The first thing Lael saw when she looked at the prince was not a human figure. For a few seconds, she couldn't even understand how to explain what her eyes beheld; she was utterly stunned.
What stood before her was a wavering silhouette, half white and half gold. No details of a face or body could be seen— it was like a shadow.
From the white half of its back rose a massive wing, bent near the tip so that it slanted slightly toward the ground. The golden half of the figure seemed to flow downward, its brilliance fading as it touched the floor.
Though the vision lasted only a few seconds, Lael felt as though she had gazed upon the prince's face for decades. When she finally blinked, the image vanished.
Stunned, Lael could only stare into the prince's dark brown eyes, unable to react, as his thumb gently brushed her cheek.
When he noticed powder clinging to his fingertip, he lifted his other hand to her opposite cheek, carefully wiping the powder away.
Lael was far too lost in his gaze to realize what was happening; the rules and the setting around them no longer held any weight for her. It seemed they meant little to the prince as well.
"It must be that your eyes could not hold the stars within them," he murmured, "so they let them fall onto your cheeks instead."
His words left Lael even more stunned, suddenly aware of the situation they were in. The prince was cupping both her cheeks, tenderly wiping away the powder that had been spread over her freckles.
She parted her lips, wanting to respond, yet she couldn't think of a single thing that could match his words. Then, after a brief silence, she caught the faint smile curving his lips.
As his hands slowly retreated, Lael found herself unconsciously reaching for them, only to withdraw just as discreetly, hoping no one had noticed.
After gazing at Lael for a moment longer, Axiel cast a glance toward the few attendants and young women who had been watching them, his piercing eyes enough to make them bow their heads once again.
At last, he turned to the queen, took Lael's hand, and gently drew her a step forward from the others.
"I like this dress, Mother."
The queen, long accustomed to her son's defiance of decorum was not surprised by his boldness, though her anger simmered beneath her calm exterior.
Should rumors spread that the prince had touched an unmarried young woman in the sacred hall, it would leave a troubling mark on their honor.
Yet she restrained herself and, from behind the curtain, replied evenly.
"Your choice affirms the unity of our tastes. If this is the gown you wish to see me wear on your birthday, then so be it."
With the queen's answer, Axiel smiled faintly and inclined his head. "I will have the dress sent to you," he said, before taking Lael's hand and leading her forward.
As Lael glanced around in bewilderment, every gaze shifted between the prince and the queen.
From behind the curtain, the queen let out a deep sigh and pressed her fingers between her eyebrows. Her attendant unfurled a fan and began to cool her.
Frowning at the prince pulling her along, Lael wondered what kind of situation she had been dragged into. Axiel's commanding strides left no room for hesitation, and soon they were out of the hall.
When the prince's men, who had been waiting outside the hall, started following a few steps behind him, Lael grew even more afraid. She wondered what awaited her— whether she would even survive the day.
Maybe she shouldn't have gathered her hair and spun around. Or maybe she shouldn't have made her neck visible.
While all these thoughts crossed her mind, the prince's silhouette occupied the largest space in her head, though she was too confused to focus on it.
After the two of them quickly covered a long path with his long strides, they arrived in front of a new residence.
Without paying any attention to the bowing servants, Axiel crossed a wide corridor and entered a room, pulling Lael inside with him. Then, the door closed behind them.
Lael flinched at the sound of the door closing, while Axiel remained with his back turned for a while. This gave her a chance to observe him a little more.
On the right leg of the prince's long black trousers was embroidered a golden dragon. His black hair, as dark as the shirt he wore, was tied back into a ponytail with a black hairpin, though the messy strands falling over his forehead were visible even from behind.
The dragon motif on his trousers looked even more majestic thanks to his long legs, and the black corset around his waist accentuated the lines of his body.
Lael's world would sometimes turn blue. It was a pale kind of blue; though it seemed lifeless, almost gray; it was sharp. Everything her eyes touched became sharper, as if preparing to etch itself into a corner of her mind. In these moments, Lael would not blink.
Rather than watching the different shades of orange and red which the sun gifted the world as it bid farewell to the day, she preferred to see this shade of blue. And her world had always turned this color whenever a new beginning came.
While she had the chance to observe the prince with his back turned, her world had once again shifted into that shade of blue. The curtains swaying by the tall window beside him resembled gray clouds trying to slip inside.
When the prince finally turned to face her, she tore herself away from the deep realms she had sunk into and looked at him.
Axiel, as if sensing her eyes on him, turned around and looked straight at her.
"Take off your clothes."
It was difficult for Lael to grasp the words directed at her at first. In fact, she hadn't even realized they were meant for her, still drifting through the shades of blue in her thoughts, her brows slightly raised in distraction.
For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw crimson and golden sparks within his dark brown eyes roaming over her. The prince's irises reminded her of the morning sun reflecting on the sea, of those glittering waves.
While she was lost so deeply in his gaze, his words finally began to settle in her mind after what felt like a long pause. As her body moved beyond her control, she began to take off her dress, pulling the fabric at her neck down toward her shoulders.
Axel's jewel-like irises, never leaving hers, slowly widened when he saw Lael slipping off her dress. Raising one brow, he crossed his arms, resting one hand against his chin with a mischievous expression.