Starve This Sin

{ Chapter Two }

A Year Prior, Samhain Ball in 20 KHII

Benjamin sat between his parents.

With his legs gawkily wide, elbow bent at his knees, he was dramatically bored.

His parents seemed to make small jokes to each other, commenting and pointing out a few of the commoners who danced and drank below them.

Benjamin had no interest in listening. Frankly, he was more excited to escape the facade as soon as possible. He had better places to be.

He dared a glance over the balcony to see a small group of girls, all with red hair and blue or green eyes but they all looked so different from each other - a family of fire magic no doubt.

The girls seemed around his age or just a tad younger. But only one caught his eye, he recognized her.

"Who is that, Father?" He asks, nodding to them.

"That's one of the stable women, Eva." The king recalled this easily, which Benjamin found strange considering her insignificance. "Why do you ask? Do you fancy her?" The tone in his voice was light, but Benjamin knew his father's rules regarding any relationships for staff.

"No, I don't," he lies easily. Benjamin lied often to his parents and this girl was one of his easiest lies today. "Just thought I recognized her."

"She's not an easy one to forget, that is true," King Hannon smiles before turning his attention to others in the crowd.

The masks would come soon and Benjamin didn't want to risk being given something evil and ghastly before their eyes. He escorted himself from their presence and down to a small side  chamber room underneath the balcony.

The room had entrances to either hallway, as well as two hidden doors into the ballroom. There were a few chairs, tables, floating candles, and a makeshift fireplace-of course.

There, his confidant and friend, Henry, awaited him. He too, was of fire birth, and Benjamin found that was the piece that he got along with. There were many parts to Henry that Benjamin sometimes found... intolerable. But they both had a temper that could not be matched, and when lit together they wore the strength of a whole army.

"The knights will be here any moment," Henry informs Ben as a greeting, "would you like some wine?"

Ben takes it without a word, grasping the glass with a gloved hand and taking a large gulp.

This year, Ben wore all black. His parents usually wore red and this year he finally broke from matching them. No one had made a comment about it, although he was sure it bothered his mother slightly.

"Have you heard any word?" Benjamin asks this lowly, knowing their solitude would not be long.

"All he said was you weren't prepared enough for this year. That we would try next Samhain."

Ben's fist tightened on the wine glass, popping it into shards as the wine sloshed to the ground at his boots. Glass clunked and he took a deep, angry breath.

"I am ready," he states with calculated tone.

"No matter what you think, if he-"

The heavy foot steps of the knights rang through their ears and both men cut their conversation to welcome them silently.

The knights bowed their heads to Ben as they passed, Henry requesting two pieces of cloth for each of them, before the knight's lugged on.

A heavy stomp kicked open the door directly to the ballroom and Ben shrunk back, hearing the murmurs of excitment as the knights were spotted.