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"…This event is meant to serve as an opportunity to gather together, form and strengthen relationships, and enjoy the liveliness of our lovely kingdom."
Pure Vanilla's voice rang out throughout the royal courtyard, where several patient cookies, dressed in their finest attire, awaited the occasion. His shoulders remained back, his head up, and his back straight.
"I hope you all enjoy our lovely musicians, and appreciate our butlers who are offering their time to provide you all with refreshments as you navigate our many activities. With that, please enjoy yourselves this afternoon."
The ending of his speech was met with gentle applause as guests began to disperse.
The ancient straightened out his suit and properly ensured the brooch clasping his cloak together was intact.
As he began to wander, many dignitaries approached him, as expected. He maintained his gentle smile as discussions of kingdom relations and mandatory trade routes droned on, another cookie seeming to pop into the conversation with every other sentence.
Just as the orchestra started their first piece, he was finally able to slip away, letting the rest of them continue. He sighed in relief, walking over to the ensemble. "What a hassle that was…"
Before he could enjoy a moment of peace, however, another cookie came up to him, rambling on about how amazing it was to meet him, how they'd been waiting forever for this moment, and how he was their lifelong idol.
He, obviously, wished them well, but gently encouraged them to engage in the other activities. "It's lovely to meet you as well, but I suggest you have a great time here by participating in our other activities lined up for this event. Have a nice time."
They rushed off, exclaiming to their group of friends how they had just met "the best person ever," and how they could finally live in happiness.
"Ah… the young ones are always so… ecstatic." He sighed, directing his attention back to the music.
It was perfect for dancing; he had taken part in choosing every piece, so no matter what it was, it was always suitable.
Even with the sound of others bustling, every note, every melody, stood out. It was beautiful, he thought, how music was so influential.
Amid his admiration, he felt a tap on his shoulder.
With his signature smile, he went to turn around. "Ah, what a pleasure to-" The words caught in his throat, recognizing those familiar cerulean eyes. "-to see you again, m-miss…"
There she stood, her knowing smile making Pure Vanilla's heart stutter. Of all guests he'd prepared himself to host, he hadn't expected her.
"What a pleasure it is to meet you here, dear sir." Her hands rested on her hips, her heels clicking against the stone as she inched closer to the ancient. "Surely you didn't think I'd miss an event like this?"
Pure Vanilla quickly waved his hands, dismissing the thought. "Of course not, I wouldn't put such negativity on your name."
His breathing quickened, tensing up as the lady closed the distance between them even further.
"It's... such a delight to see you here, miss." His hands clasped behind his back, nervously twiddling his thumbs as her smile grew wider.
She swayed slightly, her hair gently drifting in whichever direction she went. "You're still as much of a gentleman as when we first crossed paths. How nice it is to see you doing so well."
As genuine as her words sounded, the ancient knew there was something deeper lying beneath the surface.
"Thank you. Is there anything I can help you with?" His hands made it back to his sides, awkwardly standing as the lady twirled a strand of her hair. "I simply require some assistance with directions. This court is quite big, hm? So many private alcoves and corridors..."
Pure Vanilla could feel his face warm with every word she said, his hands clutching onto his dress pants. "I suppose I could... show you around. It'd only be right of me."
"Wonderful. Show me along, then. Perhaps, somewhere with... fewer people."
The ancient gulped, turning and letting the lady follow him as they navigated their way through the many dancers.
Partway through, he felt a hand grip his arm. When he whipped his head around, he was met with her smile.
Her tone was playful, teasing even. "I don't want to lose you in the crowd~" Her other hand grabbed onto his arm, pulling herself closer during his moment of pause.
Pure Vanilla resumed walking, eventually finding the outer layer of the crowd. The lady's hands were still firmly placed on his arm, even when he directed his focus towards a particularly large art display.
However, his attention was quickly brought back on her with a sharp tug to his arm. She tilted her head, her tone lilting on innocence as she began speaking. "When I said fewer people, this was not what I had in mind, dear sir. How about that space over there?"
Her finger pointed to a semi-private alcove, far enough that if you were positioned right, you wouldn't recognize what activity was happening over there.
But close enough, to where anyone over there could easily have their eyes on everyone, and everyone could have their eyes on you.
Pure Vanilla felt his heart start to beat faster, barely hearing his own words over his mental panic. "Well, I don't see why we'd have to be over there... that's the one space that didn't get plastered with art."
"Then why put it to waste? Come on." The lady's words were stated like they were fact, and rapidly drew out some of the only energy Pure Vanilla had left for fighting back.
He held his arms close to his torso. "Um, I really don't think—"
To no avail, because she had already grabbed onto his sleeve and was swiftly walking off with him.
No matter how much he wanted to complain, he wasn't able to do so without drawing unnecessary attention.
So there he let himself go, taken away from the public eye. For how long, he was unsure of.
They arrived at the recess in the stone, the lady flipping them around so the ancient's back was facing the wall.
She sighed, fanning herself. "Finally, a moment of peace. Those cookies just never know how to be quiet, hm?"
Her eyes lit up, giving Pure Vanilla no moment to respond as she noticed the error in his formal wear. "Oh! Your cloak is so crooked! You surely have to find a way to get it properly set so it doesn't shift so much~"
Her hands began to travel to his brooch. "Here, let me fix it."
He instinctively went to cover the clasp, backing up a little. "No, I can fix it myself—"
She pushed his hands away just as fast, placing them against his sides. "Oh, don't be silly. Let me help."
Her eyes met his for a moment before she went to straighten his cloak, moving with deliberate slowness and her hands lingering even after she had readjusted it.
His back was uncomfortably pushed against the wall, his voice weak as he tried to voice his concern. "M-miss, I really don't think we should-"
She brought a finger to his mouth, pacifying him. "Shh, you'll only draw attention to yourself if you keep being so loud. We wouldn't want that to happen, would we?"
Pure Vanilla silently shook his head, a shiver being sent down his spine as he felt her finger brush against his neck, later being followed up with adjusting his collar.
As her movements remained slow, he could feel that familiar magnetic pull to her once again.
Her perfume had caught his attention first, a crisp scent that reminded him of the ocean. As he stood there, inhaling more of it, the feeling grew stronger.
His mind grew more hazy, his eyes glossing over as he watched her every methodical move. His heart yearned for more, but his brain yelled out desperately for the cessation of the activity.
No matter how he felt about her proximity, though, he knew his primary concern should be their visibility to passing guests.
And yet, that fact didn't bother him nearly as much as it should, at least for now.
Her hands left him, smiling as she admired her handiwork. "There you are. Much better."
However, her words barely registered, for the ancient's worry was now directed to the growing volume of socializing cookies.
His eyes kept switching between her and the crowd as he spoke through murmurs he wasn't sure he could even hear. "I can hear voices coming closer. Don't you think it'd be better if we retreated from this area? Before we stir up any rumors..."
"Don't you think it'd be better if you walked me out back to the musicians? I don't want to lose my way." She looked down at her dress, swaying the fabric. "Plus, I don't have a dancing partner."
Wide, glistening eyes gazed up towards him. The lady tilted her head as she batted her eyelashes. "Surely you wouldn't want me to dance with anyone random, would you?"
The ancient kept quiet, which eventually drew the lady in, standing on her tiptoes as she whispered in his ear. "C'mon, 'Nilly. This event won't get any shorter~"
Pure Vanilla gently pushed her away, finally being able to form a sentence. "O-Of course not, miss. I'll show you the way." He removed himself from the wall, and before he could even think, he could already feel her hand intertwined with his.
He directed them back to the main area, trying his best not to bump into anyone by staying near the exterior of it all. Before they could make it to the dance section, a teenage cookie and a small group of their friends came up to them both.
"Mr. Pure Vanilla, who's this lady you keep walking around with? We keep seeing you two quite close together." They gestured to her, her smile already wide. The ancient inhaled sharply, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation.
"Ah, yes! We've met at..." Her eyes met his, cracking his composure a little. "...previous functions."
The teenager radiated with warmth, an unbridled smile spreading across their face. "Well, she's simply beautiful! You must tell us her name."
Right as the ancient was about to give another stuttered response, she quickly jumped in. "Just call me Lia, sweetheart. Thank you for the compliment. However, if you'll excuse us..."
She proceeded to pull him away, the ancient waving weakly at them all before he was fully dragged off.
They ended up right near the orchestra, still strong with their current piece. The lady turned to face him, directing him to their usual dance position: his hand on her waist, hers on his shoulder, and their free hands clasping each other.
As they moved together, the ancient could not relax. On the outside, he was stepping on every note, and his body naturally followed every melody.
Though on the inside, he had to constantly remind himself not to step on her feet, and even the simple touch upon her waist felt too much to bear.
Every touch felt like too much. Her hand on his shoulder, their hands holding, even the way her hair brushed against his arm whenever they spun.
Whispers about the "mysterious lady in azure" made themselves louder, and he was almost sure he was going to break, right then and there.
Much to his relief, there was a natural break in the music, so there was a break in their dance.
He pulled his and her hand away, gripping tightly onto her arms as he fought to keep them at an appropriate distance.
His voice came out hushed and hurried, afraid the gossipers would hear what he was saying as well. "I think it's time you indulged yourself in one of our other activities, the rest of the court is seeming to get a bit... too curious."
"But that's the fun of it all, isn't it?" Her gaze slid over to a group, smiling directly at them. "Plus, it's very flattering they're speaking of me in such a way~ It's a refreshing change of pace from how I'm usually addressed."
Pure Vanilla brought his face slightly closer, his voice even more desperate than it had started out as. His eyes shone as a tear threatened to fall.
"Please, miss. I beg of you."
She paused. The words affected her more than she'd care to admit. Her eyes darkened slightly, grip tightening for just a moment before she forced herself to let go.
"Hmph, if you insist on begging so sweetly..." She began to walk off, but pointed one more comment his way before she disappeared among the crowd. "I will make sure to find you this evening, can't leave without a proper goodbye."
The promise in her tone made his head spin more than it already was. All he could manage was a breathless, "Surely."
He watched her walk away, the azure fabric of her dress rippling with each step, his composure still thoroughly shattered despite the growing distance between them.
The event finally drew to a close, guests filtering out through the courtyard gates. Pure Vanilla maintained his composure through countless formal farewells, though his eyes kept drifting to the lady in azure who lingered at the edges of the crowd.
She approached last, as expected. "Thank you for a wonderful time, esteemed host." Her curtsey was perfect, perhaps too perfect.
"The pleasure was all mine, miss." He bowed in return, ever proper despite knowing exactly who stood before him.
Later that evening, he found Shadow Milk lounging in their chair at home, legs stretched across the armrest and casually examining his nails.
His face brightened as he noticed the ancient, a wide smile spreading across his face. "Miss me?"
Pure Vanilla came closer, kneeling onto the floor, both of their faces at the same level. "...Perhaps, miss."
Shadow Milk placed a hand on his chest, his usual flair never wavering.
"My, my... still so formal even without an audience? How adorable."
The ancient placed a gentle kiss upon his forehead, caressing his cheek with his thumb. "May I ask I see you in that lovely form when we're not in public, please?"
Shadow Milk tapped his chin. "Hmm, I'll think about it."