Amphitrite - Wilbur Soot

~twelve~

"I think you will find the festivities very welcoming. Anatolios and I helped decorate," Ophelia said as we neared the castle. The building was lit up by what had to be several hundred lanterns and candles. It glowed a warm yellow against the dusky purple of the landscape around it.

"I'm afraid I've never attended a royal ball before. Is there anything I should know?" I asked. My shoes clicked on the stone stairs and a guard opened the grand doors for us.

"Remember to enjoy yourself." She smiled, the candlelight catching in her ruby eyes. "Oh, and the dances aren't as bad as they look. If you ever need a respite, head to the garden." And just like that, she was leading me down hallways and into the spacious ballroom.

The ceilings were high and vaulted, and navy blue tapestries hung from the walls. The drapes and curtains on the tall windows matched said tapestries, and there was a stage on the right wall. The crowd of people seemed to continue to grow, but they all steered clear of the center of the room. The dance floor. I caught sight of the royal family easily enough; they were situated towards the front of the room, where I was. Wilbur locked eyes with me, and even though I immediately looked away, he still made his way through the crowd to me.

"I didn't expect to see you here," he said warmly, his golden-brown eyes lighting up like the sun. He was dressed in typical prince attire, very similar to what Prince Technoblade was wearing. Although, instead of a sapphire at his neck, there was a rich yellow topaz that nearly glowed.

"It's rude to reject an invitation from the castle," I replied, trying to keep my face cold and blank. He smiled down at me, his loose brown curls bouncing around his face as he looked around at the party surrounding him.

"You look lovely tonight." Something flashed in his eyes that I couldn't quite interpret. "Would you let me have the honor of being your first dance?" He offered a hand to me, looking straight into my soul. If it was socially acceptable to turn down a man's dance proposal, I probably would have.

But alas, I couldn't have been so fortunate.

"The honor would be mine." I took his hand and let him lead me to the dance floor. For the first time, his touch didn't fill me with dread and memories. Rather, it was almost as if his warmth was seeping from his hands to my heart. It was a feeling I wasn't used to but wasn't expressly opposed to either.

"Where'd you learn to dance?" He asked under the sounds of the music and shuffling feet. He himself was a bit clumsy on the dance floor, but nothing that was horrifically terrible.

"I didn't," I said, which was true. Perhaps it was second nature, or maybe just pure luck. I wouldn't know. He chuckled softly, looking at the floor. It then hit me just how close I was to him and how easy it would be for him to kiss me if he wanted to. I then quickly thought about other things.

"Well, you're very good for a complete amateur," he muttered in concentration. He ended up treading on my shoe a little bit anyway. "Sorry," he whispered.

"How's your father?" I asked politely. "And your mother?" His gaze latched onto mine before shifting to something over my head.

"He's been acting strange lately, ever since Thetis paid us a visit. He's been doing a lot of talk about marriage," he sighed. "He's never pushed me to marry until now, and I don't know why." Another heavy sigh. "I'm afraid he's going to arrange a marriage to some woman I don't want anything to do with."

"That..." I was struggling to develop a cohesive response. "I'm so sorry, Wilbur," I said, and he gave me a fatigued smile.

"It's alright, really. The sooner I get married, the sooner I can get away from all of this," He said, looking around the grand ballroom. "Don't get me wrong, royalty is great, but I want something a bit... quieter."

"I would say I can understand that, but I spend most of my time in the quiet," I said softly. "Although, I can't say I desire much more than that." He smiled down at me with that guileless smile that vexed me more than anything else in this world.

The song ended, and so did the dance. He bowed, I curtsied, and we went our separate ways. In spite of myself, I looked over my shoulder and caught sight of Wilbur just as he was enveloped into a throng of suitable young ladies, all fawning for his affection. You will never be good enough for him, I thought towards those girls, malice flooding my veins before I stopped myself. He is a man, and he can make his own decisions. He is not that boy on the beach, fumbling around with a too-big guitar anymore.

"Miss Lorelai?" I turned to find Phil trailing behind me, his large black wings mysteriously gone from sight.

"Yes, My Lord?" I replied, stopping in my tracks and turning completely around to face him. I had managed to make it to the outskirts of the crowd before he caught up with me.

"How are you liking the party? Queen Callista and Prince Technoblade wanted their first ball to be a success," he said politely, the mask of hospitality painfully obvious on his immortal face.

"It is quite enjoyable," I said with a tight-lipped smile. He nodded.

"There are refreshments in the next room. I can take you there if you'd like, Miss Lorelai," he suggested. It was my turn to nod, and I followed him out of the ballroom, down the hallway, and into what I assumed was the dining room. In the center of the room was a large table set up like a buffet with food that was worth more than I was. There was only a small gaggle of people, which I much preferred to the bustling crowd in the ballroom.

"Thank you, My Lord," I said with as much grace as I could summon. He smiled at me and left for the ballroom. Much to my dismay, in the corner of the dining room stood Wilbur, surrounded by that pack of marriage-minded ladies and their mothers. I could only imagine how ecstatic he was, to be adored by that many beautiful young women. It had to be like a sort of euphoria.

I didn't want to be anywhere near it.

So to remedy the foreign burning pit in my chest, I took my refreshments to the garden for a respite from the suffocating atmosphere of the soiree. The garden was something completely unlike anything I had ever seen before. Every single blossom had obviously been tended to with a kind of unconditional love and care. Even I, who knew nothing about flowers and plants, could see that much. I found myself sitting on a marble bench by the willow tree in the center of the magical garden, absentmindedly humming along to the faint music from inside the castle.

Before I had the chance to react, Thetis was standing in front of me.

"How are you-"

"The garden has a small stream that runs to the sea." She stared right through me with her soulless eyes. "I trust you are not making a fool of yourself," she said.

"Of course not."

"Good. I think a marriage could benefit my domain tremendously," she said, her falsely nonchalant tone oozing with hidden ambitions. "Or, at the very least, a courtship. The Queen would never move against her future brother-in-law's promised. Or her family." Her gaze intensified.

"Thetis, what are you-"

"Mother Thetis to you, child. If I will it, it will be." She turned to return to the stream. "Remember that." And then she was gone, slipped into the current like a wine.

Ugh. Gods. 

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I fully thought I already published this I really worked on the next one for no reason oh my god I am so disorganized

anyway hello am alive surprisingly my birthday was on April 29 it was pog and I passed my college algebra final which is also pog

there is no excuse for my lack of alive-ness I will try not to neglect y'all children as much

I love every single little one of you blossoms! make sure to drink water, eat good food, take your meds if you have them, and get your homework done!!!!!!!!!! see you in the next chapter :>