The Gifts We Share [A Medieval AU]

Chapter Thirty - The Ball

Mark stands by his door, nervousness welling in his chest. This is it. It's time for the ball.  He fiddles with the cloak around his throat slightly, unaccustomed to the incredibly fancy clothing. He looks like a proper king, and that terrifies him. Clothes he can handle, however. The crown on his head, which Seán had gotten made in the Rubellus style specifically for Mark, is a different story. It rests atop freshly reddened hair, exuding a royal persona that Mark has never had before. What will Seán think when he sees it for the first time on the farmer's head?

Seán waits for him in the hallway, and Mark has to stop his jaw from dropping. The king's usual red cloak has been replaced with one of dark evergreen, pairing perfectly with hair like spring grass. Every piece of clothing hugs his frame in all the right places, and Mark has to make a conscious effort to stop staring.

Seán eyes widen ever so slightly when he sees Mark, his cheeks turning the gentlest shade of pink. The expression makes the farmer grin, and some of the nervousness he had felt earlier melts away.

"My liege," he greets, grinning madly as he bows.

Seán tries to scowl, but it turns out to be more of a smile. "Oh, shut up."

Mark straightens up, unable to wipe the cheerful expression from his face as he holds his hand out to the king. "Shall we go?"

He nearly jumps with joy when Seán takes it, a smile on the royal's face. "We shall."

The ballroom is filled with royals when they arrive, each seated in a throne-like chair at the front of the room. Mark walks with as much confidence as he can muster to the seat beside Seán's, slightly distracted by the surges of power from all sides. At least he's used to the feeling now.

He only really relaxes when he sits down, finally feeling like every eye isn't on him. Seán, however, doesn't go to his seat right away. Instead, he stands on a podium that faces the royals and the rest of the room.

All he needs to do is clear his throat and the entire room falls silent. Mark watches him, unable to tear his eyes away as the king starts speaking.

"Welcome, everyone, to the annual Autumn Ball. It is a great pleasure to have the monarchs from all the most powerful kingdoms gathered together here in Viride." He gestures to the chandelier above them, and Mark realizes that among the jewels, there are a bunch of unlit candles. "To begin, I will introduce each kingdom, and the monarchs will stand and light their candles. First off, Queen Marzia of Aequor, accompanied by her husband Felix, Jarl of Mjovadalr."

Marzia and Felix stand from their chairs and move to the middle of the floor, the chandelier high above their heads. Marzia glances up at it before lifting her hand, sending a strand of light pink magic swirling into the air. Felix watches her with a gentle smile as her candle lights with a pink flame, and a moment later they return to their chairs.

"King Arin, his wife, Suzy, and King Danny of Aliquam."

Arin, Suzy, and Danny approach the chandelier and the two kings do the same action with orange magic. Following them is King Matthew and his wife, Stephanie, of Captiosus with violet magic, King Daniel and King Philip of Divum with black and light blue magic, King Cry of Occultatum with white magic, and King Ken and his wife, Mary, of Terra with yellow magic.

Seán nods as the two monarchs of Terra return to their seats. "Now, it is my honour to introduce a very special guest today. For thirty years, the kingdom of Rubellus has been absent from these events due to the attack that left their royals decimated and their kingdom conquered. However, we all held hope that the rumours about the lost princes were true and that their line had not died out." Seán's eyes meet Mark's and the farmer turns crimson. "Today, I have the great pleasure of introducing Prince Mark of Rubellus, the last surviving member of the royal family."

Mark stands and moves to the centre of the room, feeling every eye on him. Trying to calm the nervous jitters, he raises his hand and feels the magic swirling around his digits. He locks eyes with Seán, and the encouraging look he gets from the king is enough to calm the shakiness in his muscles.

Light my candle, he thinks, and the magic follows his command. Red joins the fray of colours and shades, and combined they light the room with a multicoloured twinkle.  Mark sits down again and Seán lights his own candle from the podium, saying a few  closing words before settling down in his seat.

"Well done," Seán whispers, patting Mark's hand.

"Thanks," the farmer replies with a smile.

The traditional dances and dinner pass in no time at all. Many royals approach Mark, asking him about his life and his story and where he's been for the past thirty years. He tells them each the same thing; he's 27, he was born and raised to believe he was a simple peasant, he ended up in Seán's dungeon, etcetera etcetera etcetera. Before he knows it, Seán is leading him back into the ballroom for dancing. The band starts to play a familiar, upbeat song, and Mark and Seán start to move in perfect sync.

"How is your first ball going?" the king asks, his eyes locking with the farmer's.

"Better than I expected," Mark replies. "The other royals are really nice."

"See? There was nothing to worry about." Seán grins and Mark's heart pounds harder. "You look dashing. The crown really suits you."

The farmer's face turns bright red as he tries not to stammer. "Thanks. Uh, you're pretty breathtaking as well."

The king laughs and Mark finds himself grinning as well. When the song ends, Mark doesn't want to leave him. He wants to steal Seán away for every single dance, but he can't do that. He feels himself being pulled away, and he reluctantly goes with them.

"Hopefully you don't mind me tearing you away from him," Queen Marzia says, her accent Italian and her voice soft.

Mark smiles lightly. "I don't mind."

As they move across the floor, the queen watches him with curiosity in her eyes. "I am sure that most people have asked about your family or history, but I have a different observation to make."

"Oh?" Mark twirls her around, her skirt flaring out around her, before returning the queen smoothly to his hands. "What observation is that?"

"In all my years of attending these dances, I have never once seen Seán laugh. Just now, you made him laugh." She smiles, her eyes containing an element of sadness. "When his family started passing away, I was so worried about him. But he seems much more cheerful with you here, so I thank you for that."

Mark blushes and Marzia giggles. "Uh, you're welcome?"

The song comes to a close and Mark bows, pressing a kiss to the queen's hand. She smiles at him and they part, finding others to dance with. Mark dances with Dan, Stephanie, and Ken before he hears the beginning of a slow song, and that's when he feels a familiar hand grab his. Seán smiles at him, his blue eyes twinkling, and Mark nearly melts.

The dance is familiar, but so different at the same time. Instead of being in a small, contained room, they're out in the open, moving freely to the live music. Seán's eyes shine, a smile brightening his face without restraint. Mark pulls him closer, their chests nearly touching as they twirl around the room. Their cloaks fan out behind them, red and green in perfect harmony.

Mark's heart pounds so loudly he swears the king can hear it. He never wants to leave this moment. The king's hand is warm in his and his movements are fluid as they dance across the floor. His hair is windblown and slightly frazzled, and paired with his sparkling eyes, Mark thinks he might have a heart attack.

The last note sings through the air and Mark and Seán slow to a stop, unable to tear their eyes off each other. The king lowers his hand slowly, running it down Mark's jaw before letting it fall to his side. The farmer nearly hyperventilates.

"Meet me in the hallway after this, okay?" Seán asks breathlessly.

Mark nods, trying to keep himself from pulling the king into his arms. "You got it."