THE PRINCE FROM THE NORTH

"What are you doing here, Liam?" Constantine asked, his hands then possessively roamed in Felicia's shoulders, wrapping himself in her. "What do you need for my fiancé?" He added, smirking as he reminded Liam the boundaries being set now. 

However, Liam did not even pay him a little attention and just stared at Felicia, wanting to say something to her. Constantine was quite livid as Liam chose to ignore him, rather than answer his question. 

"Would it be possible to give me some of your time, Milady?" Liam asked, bowing her head towards Felicia who was skeptical of his words. She thought that their friendship was now over, considering that their conversation had ended way long before. 

Or so she thought. 

"Are you directly ignoring me, your Crown Prince—"

"I wasn't talking to you in the first place, your Highness. Why would I talk to you? I only want the lady." Liam said, turning his head towards the livid Constantine, facing him head-on. 

"Both of you calm down." Felicia sighed, rolling his eyes as she was caught once more in this drama. They were like two women fighting over her. She really must be that beautiful for them to pick up a fight in front of her. 

"What is it that you need, young Marquis?" Felicia asked as she looked at him in her neutral demeanour, obviously not showing any expression. She could see that Liam was taken aback by what she said, it was as if there was something wrong with what she had told him. 

"Whatever he needs, you're out of it, Felicia," Constantine replied, trying to look tough in front of Liam who just stared at Felicia, undecided whether to open his mouth and talk as he was still quite stiff after she called her using his title. 

It was as if he had received a blow in his heart.

"You. I want you, Lady Felicia." He mumbled that sent frenzy over Constantine, malding at Liam who bravely claimed that he wanted her right in front of her fiancee, him! This man has the guts to ask for Felicia!

"To dance. Please accept my invitation to dance with you, Milady." He added as he caught a whim of what he just said. What a pathetic fool he made of himself, why did he suddenly say that? So... Dumb!

Blushing, he bowed his head and extended his arm, awaiting Felicia to accept his hand to dance with him. His heart beating at a fast pace, and he could feel his sweat rushing through his side as the fear of being rejected circled in his head. 

Some of the ladies' attention was attracted upon seeing Felicia being troubled by two handsome men, cornered between her fiancee and someone who looks up to her. Troubled with the decision, Felicia looked at Constantine who shrugged his head, annoyance was visible on his face as he didn't like the idea of Felicia being danced to by Liam. 

On the other hand, nobles stared at this drama, while those young women are obviously into this trope, quite squealing upon Felicia's decision whether to accept the dance or to stay with Constantine. 

"Felicia. You are already a woman bound to be married, enough to play games already." Constantine reminded him, glaring at Felicia who just stood there and looked blankly at the two. 

Her eyes then slowly look into Constantine, triggered by his constant rebuttal which is always against her, she extends her hand and accepts the dance, making Constantine swallow up his anger and embarrassment. 

"What you said is right, your Highness. That I am bound to be wed to you." She said as she held Liam's hand whom he then kissed, earning another squeal from the crowds upon seeing a romantic scene in front of them. 

"But it doesn't mean that I shouldn't have fun at first. Since I am to be wed several months from now on, allow me to have fun. Isn't that what you did before?" Felicia added, smiling softly at Constantine who was trembling in his own fury.

His eyes darkened as he balled his fists, staring at Felicia in disbelief as she was being pulled by Liam back towards the centre, dancing with her, leaving him alone in the corner awkwardly. 

As Liam clasped their hands and his other travelled to her waist, he couldn't help but smile, leading Felicia how to dance with him. He couldn't contain the happiness inside him as he may burst because of it. 

"What now, Lord Liam? Is there something that you need to tell me?" Felicia asked as she looked him in the eyes, curious as to why he would strike up a conversation with her again when their friendship had already ended after he ignored her letters. 

"I think about you all day... What are you doing to me, Felicia? Why are you always in my head? Why am I always all about you?" He asked her, with such a serious expression both in his face and in his tone. 

Meanwhile, Felicia was flabbergasted by Liam's sudden question. She doesn't know why he's feeling that way, he must have been overthinking about her which is very unhealthy for him. 

Yet she chose not to answer him. 

"Be serious for once, Liam. What do you need?" She asked, avoiding his question. "I told you, I need you." He replied, which earned Felicia's eyes rolling in the corner of her eyes. Is he shitting her?

"And yet you ended our friendship."

"What do you mean? I could never end our... Our friendship." He responded, frowning upon hearing what she had meant. What the hell? What does that even mean?

However, it hurts a little when she's only considering him as her friend. 

"Then what about the days when I have not heard any news about you? Are you avoiding me? Or are you simply casting me away?" She asked once more, frowning as Liam was also showing how suspicious he was. 

"I've been sending you letters. Have you not received any letters?" He asked. He has been sending letters since the day his father forbade him from ever talking to her. 

"I have not received letters. What are you talking about?" She asked back, getting confused over Liam's suspicion. How the hell did this happen? He swore that he was really sending out letters addressed to her. 

Yet for some reason... It wasn't delivered. 

"I don't understand what's happening." She muttered and sighed, continuing to dance with the rhythm until it was slowly coming up to the point that the music had ended with Liam in silence, overthinking.

"Liam, the dance is over." She whispered as she tried to remove herself from his embrace if not for him tightening his grip on her. Why do men want to tighten their grip around her? 

"Felicia... Have you not received anything?" He asked once more, getting Felicia a little irritated with the topic being in a constant repeat. She nodded her head in return, confirming the fact that there were no letters that she had received. 

His face fell, sank and sighed. It must be his father who has been controlling his damn whole life. Looking into her eyes, he pleaded, not wanting this to end. "Listen, Felicia, I—"

Before he could even finish his words, Alexander had come and smiled, approaching Felicia and pulling her out of Liam's gasp that made him want to reach out to her while Felicia let out a yelp in return, shocked at the way Alexander treated her. 

"Alexander! How brazen!" She yelled softly, glaring at the laughing man while keeping her in his embrace. "Won't you mind me borrowing my sister? She promised me a dance after all." Alexander asked towards Liam who looked at Felicia, his face telling her that he wanted to talk more but then sighed. Perhaps, on another day. 

"Sure, man. Thank you, Lady Felicia, for accepting this silly little request of mine." Liam said as he took a bow and kissed her palms, staring right into her eyes which made Felicia feel like something was off with his behaviour. 

"The honour was mine, Lord Liam." She replied and curtsied, before retracting back her hand and smiling at Liam before Alexander pulled her once again on the dance floor to dance alongside him. 

Which turned quite stressful for her because of him who would always tease her about how her heels must've hurt the two men after dancing with her. 

What an asshole of a brother. 

—

The attention that she was getting was so much that she decided to escape the room and ran through the hallways that led her towards the balconies. Each door has a balcony, a safe haven for those who want to rest or for those who have lovers. 

She sighed, being danced with three men, the nobles asking where she had her dress and how beautiful she was, while others trying to bring her down has only worsened her mood and increased her stress and exhaustion. 

Goodness, she didn't know how exhausting balls could be that she thought it was a fun party. But to her surprise, it wasn't even fun at all, but rather an exhausting one! 

As she pushed the door open, she gasped at the sight of some noble woman, being devoured by the man who rudely shut the Emperor down with his words along, creating an awkward atmosphere between the three of them. 

Upon seeing Felicia standing in front, the noblewoman ran away in embarrassment with her dress clearly crumpled and messy, even her hair and makeup while Alistair just sat at

the edge, facing her with a smirk on his lipstick-stained lips. 

"What are you looking at?"