Fin was about to take a step further into the room, when there was a flurry of movement from the servants, and the majority of the candles in the room were snuffed out.

Then, with his voice magically amplified, Reese Flint began to sing.

“This is for you dear Prince. Happy Birthday to you…”

The rest of the room joined in, the exuberant voices ringing in unison. With a smile, a certain cook joined in as he watched Eric beam happily over all his guests.

It took four servants to carefully maneuver the gigantic dragon-shaped cake through the room of nobles, though once everyone saw the baked masterpiece it didn’t take them long to clear a wide path.

As the final note of the song rang out, one of the servants lit the carefully rubbed bourbon on fire, and the effect was complete. A dragon wrapped around a castle (the castle was a small wooden figure Fin had made very roughly), with the fire extending out on the table-sized platter.

Everyone was awed and burst out in loud applause as the Prince’s jaw hung down to his chest.

Servants began relighting the room once the applause had died down, and the King gave a small nudge towards his son. Smiling fondly down at the young boy Norman waited, it was clear that he had forgotten that, as the host, he was expected to make a speech.

Closing his mouth and blinking in the renewed lighting of the room, Eric scanned the crowd and swallowed with great difficulty.

“T-Thank you everyone for coming to my ball. I like your costumes a lot, and I hope you all have fun.” With his cheeks turning a deep crimson, Eric stepped back beside his father. It was obvious to Fin that the boy was fighting against the impulse to hide behind the King.

Everyone applauded politely, and then the music began once again.

Fin decided to take the opportunity of everyone’s divided attention to start moving through the room.

He was halfway towards Annika, when a masked blonde woman in a peach gown stumbled into him.

“Oh shhh- I’m soo sorry!” she slurred heavily, gripping his arms to steady herself. When the young woman looked up, she found herself staring into a very solid chest. When her eyes moved higher, she saw the set of piercing blue eyes regarding her calmly.

“Are you alright, my Lady?” Fin asked in a low voice. He didn’t want to draw too much attention to himself.

Her red glassy eyes peered up at him.

“Yahs.”

“Glad to hear that. Pardon me.” Fin gently helped right the woman, and sidestepped around her, cutting between the shoulders of guests and serving staff alike.

He realized he was beginning to draw attention with his steady pace however, and quickly grabbed a goblet off of a passing tray to sip. A couple Daxarian Knights were eyeing him up and down curiously- most likely due to the fact that he was taller than the majority of the guests and staff, and Fin had to fight every nervous urge in his body to appear relaxed under their scrutiny.

The redhead then struggled to remember what to do with his hands as he gazed around the room at all the splendor, and did his best to not stare at Annika’s back.

When the Knights grew distracted by a buxom Lady dressed as a rabbit, Fin melted even further into the crowd until he was nearly pressed against the stone wall.

He drifted past one of the stone pillars where an elderly Lord dressed as a jester was bent down talking to a woman of a similar age who wore a matching costume. They appeared too absorbed with one another to pay him much mind.

As Fin neared Annika, he could see that she donned a black mask with a beak, and realized then that she had dressed as a crow.

Her fluttering black dress was the perfect costume for remaining inconspicuous…

Clever and subtle. Two of her greatest strengths...

Fin watched her talk calmly with a Lord that was dressed as a novice Physician. Her posture was perfect, but he could see from the slight lean of her head she wasn’t truly focused on her conversation.

The longer he watched her, the harder his heart beat. The room was fading around his vision as he waited. He wasn’t even sure what he was waiting for, but at that moment he was content just to see her.

He was so lost to his own thoughts on Lady Jenoure, that he was brutally startled when there was a tug on his sleeve.

Looking over swiftly, Fin saw the drunken woman he had helped earlier peering up at him from underneath her feathered mask. He could see her cheeks were tinted pink, and that she was still quite unsteady on her feet.

“Who’re you?” She gave a small hiccup as she stared at him expectantly.

“I’m a pirate of the high seas my Lady.” Fin tipped his hat though he felt horribly ridiculous doing so.

“Oh… Are you… Are you going to ask who I am?” Her bottom lip began to protrude in a pout.

“I am not. Forgive me my Lady, but…” Fin gestured with his goblet towards Annika. “I’m hoping to have a brief discussion with the crow over there.” After a short nod, he partially turned away from the woman to signify the end of the conversation.

Unfortunately, the libations of the evening had whittled away the woman’s social sensibility.

“That’s Lady Jenoure!” The woman leaned over and whispered conspiratorially “She’s supposed to be picking a suitor after tonight!”

Fin had just opened his mouth to reply, when a cool female voice interrupted from behind him.

“It’s rude to talk about other people’s business.”

Annika stood only a few feet away from them. Her one arm was crossed around her middle, resting her hand in the crook of the other arm that was lifting her goblet to her mouth.

The woman beside Fin squeaked and tried to slink behind him. The redhead, however, felt himself smile while lowering his hat, so she couldn’t see his face when he turned around.

“I’m sorry to say it is in fact my business, Lady Jenoure.” He cast his voice down, and gave himself a slight rasp.

He could practically feel the raised eyebrow she was giving the top of his hat. Fin felt the young damsel behind him edge away and melt back into the crowd, leaving him all alone with the Viscountess.

“How is it your business?” Her voice was icy.

“Well you see, I intend to make a proposal for your hand this evening myself.” Fin bowed and offered his upturned palm, while his other tucked his goblet behind his back.

There was a beat of silence, not that the redhead was surprised. He felt borderline giddy as he waited for her reply to his absurd declaration.

“If you would like to make a formal bid to wed me, please see his majesty,” she answered stiffly, before turning back towards the crowd.

Fin straightened, still smiling. “Your response is the only answer that matters. Though I will need to know your opinion on a very particular matter first.”

He knew she wouldn’t be able to resist asking.

Annika turned back around, and Fin could see from the rigidity in her back that she wanted nothing more than to clobber him.

He braced himself.

“What particular matter is that?” Her scathing derision could have cut a weaker man into pieces.

“Tell me, have you come to hate witches and stubborn cooks? If so, that might prove fatal to my cause.” Despite his forced, dry tone, Fin’s heart was in his throat as he slowly tipped his hat up away from his eyes, and gazed down into Annika’s stricken stare.

Even though she remained silent, Fin could see the color drain from the lower part of her face that was bare. She had realized who he was, and the knowledge appeared to have robbed her of breath.

Gradually, the shock sunk in. Annika suddenly looked him up and down carefully, as though suspecting him to be an imposter.

Fin took a tentative step closer.

“I’m afraid I might have to insist on an answer, before I commit myself to bachelorhood.”

Annika opened her mouth and closed it. She was completely at a loss for words, her throat had swollen shut from emotion, and her entire body felt as though lightning had just coursed through it. She tingled all over.

As the Viscountess tried to grasp for words, the beginning notes of the next song began. Feeling completely embarrassed and awkward, Fin reached out and gently took her hand. He waited, giving her the chance to pull away, but she did no such thing. He set his goblet down on a tray that was being carried by a passing servant, then gently took Annika’s and set it down beside his.

Nothing else existed around them as Fin pulled her into his arms, and they began to slowly step to the dance on wobbling legs.

While most of the couples had paired off on the dance floor, they proceeded to dance back further and further into the shadows of the room, until they neared the banquet hall’s doors.

“I thought you didn’t dance,” Annika finally said. She felt the warmth of emotion in her cheeks as they stepped together in a perfect blend of slow whirling black.

“I learned.”

Fin knew that his dance instructor Lady Laurent would’ve given him the lecture of a lifetime for what he did next, but somehow, he couldn’t be bothered to care.

He drew Annika closer to himself, and felt everything in the world fill with goodness.

Everything was vivid, brighter, happier, hopeful…

He could smell the strange aroma of spices that always lingered around the Lady, and found himself gently inclining his head slightly closer as though drawn in by it.

“So when are your dancing feet going to turn to cold feet?” Annika’s voice hitched as their dancing became more of a sway in a particularly quiet corner of the banquet.

“I’ll buy the best quality socks so they always stay warm.”

Her grip tightened on the material of his sleeve, and Fin could feel the pain and fear coursing through her as she dared to trust his words.

He cursed himself bitterly.

“I’m sorry I was a stubborn ass. I… I don’t expect you to forgive me for being a coward, but… I had to tell you… even if I’m too late. Just in case there is still a chance.”

“Tell me that you’ll buy better socks?” she bit back while gripping onto his coat all the tighter.

“No. That I love you.”

Annika’s eyes widened and a small breath escaped her lips. Fin could see that she was barely hanging on to her composure as she clenched her teeth.

He knew if he didn’t keep talking she could reject him with her next breath.

“I will trust you completely. Whatever plans you have, whatever you say you want, wherever you want us to go. I will trust you.” He released one of her hands, but gently gripped the other and hid it between them so no prying eyes could see. “I know you better than I know most people, and I know you will do everything in your power to make things work out. If you will still have me… I just want to be there with you.” Annika swallowed with great difficulty and dropped her gaze. Fin didn’t know what that meant, and so laid the rest of his soul out for her judgment.

“I’m not alone anymore because of you, and even if you say no and want me to bugger off into an open grave, I want you to know that you’ve changed my life. I-”

A trio of drunk Knights that were passing by accidentally knocked Annika from behind, propelling her straight into Fin’s chest. There was a beat of silence between the pair as they both blushed and failed to rectify the situation. It was too intoxicating to want to stop…

Closing his eyes, and using a strength he didn’t know he possessed, Fin carefully took Annika by the shoulders and had her step back so she could properly see his eyes. He needed her to hear every last word.

“I don’t have anything to offer other than the fact that I am capable of changing for the better, and I am trying every day. I want to someday be good enough to be your home. If you still think that you’d like to take a risk on me, I will do everything I can to make sure you never regret it for a single day.”

Fin felt cold sweat building underneath the black coat as he tried not to hide his gaze, to not assume he was going to have to accept the loss and rejection. He watched her carefully while trying not to appear too awkward.

Annika didn’t notice. Not that Fin knew exactly how flustered he was making her… There was no way that he could know she was dizzy.

That she wanted to say something.

Anything.

She wanted to respond to Fin’s confession in the most honest way possible, to tell him everything within her that she had never showed another person. To find solace and a life of their own together.

Before Fin could receive the reply he so desperately needed, a great clamor began near the King’s dias as the young Prince ran off into the crowd. The King stood with a frown and nodded towards the guards by the party’s entrance.

Without thinking, Fin lunged for the boy as he streaked by them towards the open doors.

“Let me go! I don’t care if he’s a cook! Fin made my cake! He worked so hard, he should be up here! I’m going to bring him up and you can’t stop me!” Tears ran down Eric’s face. “I want Ruby here too, and Kraken! Hannah is nice, what about my governess? This isn’t fair!”

The redhead stilled as the boy squirmed in his arms. Thankfully, he no longer was wearing the wings. The lad had very obviously been pushed hard that day, and all the early mornings before the ball in his dance classes, and his words made Fin love him all the more.

“Eric.” Fin had clamped the boy down enough that he was able to speak directly into his ear. The nobility had cleared a path for him as he carried the Prince back towards the King, and so was able to speak quietly without the risk of being overheard.

The boy stilled at being called by his first name, then peered at the side of Fin’ masked face confused.

“If you go down to the kitchens to get me, you’ll get me fired. I’m glad you liked the cake.” Fin kept up the appearance of a smile, while speaking through clenched teeth. He could see the Prince stare at him in astonishment, right before he broke out in a smile.

“You came to my party!” he whispered excitedly.

“I did. You can’t tell anyone though, promise?”

The Prince didn’t get a chance to answer before Fin set the boy down on the step and bowed low to the King. The disguised cook backed away towards the party, not realizing he was entering the musicians designated corner.

The King stared sternly down at Eric, and after a few hushed words, the Prince wiped his tears away with the back of his sleeve, and turned to face the newly quieted party.

“I am sorry for my childish outburst. I am going to bed now.” Eric’s hands were balled into fists at his sides as his cheeks flamed in embarrassment. When he stepped woodenly down from the dias, his watery eyes drifted over to the crowd where Fin stood. The redhead gave him the smallest of winks, and once again, the Prince was all smiles once again.

The crowd remained quiet until the young boy had left the room.

“Right! Now we can properly drink!” One of the Troivackian Knights hollered out, and everyone laughed and suddenly the laughter and chatter seemed to double.

“My my. I must say, I haven’t ever seen the Prince be calmed by someone so easily, except by a certain Royal Cook.”

Fin felt his blood freeze as he slowly turned to see the delighted expression of Reese Flint.

“Well hello there Captain Handsome, having fun this evening?”