"But there were three problems for peridot....
1. She dreams way too big.
2. She dreams way too big.
3. She dreams way too big.
Peridot wanted Arwin to kneel in front of her. I mean, think about it. Arwin kneeling to someone... can you even imagine that? The screen shows Arwin on one knee (I mean I can picture on situation that he would do this~) "
"Yeah that is never going to happen."
Arwin said very unimpressed.
" 'He would only kneel in order to gain enough momentum to jump up and chop someone's head.' "
Rosaline, Esula and Cano couldn't help but laugh at that statement.
" " Umm... Lady Latte?"
Bishot was shown trying to talk to Latte.
'How would Arwin kill someone with his legs? Would he go straight for the neck?' "
"No, that is too merciful for me."
Arwin answered the question without much question. Earning only a few concerned stares.
" Bishot is shown ushering Latte towards the palace doors.
"Haha.. Alright..."
"Would you.. like to enter..?"
The guard questioned.
"Or would he prefer to prolong the pain...?"
Latte mumbled to herself. "
"She knows me so well!"
Arwin said wiping a fake tear away from his eye. Again only earning him a few concerned stares.
" The palace was bustling with people inside. A crowd of people were shown in the foreground as fireworks were displayed in the background. Than just a close up shot of the fire works.
"WOW!!! IT'S SO PRETTY!" "
"Couldn't have said it better myself!"
Esula said mesmerized by the scene. Arwin was also mesmerized by the scene just for a different reason.
" 'Oh right. He should be here... Should I look for him?'
"Excuse.. OH! Sorry."
Latte shouted after running into someone. 'Cano said she would be here as well.' Hmm... Cano.. where can I find her?' "
"Awww she was looking for me!!"
Cano said her voice full of admiration.
" 'But while looking for Cano... I heard an ominous noise.' Someone's wheezing can be heard. Bishot looked out in horror. "
Some people turned to stare at Bishot with an inquisitive look. All Bishot could do was stare at the screen with an ever-growing blush forming on his face.
" "Hmmmm" Latte said turning around to see Bishot's disheveled state. 'Huh? What's wrong with him?' "
"What is wrong with him?"
Esula asked reinstating Latte's question with little to no shame. Bishot looked around the room to see everyone's eyes trained on him and he wanted nothing more than to sink into his chair and disappear. Noticing this Esula quickly doubled back on her word.
"Not to be rude or anything, just you are at a ball why are you acting so... skittish?"
Bishot went to answer and then saw Arwin staring at him. Choosing life Bishot kept his mouth closed and just stared at the screen, everyone else followed deciding to just see how this played out.
" "Bishot? What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?" Latte asked in a joking tone which turned to general worry when she saw Bishot slump over.
" Oh! Hey! Bishot are you alright?"
Latte goes to help him up before Bishot runs away like there is no tomorrow.
"BISHOT?!"
'He suddenly ran away... Could it be...?' Latte thought staring at the area Bishot once occupied as murmurs fill the room as everyone stares at an emerging blue light. "
A bunch of 'Oh's' fill the room as everyone soon realizes that Arwin's presence was what made Bishot so frightful. Bishot is still avoiding everyone's gaze, especially Arwin's whose gaze was anything but forgiving.
" Latte turns around to face this emerging blue light.
"KYAAAAAA OH MY, WHAT'S THAT?!"
A girl is heard screaming. 'This light...!' Latte looks straight faced as some girls around her blush. 'So there was a reason Bishot ran away. Finally...' Arwin in all his glory is shown, posing like this is some Vouge fashion show. "
"Why are you posing like that."
Rosaline deadpans as she stares at Arwin. If Arwin is embarrassed he does not show it whatsoever.
"I was not 'posing'"
Arwin said bitterly making air quotes as his spoke.
"Yeah and I am not a 'princess'"
Rosaline replied matching his sarcasm. To this Arwin gave her an ominous glare and everyone went back to watching the screen.
" 'Arwin has arrived at the ball!' Latte thought looking at Arwin 'He made such an entrance' "
"SEE! Even Latte agrees with me! You were so posi-"
Rosaline was elbowed in her side subtly but hardly from Rondemio. Rondemio sending her a 'please for the love of ever loving god shut up' look. To that Rosaline stopped talking but not without giving a 'But he is TOTALLY posing' look.
" '...Huh? Wait...?' Latte thinks back to an earlier conversation she had with Bishot, the scene being shown in black and white.
"Can you teleport inside the palace too?" Latte asks looking up at Bishot.
"Hmm? No. There's a barrier that disables magic within the palace." Bishot states a matter-of-factly.
The screens turns back to normal color with a cartoony Bishot shaking his head and crossing his arms. 'I remember Bishot's explanation. That means one shouldn't use magic even if fit is possible! And yet Arwin just entered into the center of the palace using magic?!' The screen then switches back to Arwin. 'Oh dear! That darn terror... I mean, master of the tower...!' "
To that Arwin gave a slight smile. If other people were to insult him he would find it infuriating, but when Latte did it, he could only find it endearing.
" Arwin is standing in the crowd with an ethereal light surrounding him. 'Arwin's sudden appearance caught the attention of everyone! The halo around him is comparable to the prince's first appearance.' Latte is shown dramatically covering her eyes to guard her from the light as the girls surrounding her have hearts for eyes.
"Geez, it's too bright!"
Latte than looks down with a puzzling expression on her face. 'But, why is Arwin appearing now? Isn't this too early? The prince isn't here, and Peridot hasn't arrived yet either...' Arwin than suddenly turns around staring directly at Latte. 'HUH?!' "
This arises some eyebrows from the audience members as they try to figure out Arwin's angle here.
" "Oh?" Arwin says with a look of mischief and adoration in his eyes "My dear customer?"
Arwin is shown advancing to Latte as she freezes, 'What? He's acknowledging me? Here?' Arwin is shown stepping closer to Latte stopping and leaning into her close enough he could kiss her as she blushes. "
"Woah there buddy boy, back up."
Esula says looking at the screen.
"You guys never told me you were a couple."
Esula says surprised and turns to Arwin with an offended look in her eyes. Everyone else staring at him in the same stupor of surprise. Arwin stares back with a blank stare.
"We aren't a couple."
Arwin says like it is the most obvious thing in existence.
"Well then, what in God's green Earth are you doing there then?!"
Esula said confused as all hell with this relationship dynamic. And if Arwin was being honest with himself, he didn't know why he got so close to Latte. He didn't have an answer as to why he deciding to lean in just inches away from her face. He liked seeing her blush and panic, liked seeing how flustered she got, liked to tease her, but he wouldn't admit that. So he just stared at Esula and shrugged. Deciding not to take all of the confused glares to heart.
" "Huh?!" Latte exclaims.
Arwin then backs off.
"Dear customer."
Latte stares at him in absolute confusion. 'Why's he standing so close? Is it to get a better look at me? Is he surprised by how pretty I look?' The words 'self-absorbed' appear. And then at last Arwin states,
"Did you just wake up before coming here?" "
To say Esula's jaw dropped to the floor would be an understatement.
"Did she just wake up? Did she just WAKE UP?!"
Esula turned to Arwin with unadulterated fury in her eyes.
"Do you know how many hours of work I put into making her look good?! Are you blind??"
Everyone stared on, except for Bishot of course, having seen how these things usually turn out. But to the surprise of everyone Arwin didn't snap or yell at Esula, he gave her an angry glare, but didn't lift a hand or utter a threat. The reason behind him not snapping at Esula being he didn't currently have his powers or him not wanting to hurt someone so close to Latte is neither here nor there.
" Latte looks away from Arwin and at the fourth wall. 'You... Darn jerk! Of course, if we use Arwin as the standard of beauty...' An abstract image of Latte appears with her entire face being distorted and disproportioned. "
The originally tense atmosphere dissolved instantly as the scene played. The image of Latte appearing making everyone smile and chuckle lightly to themselves.
"'I suppose I'd look like my eyes, nose, and lips were all located in all the wrong places! But that's because your standards are too high!' Arwin is shown laughing. 'The laugh of someone who has it all.'
"Oh my! Do I look like I just woke up?" "
"Of course you don't!"
Rosaline added, offering her support and reassurance even though her idol could not hear her. Her comment being supported by affirmative grins and 'Yeah's' from Cano, Ibelin and Esula. (Maybe a slightly more aggressive 'Yeah' from Esula.)
" Latte says through a clearly forced smile.
"...Sir...?" Latte added. "
To that Kenneth and Rondemio laughed. Seeing Latte try and fail to speak so casually was so out of and in character for her. Their laughter being joined by Esula, Rosaline and Cano.
" 'Whoa, I just talked to him informally... But this should be fine... Right?'
Ibelin is shown. 'Now that I think about it... Ibelin doesn't use formalities with him, either!' The screen shows Latte again. 'Right, don't get scared!' "
"Why would she be scared?"
Arwin asked seemingly a bit offended by Latte's caution towards him. To that everyone just stared at him blankly as if he said something stupid. Now it was Arwin's turn to just stare at the screen quietly, not after a threatening glare of course.
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Thank you all so much for reading!
Heyyy guysss.... :D I am so, so, so very sorry I went on such a long hiatus!!! Life has been getting hectic recently to say the least! I will try to update more as my schedule clears up! Though that could take a month or two! Thank you all for being so patient and lenient with me and sorry if the writing style has slightly changed, I was actually working on this chapter a while ago before I got whisked away by the busyness of life. Besides all of that 1861 words and,
Hope you guys have a great morning, afternoon, day, evening or night! :D
Rwy'n caru chi i gyd!! <3
- Hummingbird