Losing Control
The room seemed to get quieter as the prince pulled her close to him and they started swaying to the song. Many aliens looked surprised at the dancing. Basileus was well-known in the palace for, not only his rank and status, but his unwillingness to participate in events such as this.
The material of her dress wasn't all that thick and she felt the warmth of his hand at her waist. The more electrifying his touch felt, the more nervous she became. As the music continued, the pair seemed to step closer to one another unknowingly.
Varya couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze and kept glancing over his shoulder. There was a suspicion rising in her heart, telling her that, if she looked into his orange eyes, she wouldn't be able to escape them. Curiosity won the internal battle and she finally met his eyes.
His smoldering gaze caused a heavy feeling in her chest as if she could start crying at any moment. She didn't notice her hand, which started the dance at his shoulder, had moved up and rested on the back of his neck. Her lips parted, and she gasped, being able to feel his breath from this close.
Prince Basileus couldn't take his eyes off of her face. He had hoped the issue between them was the normal attraction between males and females, because he could cope with that and move on. However, this evening was opening his eyes to a lot of things. Each time they made physical contact with one other he didn't want to let go. He wanted to destroy the whole planet full of beings who dared stare at the beautiful creature before him. More than that, he wanted her approval and to be accepted by her. This was something he had never felt for anyone before.
The prince felt his head start leaning towards her. The alcohol in his system caused him to test the water and want to know what the look on her face was saying.
Varya felt her heart was going to fall out of her chest. The alcohol and his lips being so close to hers - it was all too much. She turned her head at the last second and his lips brushed against her cheek and ear. She took her other hand that was in his and put it around his neck as well. She couldn't tell if her face felt hot from the alcohol or from thinking they were going to kiss.
She formulated an excuse and spoke into his neck, "It's too hot in here. Can we go cool off somewhere?"
Basileus's breath had caught in his throat and his eyes were widened with shock. They were no longer dancing and, when she hugged herself to him, he wrapped his arms around her waist. Maybe he misread the situation, but it was at that moment he realized how much it was going to crush him if she were to reject him and he was going to have to learn to shut those feelings off.
While he knew he may get in trouble for leaving early, the prince guided her out of the room and away from the crowd. Once out the doors, she took the lead, wordlessly showing him where she wanted to go. He was forced to stare at the back of her head because she wasn't going to turn to him so he could make assumptions about her blushing cheeks.
As they went, Varya's heart kept beating quickly. She was so ashamed she almost kissed him. It was just the alcohol, wasn't it? Maybe she wasn't acting like herself right now. And then there was him…
Basileus seemed so much softer and kinder after a few drinks. It was really affecting her ability to read him. His actions tonight were not of someone forced to live with and protect her.
Varya wasn't exactly sure where she was taking them until they got there. The pair ended up in the giant tube leading up to the main dome containing the castle. It was the first place she ever set foot on this planet.
"Look." Basileus was determined to break the uncomfortable silence and return to normal. He pointed upwards.
They looked up and saw a beautiful array of stars against the black velvet expanse of space. Tonight the sky had a purple hue. The atmosphere of Planet Ptoma was extremely thin and it made for the most beautiful night skies on the chance there wasn't a snow storm.
"It's beautiful," Varya commented, amazement evident in her voice.
"It is, isn't it? I've never seen anything like it." But the prince had stopped looking at the sky and his eyes were watching the woman before him.
In an effort to cool off, Varya let go of his hand and walked forward to the glass. She rested her forehead against the cold glass. The desire to cry had returned and she had to squeeze her eyes shut for a moment. She had felt so many conflicting emotions in such a small amount of time today.
Benches lined the hallway and Basileus sat on one of them, leaning back and undoing his suit jacket. He could never stand to be in suits for too long. His medals clinked together as he dropped the jacket and started undoing his tie in an effort to get more comfortable. When his eyes were back on Varya, he wondered if he had ruined the evening by misunderstanding her and thinking she was going to kiss him.
How ridiculous, he thought to himself. In frustration, he ran his fingers through his black hair and messed it back up, allowing it to fall into his eyes as normal.
Varya didn't turn around and kept facing the glass, wishing she knew the names of the constellations in front of her. The night sky on Earth was never this beautiful. She had to push away the thought that her dad would love it as much as she does. Her eyes unfocused and she saw the prince in the reflection of the window fussing with his dark hair. She had to admit to herself that she had never seen anyone quite as handsome as him. Would it really be that bad if they kissed?
She shut her eyes and shook her head at herself. It's not like she could get away from him if he were offended or if it became awkward between them. They would have to continue on as usual. Two strangers occupying the same space.
As she met her resolve, a chill ran through her. She hugged herself and rubbed her arms. At least she had cooled off now.
"Do we have to go back to the party? We've avoided Emperor Kruos this far..." she trailed off.
The prince was observing her and noticed her temperature change. He found it amusing that she was so affected by the temperature. Not wanting to go back into the ballroom either, he formulated a new plan for their evening.
"Let's go back to my quarters."
The prince grabbed his suit jacket and stood up, taking her hand once more. He started moving forward at a quick pace, not allowing her to answer. She didn't argue as they went back into the castle and towards the ballroom. He left her at the doorway and quickly ran inside, taking two clean glasses from a servant and an unopened bottle of champagne. From what he could tell, more alcohol might get rid of the awkwardness he had injected into the evening by thinking she was trying to kiss him.
The prince returned to her side and gave her a mischievous smile before offering his elbow and going towards the elevator.