The Taste of Seduction

"Oh yeah, he had told me he was going to bring his nephew back. Nice to meet you, I\'m Prince Marcus Wilson." Marcus murmured and stretched out his hand for a handshake.

Meredith\'s heart raced and her attention shot to Atlas to see his response.

Atlas stared at Marcus\'s hand for a minute before he took it, holding Marcus\'s gaze. He spoke, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." While shaking Marcus\'s hand.

Meredith stared at him with wide eyes in shock. She really wasn\'t expecting Atlas to be so amicable.

He nodded slightly at her as though they were having a private conversation. And then she realized they were! He wanted her to know he would never do anything reckless.

Meredith exhaled and felt the tension release from her body.

He watched her response and just barely nodded

again, this time in approval.

Marcus nodded in response, let go of Atlas\'s hand and turned to look at Meredith, "Are you okay? I was worried about you." Marcus grabbed her shoulders which was still wrapped with Atlas\'s coat and asked worriedly.

Meredith swallowed and tried with all her will to avoid looking at Atlas. She couldn\'t bear to see the pain in his eyes.

"I\'m fine, I just needed some fresh air and then I met Atlas here, he was accompanying me to enjoy the nice view." Meredith forced out a smile and turned to look at Atlas.

Marcus glanced at Atlas, "Thank you for accompanying my fiancée but we have to return back to the ballroom."

It\'s your welcome ball, you can\'t just leave like that." He added talking to Meredith.

Meredith bit her lips and nodded in understanding, "Alright."

She turned to look at Atlas and cleared her throat, "Thank you for your company."

The words tasted bitter on her tongue.Meredith\'s heart promptly splintered into even more pieces than it already had, pretending that she didn\'t know him.

Atlas stared at her, so still he could\'ve passed for a statue had it not been for the pain flickering in his eyes.

Before she could take a step, Atlas leaned down and placed a lingering kiss along her cheek, close

enough for her to feel his breath on her neck, as he

whispered throatily, "Good night, Princess."

Meredith shivered, unable to resist the pull her body felt towards him. She focused on not panting, desperately trying to conceal how very much he affected her.

Her heart hammered in her chest, and she stared at him with wide eyes as he pulled back. But Atlas wasn\'t looking at her. He was grinning smugly at Marcus.

Marcus furrowed his brows but said nothing. He nodded at Atlas and removed Atlas coat from Meredith\'s shoulders. He handed the coat back to Atlas and Atlas took it without saying a word.

"Let\'s go." Marcus said as he wrapped a hand around Meredith\'s waist and led her back to the ballroom.

Meredith walked beside Marcus lost in thoughts. She wondered what was going through Atlas\'s mind when he saw Marcus. Was he hurt she had pretended that she didn\'t know him?

She wanted to glance at him one more time but she was afraid she couldn\'t stop herself from running into his arms.

Just one more glance, Meredith thought as she turned around to look at Atlas.

He was stilll standing at the spot looking at her. Her eyes locked with his. His eyes looked at her with an incredible amount of sadness.His expression went from desolate to disbelieving, to pure rage... and then circled back to misery.

Her heart broke into pieces when he averted his gaze first. The lump in her throat was unbearable. It hurted so much.

As she and Marcus neared the entrance hallway, the top of the staircase ahead, faint music could be heard drifting down the corridor.

Marcus paused and looked down at her, taking both of her hands in his. Meredith hesitantly gazed up at him, with a pleasant, fake smile tucked firmly in place on her lips.

"Sorry that I didn\'t inform you about the proposal. It was an impromptu decision and I wanted to surprise you. Forgive me?"

Meredith nodded, "It\'s okay."

Marcus arched his brows in surprise, "you forgive me?"

"Yeah." Meredith replied quietly.

"Then why are you so quiet and what\'s with that sad look on your face? Unfortunately I have given you the ring so I can\'t sense your emotions. I\'m curious about what is going on in your head? "

Meredith gave a weak smile, "Nothing, I\'m just tired."

"Oh let\'s hang around for a while, then I will take you back to your room."

"Okay."

*******

Meredith spent the rest of the night talking with various witches, vampires and werewolves, who seemed to approach her in a never ending wave of enthusiasm. Marcus stayed beside her side all night and because of that no one else asked her to dance, and she was glad.

She greeted countless people, all of whom shook or kissed her hand, told her how happy they were happy to have found her.

Meredith felt like a broken record as she thanked each of them and exchanged small talk. Hours passed, and the line of people waiting to speak to her began to reduce.

She had spoken to everyone here at least once, except Atlas, seems he didn\'t return to the ballroom.

She could barely stand straight on her heels as she had drunk more wine than she should have.

Marcus finally spoke, "Alright the princess is tired and would be retiring to bed."

Meredith smiled at them as they walked away and sighed when they were gone.

"Thank you I\'m tired and my feet is killing me."

Meredith squealed in surprise as Marcus suddenly lifted her.

"What are you doing!" Meredith yelled in embarrassment.

"Carrying my fiancé." Marcus replied with a smirk on his lips.

Meredith blushed and wrapped her hands around his neck and buried her head in his chest to hide her embarrassment as people stared at them and commented on their romantic gesture.

Unbeknownst to Meredith, a man was staring at her with a clenched fist and a broken heart.