Thirty-Seven

WHEN HE SEPARATED US, I FELT BREATHLESS and my heart was beating like a drum inside my chest. "You really are amazing at using this mouth of yours," I mumbled, feeling hot beyond just the blush on my face.

"The same can be said to you, darling," he whispered back, than got out of the bed and put me down. Waving the skirt of my dress, to make the mess on it disappear. Also passing his warm gloved hands over my lips, making me feel a cool sensation there, probably trying to mask how swollen my lips are now, and as he did the same to him, I noticed I was right about that. Then he held my hand. "Close your eyes for a second, please," I did as he said and on the next instant I felt a refreshing but metallic smell in the air, however, it was gone just as fast as it came. "You can open them now, darling."

Blinking, I looked around and realized we weren't in the room anymore, but in the last part of the stairs going to an wide open room, "Oh, wow, that was smooth."

He grinned, "See? Very effective." Sigh, "Now, let's go see what they want with you."

However, as we went down, he didn't drop his grip on my hand. No. He tightened it, as if to him it was necessary to hold onto me.

Adorable.

And as we entered the big room with enormous windows in one wall, bookshelves at one side, painting at the other, and a black piano at the corner, the guests came into view. "Is that piano for me, or do you know how to play it?" I whispered.

"I can play it," he mumbled back with a smirk on and I tried not to look so surprise about that.

"Your Highness, Prince Behnam Astarabadi. Her Ladyship, Lady Marie DuBlanc," I said bowing lightly. "It's an honor to meet you. I heard you came here for me, so I'm sorry I kept you waiting!"

The couple came some steps closer, and then the Prince tilted his head, gazing at me, "You aren't as rude as the rumors say, Lady Bissonnette." Oh?

I felt his grip tighten on my hand, and decided to say something before he did anything impulsive, since he might have taken the Prince's words as offensive, "And you aren't as short as the rumors say, Your Highness. You are quite tall, since you are more then a head taller than your Lady," although Marie is petite, and must be around 158cm.

He smirked, "Interesting."

Sigh, "Leave it alone, my Prince. Don't pick a fight with her, okay?" Marie said, and when turned to her I could see the tenderness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, babe." Well, now that's a cringe sight to see! "My fiancée told me about what happened in your masquerade anniversary ball, Lady Bissonnette," oh, wow! The change in his tone from playful to serious was drastic. Seems like she has quite some control over him.

That's why love is dangerous.

Automatically, I felt my eyes being drawn to the man on my side, but I held the desire to look at him and squeezed his hand softly. "You mean, about my songs?"

"Not just your songs, Lady Bissonnette, but also how you took revenge on the ones who broke your trust and cheated on you, and how aggressive that crazy father of yours was," then he pointed to my fiancée with his head. "And how he saved you and took you away, since staying there would probably cause your family to attempt to kill you. …Again."

Marie came closer to the Prince, her smile widening as she gazed at my hands, "First I was a little confused to why he saved you, but now," she bounced her head, "I can see the reason. Those are engagement rings, right?"

"Yes," it was all I said.

"Amazing. When did you two met? Was it before all of that happened?" Why is she curious about such a thing?

"Don't you want to sit down to talk? It might be more comfortable," he finally spoke to them, with an imposing tone. After we all sat down on the two couches, me with him, and the Prince with the Lady, he turned to the door, "Callum," he called and a middle aged man came into view, "bring some tea and treats for our guests," the man nodded and disappeared.

A second later he came with everything, also using a teleportation incantation, surprising me, but I managed to hid it. "Answering your question, Lady DuBlanc, it was a little before the masquerade ball happened," it's not a lie, since he knew me way before that. "It had already been more than a month since I had broken my previous engagement. We just…" I met his eyes, feeling my face hot again, "clicked kind of right away."

"Was you who proposed to him as well, Lady? I heard you have quite the attitude when it comes to these things," the Prince asked and I almost rolled my eyes.

"Yes. It was me. He played hard to get for a little bit of time, but then he said yes, and now we are engaged," still with my hand intertwined to his, I held it higher and showed them our rings.

"Oh my," she gasped. "They are beautiful!"

He nodded amused, "They were my parents'."

"Now, that's romantic. Our engagement rings are also the Duke and the Duchess' engagement rings. I still can't believe it's so close. We got engaged some years ago, and now we'll be soon getting married."

The Prince intertwined his hand to hers and kissed them. "We'll soon be husband and wife. You will be called a Princess by the entire Kingdom, and later on you will become my Duchess."

Well, that's quite an uncomfortable thing to watch. Especially because it looks as if we are third wheeling them in such a moment. Sweet to them, and annoying to us. "And you will live happy ever after," there was a hint of mockery in my voice, but they seemed unware of it.

"Yes, we will," she said smiling fondly to him.

"I don't think she got the actual meaning of your words, darling," he whispered for only me to hear and I bit my lip to hold in the smile.