"Um... Hi." I said awkwardly. I was a bit caught off guard from his gorgeousness. His black hair seemed to be tamed yet messy at the same time and looked soft to the touch. For some odd reason I wanted to run my hands through his hair. His dark eyes looked as if they held secrets that were hidden deep within his mind, that only he could access. His tan matched his dark eyes.

"Hello." He smiled back, showing a set of perfectly straight white teeth that added to his charm.

"Who are you?" I asked abruptly. It seemed to have caught him off guard, as if I was supposed to know who he was. Mu cluelessness seemed to have given him an idea as it took him a bit to answer.

"Someone, who thinks you look extravagant." He answered, pulling me closer to him. This caused me to become a bit suspicious of him, none of my other partners had been bold enough to say extravagant. Some had called me pretty or beautiful, but I had never gotten the complement of extravagant.

"Well guess what, you're not the only one." I retorted, feeling a sense of annoyance that he interrupted my dance with my father. It wasn't everyday that I had the chance to dance with him. Due to fathers job, it was difficult for him to have time with my mother and I.

"I can see that." He said, sneaking a glance at the people around us. Though I wouldn't say that there were anyone around us. It seemed that everyone else had cleared the dance floor and were now watching us intently, as if we were their main source of entertainment now . That was odd.

"So what brings you to the ball?" He asked, taking my gaze from the suspense filled crowd.

"My mother actually. I didn't entirely want to come in the first place." I confessed. Though I didn't know why I had said that, I usually wasn't this open with people.

"Now why is that? Usually women are excited to be able to dance their night away in a castle in hopes of catching the prince's eye." He questioned. His eyes were boring into mine, waiting for my answer.

"Well, I don't want to catch the prince's eye. He is a killer and I want nothing to do with him." I spat, though now I had said too much. For a split second his eyes filled with flames, as if I had somehow disrespected him. Though the blaze was suddenly gone and replaced with his charming smile.

"So now that I've told of my reasons for being here. Are you going to tell me who you are?" I asked, changing the subject quickly as he spun me around.

"You really don't know who I am?" He asked, his deep eyes boring into mine. He said it as if it were obvious. But just like a few minutes ago, I had no idea who he was.

"No in the slightest." I responded. Feeling his grip on my waist tighten, as if he were upset that I didn't know who he was.

"Well then this is going to be a lot harder." He said, staring at the thrones. "You see darling you have made quite the impression on me."

His words rang in my ears as we turned, I noticed that the king and queen were still sitting there, though now they were staring at us as intently as the crowd. Then I realized.

"You're the prince." I whispered. It made sense now, his dark features screamed murderer and the fact that he had continuously asked how I didn't know him, because everyone was supposed to know who he was.

"The one and only." He whispered into my ear and I instantly pulled away, feeling the hate I had for him return. Why had I thought of this man as charming?

I felt disgusted, I was dancing with the person I hated most in life. I tried to get away, but his hold on my waist was too strong. I felt caged.

"You can't get away from me love." He whispered. I hated how he called me love.

"Yes I can." I said, feeling a small strength in me as I quickly yanked myself out of his hold.

I saw shock flood through his eyes, as I tried to run away. His cocky expression quickly faded as he ran after me. The ball room seemed to expand as I ran, my breathing uneven and my feet dying from my dancing shoes.

"You're not getting away that easily." He said as I tried to run towards the stairs, but I felt his hand tightly grip my wrist and pull me. I felt myself trip from the sudden movement and fall against him.

"No one runs from me."

His sickening look frightened me to my very core as he gripped my other wrist and pinned them behind my back. I looked around at all the onlookers. Why weren't they doing anything? They seemed to be in trance, unable to move or speak.

I scanned the crowd for my mother and father. Finding them I could see the same glossy look in their eyes, frozen and unable to help their daughter.

"Father." The price called as he dragged me towards the king and pushed me down onto my knees in front of the king and queen. Though now their gazes were filled with interest and wonder."I have chosen my bride."

He yelled this and echoed around the ballroom.

"No!" I yelled. "I refuse! I don't want to marry him!" I yelled this at the king, but he ignored me. My gaze turned to the queen, pleading for her to convince her husband to listen. But her expression stayed the same, unchanging.

I screamed louder, but they continued to ignore me, though now the queen's gaze held compassion and sadness, as if my screams had triggered something inside of her.

"Damian, son, are you sure you want her?" He asked, still ignoring my screams . "You could have any girl in this ballroom and they'd be more... willing." The king stood up and walked towards me and roughly took my chin in his hand, making me look at him. "Though it would trouble Lilura a bit."

Lilura? Who was she? The prince's true bride? I thought of that as preposterous, the prince would never agree to that. So I quickly shut down the thought and focused on the prince and his fathers conversation

"I thought this one would be a fun challenge." He answered, I felt like I was an animal that was being showcased in a fair. "I think it will be fun to break her."

My anger bubbled, he thought I was just a game to him? I let my anger out and took a deep bite into the King's hand that was still on my chin.

"God damn it.." He yelled, I could see a bit of blood oozing from the wound I had just created.

The king's mood quickly changed as he took a cloth his wife was holding out to him.

"This one will be hard. Though not impossible." He said, wrapping his bloody hand.

"That's why I want her father." The prince answered, his grip tightening on my wrists as I struggled to free myself. His strength over powered mine and I felt as if he could break my wrist if he added a bit more pressure.

"Alright than son. Bring her to your chambers." The king obliged and went to sit back down next to the queen, the cloth now dripping blood. I watched as he signaled for a guard to bring him another cloth. Now his words began to sink in.

"No!" I screamed as the prince began to drag me away to his chambers

At this moment I saw my father snap out of whatever daze he was in and rush out to stop the prince. His posture screamed confidence, as if his word as my father would overpower the word of a Prince. I could see a bit of shock in the Prince's eyes when he saw my father run forth from the crowd. Though it quickly changed to humour.

"No, you will not take my daughter." He yelled at the prince. "She rejected you, now let her go."

"There is no one to stop me." Prince Damian said, gesturing to all the onlookers who were still doing nothing, but watch.. "Your daughter is going to be my bride."

"She said no. It's her choice." My father stated.

The prince rolled his eyes and gestured for a guard, needing to let go of me to grab something from the guards hand, obviously thinking I wouldn't have the strength to do anything. He underestimated me. I took this chance to hurl my fist into his jaw.

The Prince staggered back a bit, obviously surprised by my blow and strength. I smiled and saw him spit out a bit of blood. Though he quickly turned to me, his expression was not filled with anger but with laughter. His blood coating his once white teeth as he smiled.

"That is a nice punch you have." Damian said as the guard wrapped his arms around me. I struggled against his hold. "But for that, you'll have to pay the price."

I suddenly saw what he had in his hand, a sword. My brain clicked and I knew what he was going to do.

"No!" I screamed, tears starting to fall down my face as the prince readied to strike my father. "No! Please! Don't kill him, please! Kill me! Kill me!" I pleaded. I could see the fear in my fathers eyes and he seemed to be held still by it, unable to move.

"Did you really think that I am that evil?" He asked, tossing the sword to my father's feet. "We'll settle this like men."