherwise bleak and cold situation.
He glanced up when he heard Malachi's voice. "Forgive me, I couldn't stay in there with so many people all at once." He tilted his head back to look up at Malachi, surprised that the other would sit so close especiay co sidering their previous interaction. "Admittedly no, I'm not. But more on me." He shook his head "a lot of new experiences that would never have happened if I hadn't come here. Gladly, most all pleasently."

He was not sure when was the last time he had actually took time to relax in the garden. On more than once occasion has he walked into it to discuss business with someone. Never did he really ever thought to take a glimpse around at the beautiful flowers. A shame how winter is only a few weeks away.

Malachi let a chuckle leave his throat at hearing Abrose. He tilted his head back with laughter before having to fix his hair. "I understand. So many people came that I'm surprised there's enough room for everyone to breathe. It's so suffocating."

Fixing his gloves, he let his fingers touch the white marble. Keeping his eyes lowered, he noticed that the other prince was looking at him. Out of habit, his eyes gazed up at the sky. "I'm sure I did something to make you not feel fine," He sighed, "Just let me know if I do or if anyone else does. It's good that your experiences here have been pleasant. Most of them should be."

Abrose shook his head with a small laugh of his own. "Surprisingly no, you've done nothing of the sort, despite your shallow threats and sudden advancements to try to scare me." He teased lightly, tilting his head innocently.
"But yes, everything else so far has been truly wonderful, thank you. I would have been glad to come, for a treaty or no treaty." He reassured, lightly resting his hand on Malachi's and gently squeezing his hand before letting go.
He slowly stood from the marble fountain and offered his arm with a slight bow.
"Would you care to join me for a nightly stroll, your highness? It'd be such a shame to waste these last few precious warm autumn nights inside a ballroom."

The prince's laugh piqued his interest. His brows were raised as he listened. His mouth opened ready to say something, but he couldn't find the right words to say. The warmth from his cheeks arose at seeing their hands. "What?" He mumbled to himself. Malachi fixed his glove again before clearing his throat. "Ah, I see. I'm sure your family and people still would be glad to see you return with a signed treaty nevertheless."

He stared at the arm being offered to him. An eyebrow rose as his head titled. Gazing up at Abrose caused him to force a deep breath out. Something about the prince's stare left him in confusion, a rare kind of confusion. He shook his head in hopes of changing his expression.

Malachi stood up from the fountain on his own. "Sure. The air is much better out here anyways," He simply said, brushing off his coat. Standing straight, he took a brief look around the garden, wondering if anyone was there. Once coming to the conclusion it was just them, he looked over at Abrose. "Shall I lead the way or would you like to wander around?"

Abrose chuckled to himself and akwardly lowered his arm, clasping it with his other hand behind his back as he straightened.
He nodded to Malachi with a small smile "if you wouldn't mind, I don't think I'd trust myself even to wander around the gardens without getting lost." He shrugged easily "besides you most likely know your own pace gardens better than I." He waved to the pash leading deeper into the gardens, gesturing for Malachi to go first.
"I'm surprised no one else came out here to enjoy the scenery. Surely the night is as stunning as the ballroom inside." He wondered aloud.
" I'm actually quite surprised you found me out here so quickly. Surely it would have taken you longer to search the countless guests attending as well as search the rooms in the castle before coming out here."

Seeing the prince's grin was a sight that oddly piqued his interest. Despite knowing Abrose for a couple of hours now, he still felt unprepared every time. Malachi adjusted his collar before starting to walk on the path.

To him it was surprising how the garden looked for the fact that winter was around the corner. Leaves covered the path along with some empty flower beds. The bleakness in the air did not bother him at all, though it left his cheeks to be a bright shade of pink.

"The stars do make this place more mesmerizing, but some consider it bad luck and others just dislike the cold," He stated before giving a shrug. "Oh it wasn't difficult. Even though we just met, you stand out pretty easily. Also, I have eyes and ears everywhere in this kingdom, eventually you'll find some in the palace."

Malachi ambled along the path, sometimes taking a moment to take a glimpse around. With his hands clasped behind his back, he kept straightforward. A few of the hellebores he passed by were blooming.

"Speaking of kingdoms, do you have any specific ideas for the wedding? I know we are supposed to discuss this with the meeting of our families, but I prefer to get a head start."

Abrose followed a few steps behind taking his time to admire the gardens, surprised to find that some flowers, despite the lowering temperatures, were still in full bloom.
"Bad luck?" Abrose shook his head, "only those with something to hide fear the stars. Even then, they should know better than cower behind walls and a roof." He tilted his head up, letting cool night breeze carress his face. Being from the southern kingdom, Abrose had little experience with winter, though he had heard that the white baren trees of the north were nothing except spectacular. He was never find of the cold, knowing that with the little cold that passed over his lands would kill hundreds and starve more, leaving his kingdom little more than a ghost town until the cops were replenished in the spring and hot summers.
"Ah I see." He shied away from the cold for now, covering his pale cheeks with the collar of his coat and rubbing his hands together, glancing around the garden to see if he could spot any of the 'eyes and ears' Malachi had mentioned. "It must be suffocating, always being watched. Though I do suppose, it's for safety." He narrowed his eyes at a particularly dark patch of wall before quickly moving on, quickening his pace to match Malachi's

He blushed slightly at the question, glad that his collar was hiding the majority I his features. "Ah no. I haven't been able to give it much thought oddly enough." He admitted softly. He took a moment to to think, eyes catching on a familiar bunch of flowers in late bloom. He smiled sadly and took a deep breath. "Foxgloves. If it would be possible, I'd like to have foxgloves at the wedding."

He lightly chuckled at the prince's words. If having something to hide makes one a coward, then he is the biggest coward in the world. The strain on his laughter left him to squeeze his own wrist tightly before taking a deep breath.

Malachi continued to amble down the path before making a left. He kept quiet as he focused on walking along with gazing around, making sure that no one else was with them. Aside from the two, it was silent. The only thing he could hear was Abrose's words and the creatures of the night.

Looking back, he noticed Abrose gazing around and the hand rubbing. Was it awfully bleak out? He didn't even think about it, although he doesn't enjoy it really. The people of Castera are more used to the cold than those in Abrose's kingdom most likely.

"You didn't even suspect Elijah, did you?" He wondered out loud. "Sometimes you'll see them in their uniform, other times they'll look like regular servants. You'll know them eventually." Malachi stopped once again, turning around to face his fiancé while removing his gloves. He took Abrose's hands then slid them on. "I know well that nothing is more suffocating than having bleak hands around your throat. No worries. My royal guards are highly trained, so if I cannot protect you, they will."

Foxgloves. Those are something he hasn't heard in awhile. Do they even grow here? Oh, he doesn't even know. He couldn't ignore the longing smile on Abrose. "Of course, I have a cousin who's land grows so many of them. I'll have them in time of the wedding," He promised, "Are you thinking of a color specifically? Green? Red?"

When Nalachi mentioned Elijah, Abrose didn't comprehend who he spoke of, then a fuzzy memory of the begining of the evening surfaced. "The man beside you before you found me? No I hadn't expected him at all." He replied in surprise.
He was even more surprised when the prince's stopped them both and pulled off his gloves, slipped them onto his. They were incredibly warm. "Do I want to know how you know the feeling of cold hands around your throat?" He asked, cradling his hands in front of him as if they help something precious. "None the less, thank you. I'm znot accustomed to this level of cold yet." He chuckled lightly to himself before continuing to follow Malachi.
"an entire field?" Abrose released an awesome. He was lucky if he saw the Foxgloves in his own castle garden, but an entire field was nearly impossible. "That must be incredible." He breathed, glancing up at his fiance. "Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me." He said with a genuine smile.
"I'm not too sure what goes well with Foxgloves, maybe Ivory's and gold's?"

He could not help but let himself laugh at seeing Abrose's expression. A sense of pride overcame him. "See? You wouldn't even expect someone who looks as gentle as Elijah to be a royal guard," He sighed, trying to catch his breath.

Finally the cold was stinging his hands. It took awhile for him to notice. His fingers curled up into his palms. Malachi did not respond to the prince's question. Instead, he stared down at the ground hoping that the curiosity would pass. Even when he was being thanked, he just nodded.

This has to be the first time he has ever seen anyone get excited over flowers in a long time. And over foxgloves too. Deep down, the feeling he got when their eyes met piqued his interest. The sensation caused him to look away. His Adam's apple bobbed.

"Oh it's no trouble at all. His kingdom is in the south so I will have to be swift on getting them in time," He said. Right after, his face became bitter at hearing the word ivory. Out of all the colors, what a miserable color for a wedding. Malachi forced on a nonchalant expression to wash over his face. "I am not sure if he has any ivory, but I will have him send other colors. They will go well with the myrtle and your outfit I'm very sure of it."

"ah so they are also in the south? I wonder how far they are from Carniel." He mused with a small grin. "I may have to visit this cousin of yours once springtime arrives." The chance of seeing feilds of his late father's favored flowers made Abrose's heart swell with excitement and nostalgia.
He tilted his head but didn't look up at Malachi, already recognizing g the slight tone in his voice that indicated the prince wasn't as pleased as he would like everyone to think, despite it only being hours of knowing each other.
"I never took you as a non-traditionalist, your highness. But I'm certainly not apposed to changes made. Were there any colors schemes you had in mind for the wedding?" He asked, finally looking up at Malachi.

"I believe Evoyia doesn't get any snow or chilly weather at all. So perhaps a little further below your's," He said. Quickly gazing down, he noticed his fiancé's little smile. "Oh I am sure you will meet her at the wedding."

Malachi cleared his throat as they kept walking. His fingers kept curling into his palm in hopes of getting some warmth. If only he thought of keeping another pair hidden in a pocket or something. A shiver went down his spine, but he managed to ignore it.

"Well, we are royals, and we make our own traditions," He responded. "I am not sure, as long as it fits with my red military uniform and it's elegant, I suppose. That's something we'll have to discuss with the royal wedding planners. No white though, no matter what we go with."

Feeling Abrose's eyes on him, he decided to gaze back into them. He tried to relax his posture as he stopped. His feet came together. "If I may be honest, I have no idea when it comes to wedding planning. I never expected anyone to marry me."

Abrose gently took one of Malachi's hands into his own, loosely holding it in both of his. He meant no advancement, he knew their relationship wouldn't go anywhere in one night, but he did feel guilty about having his gloves so the least he could do was offer warmth when possible.
"That is very true, my prince. I'm sure we'll find something that will match your outfit and be eleventh. And yes, no white." He reassured, gently patting Malachi's arm.
He slowed to a stop, and tilted his head curiously, smile toy praying that this wasn't one of Malachi's sudden shows of power or violence ce as he had done before in the library.
He huffed a small laugh, "don't worry, neither did I. I have no skill whatsoever when it comes to planning anything. Not even my own outfit. Usually Lili helps with that." He admitted, a blush that stemmed from something other than the cold rose on his cheeks. "Shire's usually the one plans the big events that occur in the kingdom."

For a second, he could feel his body become rigid. His shoulders tensed up at sensing Abrose taking his hand. Malachi gazed down at their hands. The urge to pull away was present, but he forced himself to let his hand be held. Though it took a couple moments, he eventually became relaxed.

No white. What a relief. A small breath left from his lips. Thank the gods he did not have to defend himself to get the point across. The patting caused him to jump a little, but he cleared his throat and pretended that his reaction never happened. Softly, he hummed in response and nodded.

When he noticed they came to a stop, he turned his head to look over at Abrose. His brows rose as there was a small gap between his lips. He wasn't sure if he was more confused over the hand holding, laughing, or the blush he noitced on his fiancé.

"Ah, I see," Malachi nodded, licking his lips as he glanced away for a second. "It's alright, we both have something to learn. I was more trained on politics and military tactics. No one really taught me anything on weddings or anything related to that. Sohan and Tiffany knew more about those things than me."

Abrose nodded slowly "we most definately do. It'll be new to all of us." He smiled softly before nodding g back towards the castle. "Shall we go back inside? It's getting a bit cold. Besides I'm sure your guests are wondering where their host is by now."
Abrose took one last glance around the gardens. If they looked this beautiful so close to winter, he wondered how beautiful they looked in the spring and summer.
He slowly let go of Malachi's hand, feeling as if there were far too many y eyes on them, even if it was just them in the gardens and the windows of the castle were too far for the guests I side to see. He let out a breath, watching as It formed a cloud in the air. "I hope that whatever this marriage turns out to be, neither of us look back on the decisions made and regret it." He muttered softly before starting to walk again, following the path that lead to the fountain

"I suppose we should," He agreed as he looked around. The moon hung high in the sky, it must be getting pretty late at this point. He wondered if anyone was curious about their whereabouts, yet he did not really mind being out and away from everyone odd enough.

For a second, he stared down at his right hand after Abrose let it go. His fingers curled into his palm while a brow rose up in curiosity. It still felt bleak, but on the other hand, it felt strange. He was not sure how to put it; must just be the cold weather in the evening.

Malachi managed to catch what his fiancé had muttered. "And I as well," He mumbled, holding his hands behind his back. Whatever their marriage is going to hold for the both of them, all he hoped was that it was for the better. Even he couldn't tell what it may be like yet all he could do, as they walked back, was hope.

Abrose took in the ballroom for a moment, blinking at the odd lighting that had changed in the room since they had last been in there. A spot light came down from a place Abrose could not see while the rest of the wall candleabras had been snuffed out, leaving the center of the ball room warmly illuminated.
He smiled softly as he watched those who had decided to dance finish, all taking a bow to their respected partners. He noticed they had all donned black silk masks that covered hand their faces, obscuring their features.
Abrose was delighted when they called for more people to join, this time a group dance where the participants were in a circle. He found the maids giving out masks and smiled gratefully before joining the throng of partygoers, finding a spot next to a young woman in a deep green dress and a nobleman clad in grey and white.

When reaching the ballroom, he looked around at what was going on. The dimming of the lights and the guests wearing the black silk masks, he was surprised to see that him and Abrose were outside long enough to miss the beginning of the masquerade dance.

Malachi stood off to the side, watching as the dance progressed to its second part. A maid had walked over offering him a mask, but he smiled while gently declining. Even if he wanted to participate in the dance, people would still be able to tell that it's him one way or another.

This was the exact same thing that happened at Sohan's engagement ball; he can remember it like it was yesterday. Sohan and his fiancée happily joining in while Edwin practically begged for him to take part in the dancing. Malachi smiled, reminiscing as he looked at the guests. Just like the dance all those years ago, it still is fun even if he is only watching from the side.

It took Abrose a few moments to get the hang of the dance, at first confused when he noticed the men when doing a different dance to the women. He ultamatpy decided to follow the lady's dance, finding it much more fun then the gentlemen's. He curtsied to an invisible partner and and raised his sash as of it were a skirt, twisting back and forth so it flared out. He fell in step with the dancers, dancing on light toes as the music took on a melodic tune, slightly sounding like a drum song with far more instruments.
It was when the circle of dancers started moving around the ballroom that the dance really started to get intense, more turning and trading places than before. Never once did any of the dancers bump into one another, thankfully neither did Abrose. The circle spun out to the outer most parts of the ballroom, all clapping in unison. Abrose smiled proudly before gently looking arms with a young man, most likely a child of a noble family that had dragged the poor lady along. He nodded encouragingly to the young man but didn't speak as the dance started again, this time with clapping and spinning.

An exhausted sigh left his lips as he let his attention wander as the dance progressed. His foot tapped in time to the music. Amongst all the dancers in the crowd, his eyes landed on someone. Unlike the first time, he knew right away that it was Abrose.

What a fascinating sight to see. He could not recall the last time he has ever seen someone smile like that; it must have been years. Appears that his fiancé is having a wonderful time dancing. "Would you ever be that joyful around me?" He mumbled to himself. "Or will this be the only time I see….I see…I see you beam like this?"

Malachi paused as he stumbled a little, talking a step back to prevent himself from falling. A sudden hit of feeling light had overcome him, but it gradually faded away. He must be tired after a long day of dealing with the council then having this ball and proposing.

He turned to a servant, who was standing nearby, and asked for a glass of wine. The servant gave a simple nod with a beam then disappeared into the darkness. Pulling out his handkerchief, he began to lightly dab it against his forehead. As his eyes flickered over to the crowd of dancers again, he put on a small grin.