A few days later the whole castle was buzzing. Kai was having a ball the following night in honor of his birthday and of course every eligible lady was to attend, except for castle staff. We aren't even dating but I still want to go. I want to see him and be near him. I want to be the girl he dances with. On a more positive note, Catherine and I have become really close friends and we often spend our nights talking about Kai and Sehun. 

I was helping with decorations that night when Catherine approached. "Hey Mel." She said taking away decorations from me. "You're needed in the rose garden."

"But I thought we got that set up already?" I replied. She shrugged and I went out to see what the fuss was about. I walked up to the rose garden and it looked stunning. The lights I had hung earlier were all twinkling in place. Surely whatever girl goes here with Kai would end up falling in love with him. Kai and I hadn't spent anymore time together after the moment in the hallway because everything has been about preparation for his ball.

I walked around admiring my handiwork when someone coughed behind me. "You made it." A voice said. I instantly turned around and stood face to face with Kai. He was dressed in a simple yet very attractive suit and tie. 

"Of course I made it." I said with a smile. He extended his hand and I placed mine in it. We walked in silence until we reached the lake where we had shared our first kiss.

We stopped once there and Kai turned to look at me. "You promised to go out here with me again." He said smiling. 

I nodded and before I knew it I was engulfed into a hug. "I missed you so much." He whispered into my ear. I wrapped my arms around him as well and said, "I missed you too Kai."

I looked up at his face and we stood there for a few minutes just looking into one another's eyes. I was the first to speak. "So tomorrow's the big night." I said smiling weakly.

He nodded. "It is. It's the night where on my own birthday, I have to dance with a million girls." I bit my lip and nodded. I didn't want him with other girls. I wanted him with me. He pulled me closer and said, "But there's only one girl I want to dance with." He leaned down and gave me a very light kiss on my lips. "May I have this dance?" He asked. 

"But there's no music." I replied.

"We don't need music. All I need is you." He said extending his hand. I took it and we began dancing by the lake. Our bodies seemed to be in perfect sync and I followed along to his movements easily. Our dancing only stopped when he kissed me again.. 

"Is that how you're going to end every dance tomorrow? With a kiss to the girl?" I asked. 

He shook his head. "Nope. Tomorrow night I'm not going to kiss any girl but you." He leaned his lips down to my ear and whispered, "I crave your kisses more than anything else." I blushed deeply and tried to look away, but he only cupped my face in his hands. He dissolved the gap between us in a passionate kiss, and I felt like I was surely going to melt. My knees felt weak and I grasped onto him to keep my balance. When he felt my grip tighten, he picked me up in his arms, never breaking our kiss. 

I felt my body being lowered to the ground and felt the softness of the grass behind me. I wrapped my arms around him pulling him closer to me, which made him smile. He broke the kiss so we could breathe and he stayed there just looking at me for a few moments. "Could you be anymore beautiful?" 

I shook my head and said, "I'm not beautiful."

We got up and he started shaking his head. "Why don't you get it? To me, you're perfect." 

"If I were perfect, you wouldn't want to dance with other girls tomorrow." I said.

He walked towards me and stood beside me. "Baby, I don't want to dance with them. I have to."

I melted when he called me 'baby'. I started blushing and he smirked. "You like it when I call you that?"

"I... I do." I said smiling.

"The next time you say that, you and I are going to be standing in a church." He said smiling suggestively.

I blushed even more and looked around for an escape. "A church?" I asked.

He pulled me in for a hug and said, "Yes because that's the day you become my wife."

I giggled and said, "You might end up changing your mind between now and then. You may find someone else."

"I can't find someone else. My heart belongs to you. And I have proof!" He said smiling. He took a small box out of his pocket and got down on one knee. "As proof of my love for you and to show you that you're the only person who holds my heart, I'm giving you this." He opened up the box and I saw a gorgeous silver heart pendant with a heart shaped diamond in the middle. My face brightened and he got up and put the necklace on me. "I love you baby." He said softly. 

I looked down at the pendant and couldn't stop smiling. "I love you too Kaikai." I replied.

We spent the rest of the night looking at the stars and talking. When we realized how late it had gotten we decided to head back. "Does the necklace look nice on me?" I asked. 

He kissed my cheek and said, "It's almost as beautiful as you." 

I giggled and we kept on walking. When we got to the point where we would have to go back to our normal lives, Kai stopped me. He pulled me in and kissed me longingly. "I'm sorry I can't be there tomorrow night." I said.

"It's fine." He muttered before kissing me once more. "Goodnight Melody." He said smiling.

"Goodnight Kai," I said before quickly pecking his lips. He smiled and started walking back to the castle.

I went up to my room and got ready for bed. I took off the necklace and started studying its intricate little details. The silver was so perfectly shiny and the diamond itself shined brighter than any I had ever seen. I flipped the pendant over to look at the back. On the back it read: I love you, Melody.

I stared at the pendant in my hand and traced my thumb over the words. He got this for me and I couldn't be more touched. I shook just thinking about how much he means to me. I put the pendant down on my dresser when I heard a knock at the door. I opened the door and there was Catherine!

"So guess what I did?" She asked.

"You kissed Sehun for the 500th time today?" I replied nonchalantly.

"Yes but no." She said. "I found a way for you to go to the ball." My eyes widened in surprise and she continued. "I simply told my aunt and uncle that I needed you there. And I will need you because my mom is coming. And she is such a handful." I nodded and she kept talking. "But I can definitely spare some time with her to let you dance with Kai."

I blushed and said, "That's so sweet! Thank you, but... I don't have a dress." I admitted looking down.

She smiled and said, "I know. That's why I'm having the tailor make you one right now! He owes me a favor."
 
I smiled up at her and couldn't contain myself. I started hugging her and jumping up and down. "I'm going to the ball! I'm going to... See Kai dance with a million girls who throw themselves at his feet."

"But," Catherine interjected. "When he sees you, you will be the only girl on his mind, if you weren't already."

I smiled and nodded knowing her words were true. "Do you wanna see the gift he gave me?" I asked.

She nodded and I picked up the pendant. I took it over to her and let her hold it. She looked it and smiled. She flipped it over to see the back and her eyes widened too. "Mel... He said he loves you! He had it written on a necklace! There's definitely no way that another girl tomorrow can do anything. He's in love." She said cutely. 

She handed me my necklace and I smiled. "I'm going to make sure I wear it, but wait isn't this a masquerade ball? He won't know it's me." I said with a sad expression.

Catherine gave me a hug and said, "Trust me. He's smart. He will know." I gave her a small smile and said goodnight. I went to bed hoping that tomorrow night goes well. 

I woke up that morning to light creeping in through my window. I started stretching and got up. I looked over at where my necklace was and saw that beside of it was a single rose in a vase. There was a note attached: Good morning baby. I love you. I smiled as I looked at his handwriting on the note. For some reason it gave me faith that he will find me tonight. 

Soon after, Catherine and the tailor comes into my room with the dress. "Show her your work Key." Catherine said to the tailor.

He ped the bag and a bundle of dark green fabric fell out. They lifted the dress up and it was absolutely gorgeous. It was made of dark green taffeta. It was long and had a poofy skirt just like a princess from my storybooks would wear. The top of the dress was sleeveless and had green roses made of the same fabric all across the neckline. 

"This is for me?" I asked quietly.

They both nodded and Catherine helped me into the dress while Key waited outside. 

She zipped me up and said, "Oh my gosh."

I turned around without looking at my reflection and said, "What? I look big? The fabric broke? It's ugly?"

Catherine shook her head and turned me towards the mirror. The woman I saw looked nothing like what I thought my reflection was. The woman in the mirror was stunningly beautiful. "This... This isn't me. I'm dreaming." I told my reflection, but when I saw it saying the same words I knew I was alive. I gave Catherine and Key a big hug and said thank you a million times. Key nodded and left and Catherine helped me out of it. 

"He's going to die." Catherine said helping me hang it up.

I giggled. "I don't want him to die. I just want him to see me."

"Oh he will see you. He will see you. Maybe pass out, but you will definitely be seen." Catherine said smiling.

We spent the rest of the day getting ready with manicures,pedicures, massages, and doing our hair. "So the plan is to wait until 30 minutes after it starts, then come in. You'll be able to find me because you know what I look like." Catherine said handing me my dark green mask. I nodded and we heard a knock at the door. 

Catherine opened the door and Sehun was there. He told her how beautiful she looked and kissed her. I sighed and smiled at how much I wanted an open relationship like that. Sehun looked passed her at me and smiled. "Melody? Is that you?" He asked. I nodded and Sehun said, "I think this will be the best birthday Kai has ever had then. You look beautiful." I blushed under my mask and told them goodbye. I went to my room quickly to get my necklace. 

I looked at it once more before putting it on. I ran my fingers over the little words and smiled. I looked over at the rose and couldn't help but blush. I'm not sure if he picked it for me or how it came to be here, but the fact of the matter is that he loves me. I put on my necklace and smiled at my reflection. I heard the music start up downstairs and I knew that in 30 minutes, something was bound to happen.