[I HAVE ACCEPTED YOUR GIFT]

Azura stretched her neck to take a look at the entrance, praying nobody shows up again, even if it meant her plans will go down the drain. She couldn't believe what was happening, nor did she know what might happen if the one she asked help from turns up.

Her body turned pail as beads of sweat begin to form on her forehead. She turned to Chesa to see if she could get help, but how was she to tell her to stop Enoch from entering, when nobody but her knows him. Flashes of images from the morning started playing in her mind as she remembered what she had asked Enoch to do.

.... Flashback. Earlier the same day.....

" Really, will you go with me?" Azura asked with a child-like excitement and Abesselom nod his head to say yes. "Then I think I can use your offer to my benefit." Azura said and smirked, placing her index finger on her face as if she was thinking of someone or something really bad.

"What do you mean by that?" Abesselom, as Enoch asked as he stepped back from her. He could read her mind to know what she was up to, but he stopped himself from doing so. He wanted things between them to be normal and transparent.

"I want to get some information from Marcus, and you are going to help me." Azura said with a mischievous smile.

" What do you mean by that, what am I supposed to do?" Abesselom asked.

" Not much, you just have to attend the ball as a prince, not just any prince, but the price from the other side of the boundaries." Azura said and shock showed itself on Abesselom face.

" Do you know what you are asking for, what if a war break out at your celebration?" Abesselom asked with a worried face.

" I'll handle it, don't worry it won't be for long, and nobody knows you anyway, so you just have to introduce yourself as a prince and talk to Marcus to get the information I need, that's all." Azura explained to him.

" So what am I to do, what do I ask of him?" Abesselom asked.

" Try and find something that can make you look like a prince to wear, and when you are here, do everything that's against Marcus's will. As his prince he can't do anything to you even if he's the King of this kingdom. If he approach you for a talk, just get to know who he really is and why he's here in this kingdom." Azura said to Abesselom, explaining her plans to him.

Abesselom started pacing in front of Azura, thinking about her request and what to do about it, it was not like he was going to let her down, but how to appear as his true self was what he was afraid of. He remembered the first day he showed his true self to Azura, she had almost run off because of his red eye color. Thank God she loved him enough to stay and said goodbye to him a way he couldn't forget.

"Okay, I'll be there as you say, but I have to go back and change into something better." Finally Abesselom agreed to Azura's plans.

"Alright you can go now but come soon, I'll be waiting for you at the celebration." Azura said and Abesselom disappeared just like how he came.

....End of Flashback....

Azura kept shifting her sight between the entrance and Abesselom's face, not sure what to do. Abesselom noticed the worry she was trying to hide from her face and squeezed her hand that he was still holding on to, trying to get her attention and also calm her.

"I have accepted your gift, no need to worry, thank you." Azura said, forcing herself to be calm. Who would've thought that the man she asked someone to pretend to be, will actually be the one to first gift her at the ball? A smile appeared on her lips as she thought of what is happening, not knowing what was coming.

Marcus noticed how cozy the prince was being with Azura and thought of separating them in a way, but h got them together instead. "Sorry for the inconvenience, but this had to happen since we didn't know how to invite the prince from the forbidden land, but he showed up anyway, so let the celebration continue."

Marcus's voice rang in the room and everyone got the meaning to his statement. Abesselom was from a forbidden land and he turned up uninvited, but who cares? Just when he finished talking, the orchestra started playing music again, signifying the beginning of the ball dance. But before Marcus could ask Azura for a dance, Abesselom beat him to it.

"Your Majesty, please will you do me the honor of having this dance with me?" Abesselom asked Azura before Marcus could.

Azura noticed the change on Marcus's face and felt the need to get him upset even more. She placed her other hand in Abesselom's and nod to say yes. With the help of Abesselom's, Azura got down from the throne and walked to the middle of the room where the floor was open for them to dance.

The pair of Galaious royals were at the center of the dance floor as King Marcus announced the start of the ball dance unwillingly. Cheering and applause could be heard from the guest as the first dance of the queen commenced.

The music changed when they got to the floor and Azura could tell she had never heard the music playing before, yet she was prepared to dance to it, if that was the only way she could upset Marcus and get him off her back. She placed her right hand on Abesselom's shoulder and offered him her left hand, which he held on to after positioning himself well in front of her.

A slow song was played by the orchestra and the pair of Galaious royals danced in perfect harmony to the music, as if they were used to dancing together. A warm smile graced Abesselom's impassive face as he stared at Azura's figure, his hand held on to her small waist and the manner he looked into her green eyes with his black ones, everything about him as they danced declared his affection for Azura.

His actions caused the guests to murmur, and Azura's sharp ears captured it all. "He's so handsome." "His body and his face looks so perfect." "Why did he had to dance with the queen who's married instead of us?" "I wish he can dance with me too." "Oh what a gentleman, am so jealous." The ladies commented.

There were many women, both married and unmarried, who had their eyes fixed on the enchanted figure of Abesselom. Though he looked so intimidating and cold with a no less scary aura, the guest could not deny this unknown handsome prince had the best appearance among all those in attendance.

Abesselom gave off an unusual mysterious charm that made many women and even some men envious of the queen. Azura had to force herself from hearing the women who were cursing their fate for not having such a handsome man in their lives, so she could concentrate on the dance with Abesselom.

As Abesselom and Azura moved along to the music, Abesselom commented with a smile. "You seem to be a better dancer than I thought."

"Am I?" Azura asked, feeling flattered with his praise.

He nodded his head in respond. "seems like you practice a lot with the king, your husband." Abesselom commented again.

"What are you saying? Not like we dance daily? I don't even remember the last time we danced together, we're both busy for that. I am just talented enough to make fewer mistakes with the dance steps every now and then." Azura replied truthfully.

"fewer mistakes? I haven't seen any. Well I might say, I can't deny the fact that the queen of this kingdom is a talented dancer." Abesselom commented and they both giggled. They continued to exchange quips as they danced to the melodious songs.

Marcus observed them glide around the dance floor and seeing the two unable to pull their eyes away from each others upset him the most. But what was he to do if Azura herself wants to dance with an unknown man, instead of him. He felt something within him that he didn't wish to feel. A stinging at the corner of his eyes and a dull ache in his chest.

His heartbeat quickened and he felt like the air in the room was not enough for him to breathe. Why he was feeling that way was unknown to him, but he was suer he envy the man dancing with Azura. "Was he perhaps falling in love with her? was that even possible?" He thought. That had never been part of his plans and he wished it never be.

Lady Pearler saw the state her husband was in and knew she had to do something to get his attention of Azura and Abesselom. She stood from her seat and walked to Marcus, swaying her small hips as her shoulder length hair dance to the flow of the air. "Will you dance with me Your Majesty." she asked.

Marcus looked at her outstretched hand before placing his in her hands. He got up from the Thorne and walked gracefully to the dance floor with lady Pearler as the next song begin. He was not happy with the turn out of even, but he had no choice than to comply with the flow of the celebration.

Chesa walked to Azura and Abesselom at the dance floor, thinking she had to save her mother from the envious eyes of the guest. "May I have the honor to dance with the queen if you don't mind?" She tapped Abesselom on his waist and asked.

With a smile, Abesselom turned and handed Azura's hand to the ten years old Chesa, who smiled back at him before facing her mother who kept smiling and looking at Abesselom's figure. "Mum, who's that man, he's so handsome, is he my father?" Chesa asked immediately she started dancing with Azura.

Abesselom's ears captured the childish voice of Chesa and wanted to hear what Azura might say. As Chesa was upstanding, her seat was turned to Abesselom and he took his seat on the instructions of the butler. "Even I don't know who he is, and not every man can be your father okay." He heard Azura replying to Chesa. "So she didn't remember me?" Abesselom asked himself. Even though he didn't want Azura to know, he wished she remembered who he was to her.