Title of Gift: May I have This Dance?

Pairing: BoyxGirl (Leo/Reader)

Number of words: 1833 words

Genre: Fluff, a bit of fantasy

Warnings (if any): None

Note to my giftee: Hi, firstly, I'm sorry if this is too short or it lacks fantasy. I hope you have fun reading this.
 

May I have This Dance? 

She never expected to marry a warrior prince.

Before that, she thought of Prince Leo as the charismatic and mysterious prince who defeated countless enemies with a ruthlessness which was akin to a lion. Now, he was her fiancée and tonight would be their first dance together.

A few hours before the ball in honor of her betrothal, her mother, the Queen, entered the chambers with her trademark soft green dress that reminded her of the dignified forest around their kingdom. Her chambermaids exited the room without a sound and only then her mother’s face softened into a concern expression.

“Are you ready, my dear? It is a big night for you”.

“I’m ready as I will ever be, mother. I promise I will make our family proud”.

“Listen, my dear. I am quite worried about the proposal. He is a strong prince, I don’t deny that but sometimes, strong men can be hard to love and be loved. If possible, make a connection with him just like I do with your father. May it ease your marriage.”

Princess Fei nodded, understanding where the advice was coming from. Her parents’ marriage was also arranged and her father was not an easy man to impress. He was a steadfast and mighty king but when it came to the matters of the heart, her mother was the one who would pick up the slack.

The sound of the bell signaled the coming of dusk and she knew her time with her mother was up. It was now time for the ball.

As usual, the ballroom was packed to the brim with people from different kingdoms, all allies from both of the celebrated kingdom of VIXX and Greenia. It proved how influential the marriage would be for all the kingdoms involved.

She did not see Prince Leo yet so she busied herself with dealing with well-wishing diplomats and visiting royalties. Music began to play but Prince Leo was nowhere in sight.

A cough from behind alerted her to a presence and she turned to face Prince Hakyeon, the former Crown Prince of VIXX and Prince Leo’s elder brother.

He wore a maroon-colored suit with sharp black lines at the seams. At the middle of his collar was a jeweled brooch glinting under the soft light of the ballroom. She stared at the prince, recalling his arranged marriage to an underworld princess of some sort as a solution to prevent a war with the supernatural forces.

“Amazing. My brother is lucky to have you. You are radiant as they say, Princess Fei. May you honor me with a dance? Don’t worry, my wife approves of my attendance and what comes with it. My loyalty to her is assured”.

He disarmed her doubts with a smile and she took his hand. She could not take her eyes of the brooch, feeling some sort of an ominous vibe from it.

The prince noticed her staring and smiled with amusement.

“You are perceptive too, my future sister-in-law. The brooch connects me with my wife and vice versa. Marriage in the underworld is totally different than ours but I assure you that there is nothing harmful with this custom”, he explained with an airy tone as if he was not bothered at all. With a swift turn, he pulled her towards the middle of the dance floor.

“That is very interesting to know. I wonder why you are telling me this?”

“You and I are in the same boat and I believe you will be just fine in the hands of my brother. But do expect to learn a few different customs of the kingdom you are marrying into. Arranged marriage may sound like a suffocating duty but if you try, maybe you can find love in the end”, Prince Hakyeon’s eyes were bright when he said this and she suspected maybe there was truth in his words.

“But I must warn you, please don’t betray my brother or the underworld may have a new prisoner. It is nice having to dance with you but I must take my leave. My wife is waiting and I promise her a more enticing dance. I can feel her jealousy from here. Take care, Princess Fei”.

He bowed down slightly before making his way to a gorgeous lady dressed in black with a glinting brooch at the neck of her pitch black gown decorated with twinkling crystal. The underworld princess regarded her with a neutral look but it soon broke when Prince Hakyeon kissed her on the lips and started to dance with her. The underworld couple danced like the dancing shadows, stuck in their own shared gaze.

Another prince came up to her with a cheeky grin. “Princess Fei, I must apologize for my older brother’s manners. He can be a bit overwhelming with his affection that it resembles overprotectiveness.”

She curtsied towards the new arrival. “Apology accepted, Prince Ken. May I ask if Prince Leo is with you?”

Prince Ken, the third prince of the VIXX kingdom, shoot her a knowing grin. “Impatient, aren’t you? My brother is coming, don’t worry. He needs to settle some business first. Until then, will you dance with me?”

She accepted and Prince Ken eagerly brought her to the dance floor.

She took the time to look at his attire. He was dressed in an all-black attire, the obsidian leather glinting underneath the rays of the day. He had a long coat but it was opened, revealing an ed shirt and a part of his chest with an iron necklace hanging around his neck. His belt, his cuffs, the outline of his coat was adorned with silver bearings. His brown hair was hastily swept back, giving him the impression of a prince who cared little of what people think about his appearance.

Besides his cheerful attitude, she could sense how tense he was judging by his hesitant movements. Still, he covered all of it with a smile or two.

“If you are reluctant to dance with me, you may say so”, she said with a soft voice, lowering it so the guests did not hear her words.

Prince Ken gasped in mock horror before slowly leading her away from the middle.

“You may excuse my incompetence, princess. The best dancer in our family is always brother Hakyeon. Look at him go with his wife. I fear the underworld’s ground will not be able to bear his fluid moves. Anyway, you sure straight with your words but you are also wise when you use it. I like it very much”.

He searched her face and without warning, he closed the distance between them and located his lips near her ear. “My brother, Leo, will have less to worry about when he is with you”.

“Prince Ken, may you let me dance with my betrothed?” a voice interrupted them. Her eyes widened as she watched as Prince Leo, decked in a suit of white and gold, headed towards them with cold calculating eyes.

Most people would freeze under such chilling gaze but Prince Ken laughed it off with a disarming smirk. “Sure, brother. I must applaud your efforts to gather your nerves before coming here. Here, dance with your beloved and pray no toes are stepped on tonight”.

“Shut it, brother”, Prince Leo growled but it did not faze the younger prince at all.

“Well, princess. Our time together is cut short but I am looking forward to your wedding.” Prince Ken left with an exaggerated bow and left the fixed couple by themselves.

She shifted her attention to Prince Leo and saw the glower on his face as he watched his brother leaving. He looked down at her and with a voice that could sink amidst the music, he asked for her permission to dance with her.

If Prince Ken was tense, then Prince Leo was stiff as a Greenian tree. She could feel his embarrassment rising as he accidentally stepped on her toe for the third time.

Luckily, the music had ended for the musicians to take a break and this gave an opportunity for them to exit the spotlight for a while.

“I’m sorry for stepping on your toes”, he mumbled as he looked anywhere but her.

“I thought an incredible fighter like you is nimble with his feet”, she said but not unkindly.

“That is fighting. This is different. I am never interested in dances. They are more suited for people like Hakyeon.” He ran his eyes throughout the ballroom and she noticed the whispers and the glances.

Oh.

She understood now. The pressure of people’s stares. Of course, he was not used to it. She knew Prince Leo was actively involved in fighting at the borders of his kingdom. This dance was a whole different environment for him.

“Then, think this as another battle. You are fighting but you are fighting with me. Also, if you are willing, let me lead you. I know this ‘battlefield’ like the back of my hand. If I am to be your future wife, then let me fight the battles with you.”

Prince Leo stared at her, his downcast eyes from earlier was now replaced with calculating ones. Then he took her hands in his.

Prince Hakyeon gave his wife one final kiss before making his way to his brother who was charming ladies left and right.

“My dear brother, I believe Leo is on the dance floor now and you should watch the spectacle with me”.

Prince Ken waved away the ladies around him and followed the eldest to witness the final dance of the celebrated couple. He expected an awkward mess but was let down to discover their dance was smooth without any toe stepping.

“I told him she is good for him,” Hakyeon remarked with a proud smile on his face.

“You just threaten her a few moments ago”.

“It is obligatory. Father and mother are not here to do it. Let me perform my role as the older brother. At least, I do not use jealousy to drag Leo out of hiding.”

“He needs a little push to come to her. As if you dancing with her makes him feel better. Your dancing skill really makes people insecure about themselves.”

“I am just showing Leo how it is done. At least, my wife loves it especially when we are alone”.

“Enough, spare me the details of your love life. Just watch Leo finish his dance. Wait, where’s Leo and the princess?”

“Aww, they are playing with the princess’s siblings. Leo is smiling now. That’s it. She gets my approval to be my sister-in-law.”

“And I thought you are going to give her a hard time.”

“Nah. It’s your turn to have a hard time. Does our youngest prince have his eyes on someone?”

“That’s it. I am leaving. Goodbye brother.”

Prince Hakyeon chuckled at his brother’s reaction. He took another glance at the newly-betrothed couple and was now planning their wedding gifts.