Angel

5- The Ball

"I'm scared," Kylo uttered. Stopping half-way down the hall, his eyes fell upon the vast room spreading before him, brightly-lit and full of elaborately-dressed people.

The lord stepped in front of Kylo and cupped his face in his hands. "You have no reason to be."

"The st..step-mother," Kylo stammered, "and step-sisters are here." Though he had not yet caught sight of the pistachio or pink dress or the mother's cat-shaped mask, Kylo trembled.

"You are with me," Lord Vincent reminded him. "No one will harm you." Bringing his hand to Kylo's wounded lip, his thumb feathered along the cut. "It's nearly healed."

"It stings," Kylo winced.

"I know, angel," Vincent replied.

"I like how you said that." Kylo leaned slightly into the lord's touch.

With a smile, Vincent echoed softly, "Angel." When Kylo shivered the lord chuckled. "Are you cold?"

Shaking his head, Kylo replied, "I have never been warmer."

Trailing his fingers from Kylo's lip to his jaw, Vincent exhaled painfully slow.

Kylo caught the lord's lashes closing for longer than a blink. When Vincent opened his lids, Kylo found himself falling into that intense silver-gray.

"Come, it's time to meet my guest." Vincent slid his hand to Kylo's arm and led him into the ballroom.

When the pair entered, the guests all turned to the lord. Lords and ladies, counts and countesses and everyone in between stood on either side of the room as if they had been parted like the Red Sea. The women curtsied while men bowed deeply as Lord Vincent and Kylo walked down the length of the ballroom towards the orchestra. Lord Vincent nodded to his guests as Kylo kept in step, trembling in his elegant attire.

With each step, Kylo heard the guests whisper behind their fans, wondering who he was.

When they reached the orchestra's podium, Vincent stood upon it and welcomed everyone to his humble home. He wished his honored guests a glorious time and told them to drink and dance until dawn. As he stepped down to accept two champagne flutes from a server, Kylo kept searching the crowd for his wicked family.

"Drink this." Noting Kylo's nervousness, the lord handed a glass. "It will calm your nerves."

Taking the glass with shaky fingers, Kylo peeked at the bubbles. "What is it?"

The lord chuckled, "It's called champagne. It comes from France. If you drink too much you may begin to love the world."

"Do you love the world, Lord Vincent?"

Taking a sip, the lord looked around before leaning to whisper into Kylo's ear. "I hate most everyone, except for a few, and you are one of those which I am rather fond of."

"But, my lord," whispered Kylo back, "you barely know me."

Vincent looked at the oncoming guests and quickly replied, "I know enough to know I admire you." With a bright smile aimed at the pair approaching them, the lord pulled back from Kylo and greeted a gray-haired older gentleman with a much younger woman. "Ah, Sir Nolan," Vincent gave the man a curt nod then looked to the young woman. A pair of huge blue eyes staring at the lord in awe, "and Cordelia. What an honor to see you both."

The young woman blushed and curtsied, staying silent as the older man spoke. "It is a glorious party, my lord. My daughter was admiring your home, particularly the artwork. She is quite fond of art," the man said proudly.

Turning to Cordelia, Vincent spoke. "I thank you, my lady. I do hope you get the chance to enjoy my works in the foyer as well, I have some lovely pieces by Rembrandt."

Cordelia looked up and pursed her lips, "Who, my lord?"

"Err...my daughter is keen on Baroque yet she is more knowledgeable on Renaissance," sputtered Sir Nolan obviously embarrassed.

"Then you are keener on artists such as Michelangelo?" asked Vincent touching his flute to his lips.

When Cordelia looked up silent and confused, Sir Nolan sputtered some excuse about Cordelia overcome by shyness. He swiftly bowed to Vincent, gave Kylo a quick nod, then ushered his daughter away, scolding her on her stupidity.

Behind his champagne flute, Kylo looked displeased. "Why did he do that? Lie?"

With a soft sigh, Vincent turned to the other. "They try to impress me. Fathers throw their daughters at me, mothers try their best to get on my good side first, often by flirting rather obnoxiously, before they shove theirs before me."

After touching his glass to his lips, Kylo spoke. "Does this upset you?"

Silvery eyes looked at Kylo. "When I pick a partner I will pick them because I have seen something magical inside them. I do not pick lovers that cannot touch my heart, angel, and my heart is so deep in the dirt that few have ever been able to dig deep enough to find it."

"I've seen your heart, my lord," uttered Kylo.

Vincent furrowed his brows. Around them, music played. "You saw a man who simply found another attractive. There is little kindness in that."

Wordlessly, Kylo touched the lord's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before breaking the silence. "I don't see what you did that way."

Trying to shake their topic of conversation away, Vincent gestured to Kylo's glass. "I want you to try some of the wine being served tonight. I had it shipped from Argentina. It is the finest rosé I have come across in a long time. Let us drink up, shall we?" The lord tipped his flute and finished the remainder of his drink.

Kylo followed suit and in a handful of seconds, felt the colours of the room come alive like fireworks exploding.

As a server took their empty flutes, Kylo looked at the women passing before him. Their dresses were a parade of rainbow hues, overly-exaggerated by the vast amount of tulle and ruffles pluming from their waists. Moving his gaze from one lady to another, he witnessed a trio moving like serpents through the crowd. A pair of storm-black eyes looked at him through the cat mask. On either side of the Amazonian woman walked a young lady in a pudding-green dress and one in a blinding strawberry pink one. Kylo gasped as he realized the step-mother and step-sisters were heading his way.

word count: 1052