○----1 and half week later----○

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"I'm lucky our engagement got postponed to one week later or my foot would've been fractured by your lack of dancing skills," Dilin blabbered as he took a step back right when I was about to stomp down on his foot again.

Our supposed engagement got postponed because suddenly Layla seems to have doubts regarding the dear suitor she chose for me. And so she extended one week to 'observe his behavior'. Not that I'm complaining.

About my lack of dancing skills tho. . .

"I didn't have time to go around practicing twelve dancing princesses!" I huff, my eyes focused on our foots as I tried to take a step ahead with the music's rhythm buzzing in the empty ballroom.

Dilin glared when I almost stomped on him again, "You've lived for like what? Seven centuries? And you didn't have time?"

Bringing my gaze upto his, I pass him a seething look, "Stop lecturing me!"

"Your dancing abhors me." He mumbles as if pained by my lack of skill in the department.

I raise a brow at him in challenge, "Your stupidness at the breakfast today abhorred me too."

At that he finally spares me an innocent glance that looked nothing innocent, "What did I even do?"

I give him a bland look, "Except for sticking to me like glue stick and playing with my hair when Zander kept glaring at you and except asking Layla and I quote 'Are you jealous that your fiancé-to-be's attention is on my fiancé-to-be?'" I parroted trying to imitate his voice before giving him a creepy smile, "You did nothing else."

Dilin passes me a coy look, "You're welcome for the free entertainment. Did you see Zander's face? He looked ready to dig my grave then and there. And Layla seemed very much happy to help. It was fun to tick them both."

I roll my eyes, "If I didn't know better, I'd have thought you like Layla with the amount you keep poking her at every opportunity."

The look he gives me is nothing short of absolutely blank.

"Don't do that so much. Layla might act as if she's angry and mad and jealous but. . ." I say looking away from his unnerving gaze and stare at a faraway wall, "She's always been sensitive. And she really loves Zander."

Dilin takes a step back before turning me in a graceful twirl and pulling me back to him, "What about you? Do you always just think about others?"

The hardness in his tone has me looking at him again, "You're bei-"

"Whether you met him first or not, Zander's still your mate. Don't let your sister manipulate you into doing her biding because of the love you have for her. Be smart, sweet meat. Not fooled." He grits the last sentence through his teeth before gesturing me to follow his steps.

Everytime we speak about this, it ends up in some sort of disagreement from his side.

I sigh going along to the rhythm and try to change the topic, "Did you find out anything about the certificates?"

Dilin seems to still for a moment but nods, "Both of the certificates are registered by a hospital faraway from Seagill's mainlands. It's on an isle away from Seagill's capital. I found out your parents went to the isle right after their wedding for their honeymoon and to take rest from kingdom duties for a while. Although their stay there stretched a little too long and they came back to Seagill's castle after Layla and you were born."

"So Layla was born there too?" I ask and he nods again.

"I think I'm very close to the truth. And I think your sister knows the truth. But I can't confirm to you until I'm hundred percent certain myself. About a lot of things." He mumbles before flashing me a grin, "Your sister has been my biggest source of confirmation so far."

I frown at that, "How come?"

"Layla's emotions are very expressive and strong. She's not good with concealing them like some people are. It's easy to confirm things by knowing how she reacts to it." He muses.

"You speak as if you can feel people's emotions," I tsk.

He furrows his brows at that, "Who said I couldn't? How else do you think I confirmed about the crown's curse?"

I didn't know whether the part about him being able to sense emotions was a true ability he possessed or another form of his exaggerated spying skills. With Dilin, one could never be sure. Although about the crown.

Dilin had mentioned about the crown's curse to me a week ago after seemingly confirming it from a 'source'. Which I wonder is Layla again.

I'd been stunned but not surprised. I'd wondered all this while why Layla had always backed away the last moment while attempting to kill me. Why she never waited to check whether I ended up with my limbs broken or dead after she pushed me off the tower. She'd always left before I was immensely hurt and there was always someone who'd save me at the last moment. Ursula or my guards or Valerian and last time, Zander.

Some stupid part of me had thought it was because she'd wanted me to live and she didn't want to actually kill me despite her attempts and so she'd in some twisted way let others know that they had to be on that particular place where I'd be falling to my doom. I'd thought it was because she still loves me in some shady corner of her heart.

I was so wrong. It was because she couldn't kill me without the risk of dying herself.

But what I don't get is. . .

"Why did you volunteer as my suitor if you already knew you'd die if we get married and I pass you the throne?" I question and see him tilt his head to the side in his signature cat-like way.

"I did not know about the crown's curse earlier. Well, not until you showed me those certificates. From then on, I hunted down a few things, gathered information and put two and two together. Then your sister's shock on my having the knowledge about the crown confirmed it." He narrated, "As for why I'm still here, I told you I'm here for reasons. And one of them is to ensure you don't end up as a dead meat. You need not worry about me though, I'm not dying anytime soon. And we're not actually going to get married now. Unless you're willing?"

I direct him a stink eye as he winks at me suggestively.

"What? I know you find me attractive. I also know you wouldn't pass me the throne and kill me unintentionally because you worry about my life." He wiggles his brows.

Stomping on his foot—deliberately this time—I attempt to push him away but he pulls me closer and leans in until he's whispering in my ear, "Your lover boy is here and he is fuming."

I stop my eyes from widening at the last moment, "Zander?" I whisper back trying to grab a glimpse of him over Dilin's shoulder.

"Don't bother. You won't be able to see him. I know because I feel the burning jealousy and....hurt?" Dilin hums under his breath before stepping closer, "Let's give him a peice of his own medicine, shall we? Let's make him feel the way you feel when Layla missy is touching him."

I open my mouth to tell him I don't feel anything when Layla is touching Zander no matter the lie but he gives me a look so fiercely screaming no-nonsense, I shut my mouth immediately.

Dilin pulls me closer while inching his face back from mine. I watch him run his long fingers from my chin sliding it along my jaw in a way which seemed more impatient than anything. Impatient for a reaction out of the supposed 'lover boy'.

And that reaction comes within the next second as I hear footsteps and then,

"You suck at dancing." Zander's voice is like thunderbolts directed towards....Dilin?

"Mission accomplished." Dilin winks at me before blanching back.

Although when he notices Zander's comment was directed towards him and not me, his face metamorphs into an expression which looked as if he'd received the shock of the century.

"Wait, you're telling I suck at dancing? Me?" The look of complete astonishment on Dilin's face was kinda hilarious.

"No, I told Mother Teressa." Zander retorts with a sickeningly sweet smile.

"You got to be kidding me. Do you have any idea who I am?"

"A man with zero dancing skills."

"This is....unbelievable!" Dilin lifts his hand in exasperation before storming out of the empty ballroom muttering something about stupid kings.

I had no idea why Zander calling Dilin's dancing skills bad was such a issue here. Dilin seemed to be severely wounded by the words. It was funny if not anything of how he got so worked up over something which isn't even true.

Dilin's dancing skills were so perfect and graceful that he could be blind and still waltz his way effortlessly through the dance floor. There was some ethereal grace in the way he danced just the same way how his voice hummed any song like a sweet melody.

"What are you thinking about?" A velvety voice in my ear snaps me out of my Dilin-praise reverie.

I turn my head to the side and find Zander's face so close to mine, I could feel his breath on my cheek.

For a moment, I stare just observing each hard edges of his face, each midnight strand falling on his forehead hiding away those smoky grey eyes. My gaze drops from the straight angle of his nose down to those plush pink lips that had kissed me senselessly twice.....

I jerk back from the thoughts just as I take a step away from him as if his presence burned me.

I don't bother to answer him. I know talking with him would lead me nowhere. I'd been able to keep my distance from him the whole last week and a half.

I'd done everything to not look his way or cross paths with him. I'd tried and succeeded in avoiding him altogether.

And there was no way I was going to back away from what I'd promised myself after Layla's breakdown, no matter how it bought a dull ache with each passing day.

So I turn around, fully intending to walk out of the ballroom far from Zander's presence but the last moment, I feel a hand clasp around my wrist and swish me around pulling me to a hard body.

My hands reflexively plant themselves on Zander's chest as he raises my chin with his index finger and stares down at me with eyes so deep and sensual I almost melt, "You've been avoiding me, Fishy."

within those 2 chaps