That week and a half flew by in a blur. Azrael was either helping with preparations or being taken down to the city for alterations on the dress. Raden had kept himself busy on the training grounds. It was the only place where he felt at ease and out of the way. Within the two weeks of being there, Raden and Azrael had only exchanged a few words of good mornings and good nights. At this point, Raden was almost sure that Lorcán was doing this on purpose, but there was no proof. So Raden kept his mouth shut.

Azrael was awoken by two maids who softly knocked on the door. When she went to see who it was, Azrael noticed Raden had already disappeared for the day. A pull of sadness tugged at her heart. She was sure of it now. That Raden was only here to keep everyone protected from her and that she was only an obstacle in his way. She took a deep breath and placed a smile on her face. This was going to be a good day.

The two young maids came in with supplies for a morning bath. So the day began with a calming bath, but the day would be anything but calm. Azrael was sent to breakfast in the main dining hall with Lorcán and the inner circle. Raden of course was nowhere to be found. Lorcán introduced Azrael to everyone but she felt completely out of place there. So she quickly ate and excused herself to her room where the two maids were patiently waiting. They gave her a silk robe to change into and sat her sat in front of the floor-length mirror. Soon another woman came and joined them as they prepared to fix Azrael's hair and makeup.

A few hours had passed and Azrael had asked for a break. Her legs had gone numb and her neck stiff and she needed to stretch. So they all sat for a small lunch as one of the servant boys brought a platter of assorted cheeses and meats and some wine. Another soon came behind him and was carrying a large black box. This was the outfit Raden would wear for the masquerade. Soon enough the platter was taken away and it was back to preparations.

Noon turned to early afternoon. Raden had finished a morning of training and decided to head up for a bath. The later in the day it became the more the dread built from the ball. He had attended one with Merikh and swore never again. His idea of fun was not being in a room with some of the most self-righteous beings in the universe. Raden pushed the memory back as he entered the castle and to the room, he went.

As he went to open the door, he heard laughter and muffled conversation. So he carefully opened the door to not scare or interrupt. His eyes landed on the reflection of a laughing Azrael. Her eyes were closed and her nose scrunched. He smiled to himself as he watched her.

One of the maids had turned to grab something when she spotted Raden. "Can I help you?"

"Sorry to interrupt." He glanced back at Azrael who was now turned in her seat looking his way. "I was just coming up to get a bath."

"I will go and fetch one of the servant boys. You will ready yourself somewhere other than here." The maid was stern. Raden's surprise had caused Azrael into a fit of giggles and he caught her eye. She tried to stifle them but it wasn't very good.

Two servant boys came to take Raden away without a word. Azrael waved through her reflection and the door closed behind Raden where he then heard the laughter and conversation pick up again.

~~~*~~~

The sun had started to sink and the evening was quickly approaching. Azrael was sitting on the edge of the unmade bed when a light knock was heard. One of the maids went and Maie walked in with a large deep purple box that had a shimmering gold bow wrapped around it.

"Are you ready?"

Azrael smiled and practically jumped off the bed to meet Maie. Maie laughed and set the box on an empty table. The maids helped Azrael out of the robe and Maie had the box opened. She lifted the dress out of the box and watched Azrael through the reflection. Her face lit up like it was Christmas.

"Alright my dear, let's get you in this dress," Maie said.

With four pairs of hands, the task of getting Azrael in the dress went much smoother than when it was just Maie.

Azrael stood in front of the mirror looking at a girl she didn't recognize as the scared witch who hid away. This was a person who demanded the attention of everyone around her. The bodice fit nicely and the skirt fell perfectly to the floor. The dress itself was a deep purple with an iridescent fabric laid over the skirt only leaving the front of the deep purple showing. A sheer was sewn into the top that blanketed Azrael's chest and collar bones in purple. From the deep purple of the main dress, came a violet and ultramarine purple. Starting from the shoulders reaching to the bend in her arms laid what looked like resting fairy wings. Creating the illusions of wing movement as she moved her arms. Precious stones detailed the bodice and gave off an almost glowing effect under light. Azrael's hair was left in loose curls that fell down her back with braids that pulled any hair away from her face. Small violets were intertwined with the braids and a detailed mask of purple and precious stones was placed and tied. One of the maids was helping place her shoes on when Maie came up behind Azrael.

Those inky black eyes peered from her reflection. "What do you think?"

"I've never had anything this nice before," Azrael answered. She was beyond stunned. The girl who stared back was someone she hadn't ever met and yet was still her. She turned her head to Maie. "Thank you."

"Anything for a friend of Lorcán." Maie gave a squeeze and stepped back. "You better go. The masquerade starts any minute now."

Azrael nodded and thanked her again before rushing out the door. An older man was waiting outside for Azrael. He explained he would be the one to escort her down. So she gladly took his arm and they headed to the main hall.

~~~*~~~

The soft muffled sound of music reached Azrael and her heart jumped with excitement. They rounded the corner and the hall door stood open welcoming everyone in. Many beautiful gowns and masked people lingered around the entrance. Azrael thanked the gentlemen and walked into the great hall. Large arrangements of white peonies and blood-red roses stood on either side of the entrance. In the hall were arrangements of colorful flowers ranging from orchids to lilies. Tables of food were lined against the walls and on the far side of the hall was the string orchestra. The center was left empty for when the dancing began.

Azrael stood against the wall watching as the room began to fill and she was content. That was until a tall figure came and stood next to her.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"I see Maie did a marvelous job with your dress," said the man.

Azrael looked over at the masked man. He wore a suit of burnt orange and a small ornate mask. However, even with the mask, Azrael could tell those warm brown eyes anywhere. "Lorcán!"

He chuckled, "What gave me away?"

"Your smile always reached your eyes. Even with a mask on."

He turned to face her. "Well, that is a lovely compliment. Say? Would you do me the favor and her the first dance of the night?"

Azrael smiled and gave a curtsy as she giggled. She took Lorcán's hand. "I would be honored."

Lorcán led Azrael out to the middle of the floor as others soon followed. The orchestra began a new song and the atmosphere soon changed. Laughter and glee filled the air as many couples danced or others stood and watched. Azrael decided that tonight she would let go of any worry and would allow herself to have fun.

As the festivities were in full swing, whispers and stares were shared amongst the crowd. A tall masked figure had made his appearance and it didn't go unrecognized. Raden strolled through the curious eyes into the great hall. He kept his wings folded in as tightly as he could but it was still a challenge to keep from hitting anyone. As he entered the hall, he found his way to a corner and watched the night progress.

Raden had caught the eyes of many women who whispered in their groups. He couldn't help but roll his eyes and smiled in amusement. That was until one found the courage to walk up to him.

"What's a handsome thing like yourself standing alone?" A woman that was dressed in sky blue and a gold mask that hid most of her face.

Raden lazily glanced her way. "Watching." Keep it short and maybe she'd leave.

The woman stood shoulder to shoulder next to him. "You haven't a date to dance with? Seems like a waste to me."

"I don't dance."

She smiled a gorgeous white smile. "Well, then what can you do?" She lightly brushed against his arm.

Raden clocked this and rolled his eyes. "Before this goes any further. I'm not interested in whatever you're offering."

"Oh come on. No one would miss us here." The woman turned her head to face Raden and winked. "A quick visit to one of the gardens."

Raden let a chuckle slip and a smile grew on his lips. "I'm going to do you a favor and give you some advice. You're fooling no one here with this getup." He leaned in close and whispered in her ear. "You're still just a common whore trying to sleep with the wealthiest man here." Then he walked off. Of course, the woman had a few choice words, but Raden didn't stand around to listen.

The song had finished and everyone applauded the band. Azrael excused herself for a drink. Lorcán was of course pulled away by the crowd and Azrael was left to her own accord. She sipped her drink while watching the others start another dance. A smile played on her lips as she watched the whirlwind of color. Still, a part of her tugged at her heart. Even with the distraction her mind drifted to Raden.

She shook the feeling and headed off to the dance floor again. However, she found herself running into a stranger's back. "Oh, sorry about that," Azrael mumbled as she tried moving past. The stranger turned to see what the commotion was and grabbed her arm. Azrael was about to pull back when she saw who it was and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Watch where you're going," The man answered harshly.

"Raden if I was you, I would let me go before I slap that mask right off you," Azrael retorted back. Raden's eyes widened slightly and his grip loosened.

"Azrael?"

Azrael smiled and nodded. "What do you think?"

Tell her the truth!

Raden let out a low whistle looking at her in entirety. "You look… stunning." He reached for her hand and kissed it. Azrael was thankful for the mask as it hid the blush growing on her cheeks.

"You look very handsome as well," Azrael returned.

He did. Raden wore a fitted long-sleeved black shirt and a midnight blue waistcoat that was trimmed in gold. Matching midnight blue pants that were also trimmed with gold. He had decided to leave the coat. A mask that hid half of his face that was full of metal and as black as the deepest parts of the ocean.

Raden nodded but said nothing.

Azrael looked towards the emptying floor and started her way through the crowd. She turned last minute and held out her hand. "I know it's not your thing, but would you care for a dance?"

Raden paused for a second thinking. If your dumb ass doesn't do this one little thing for her…. He grabbed her hand and she led him through the crowd. The music changed into a slower song which Raden was grateful for. He grabbed Azrael gently by the waist and held her hand with the other. She placed her free hand on his shoulder and they began to sway with the music.

While others around were laughing or gossiping or who knows what, Raden was only looking at one person. He was watching Azrael as she took in everything around her. Her eyes were wide with excitement and the shadow of a smile still edged on her lips. She was becoming something he would not live without.

Azrael caught his gaze and had a puzzled look cross her face. "What?"

"Nothing," Raden answered as he softly smiled.

Her face fell a bit. "Oh."

Raden knitted his brows together in worry. "Something wrong?"

Azrael shook her head and the disappointment vanished as quickly as it came. "Of course not. I'm just glad you're here." Her eyes gave her away.

"Azrael what's wrong?" His tone was a low and full warning. He stared right through the mask and saw the hurt that she somehow masked behind her eyes.

Azrael let out a sigh and felt the pressure on her chest. She couldn't tell him. Not now. Maybe not ever. She looked around the room as they danced keeping her attention away from him when she caught sight of her. Libena stood with a flute of champagne in a fitted rose gold floor-length dress. She raised the flute to Azrael and smiled and Azrael knew this was her time.

She looked back over to Raden. Worry is written throughout his face. "I… sighs… okay, I have let myself fall for you. For the longest time, I kept myself safe and away from so many and forced myself not to feel for others. Then you came along and at first, I couldn't stand you because I'd never met someone as blunt and fairly as rude as you, but over the last few months…" Azrael looked down at her feet and let out a shaky breath. She felt a warmth surround her and the lingering smell of cherry blossoms became faint. Libena was here with her pushing forward. Azrael raised her head. "I don't know what happened. All I know is I let myself fall for someone who never loved me."

Those last few words sent a dagger plunging into Raden's heart. He never wanted to hurt her, but that's exactly what he did. He lifted her chin as she bowed her head again. "Azrael I never wanted things to be like this. You made me feel something that I wasn't sure about for so long. You don't know how badly I've kept these feelings bottled because I can't afford to let them out right now." Azrael tried pulling away but Raden moved his hand to her cheek turning her attention back. "That day Merikh showed. I swore that day that I was going to protect you no matter what from him or anyone else that would hurt you."

"That's why you said those things," Azrael whispered. It wasn't a question. She knew why he acted the way he did that night.

Raden nodded. "I never wished to bring you so much hurt and heartache."

About this time, a commotion started at the entrance. Raden and Azrael looked around to see but the crowd was too dense. However, a few minutes later the crowd parted slightly for a figure to stand at the front. The dancing still went on but they were all now being watched by one of the most powerful Gods there. Death.

Azrael had turned her attention back to Raden but he was fully aware and glaring at his master. Merikh stood proudly and seemingly unbothered. Raden decided right then and there that no matter how difficult the future would become… he was done living order by order.

Raden looked down at Azrael stopping their dance. She looked up at him confused but he gently cupped her face with his hands. "Fuck it." And before Azrael could say a word, Raden kissed her. A kiss full of emotions that were held in for too long. A passion that would anger a certain God. A kiss that was too long in making.