Demon's Answer

The quiet night was as peaceful as a monk in meditation. Only the sound of crickets and the muffled sound of music coming from the ballroom filled the silence. Out on the secluded balcony, Lilac waited with fearful yet hopeful anticipation for Alan’s response to her confession.

Alan shut his eyes for a moment to chase off his astonishment. “You… like me? As in…”

“As in I want to be with you,” she blurted. “As… as more than friends…” Raw emotion painted her face like a strawberry. “Do you… feel the same?” She glanced up at him with hope in her eyes. Displaying her heart like this was unnerving, but it felt relieving at the same time.

“I’ve never thought about that,” Alan said. “I need a moment to think.” He tore his gaze off of Lilac and stepped to the side, adjusting his attention to the moon in the sky.

“I understand,” she took a step back and watched his facial expressions closely. His usual calm demeanor was disturbed, and it was clear he was deep in thought. Inside her chest, Lilac’s heart stood ready to burst at any moment.

What felt like hours passed without any changes. Lilac folded her arms to protect herself against the encroaching cold.

Finally, Alan straightened himself with an exhale and turned back to Lilac. “How do you know you like me?”

Lilac’s eyes widened at the unexpected question. “How do I know? Well… whenever I’m with you, my heart refuses to relax. Even when I’m not with you, you’re in my thoughts. And… I always look forward to spending time with you.”

Alan put a knuckle to his chin as he reflected on her answer. “If that’s what liking someone is,” he said, “then…”

Lilac clasped her hands in front of her chest, praying he would reciprocate her feelings. Tears were ready to form in her eyes at any moment, no matter his answer.

“Then I like you, too.”

Emotion exploded through her body. The floodgates were opened. Tears of relief and joy escaped their ducts and ran down her cheeks. At first, she couldn’t believe it. “R-really?”

“Your description fits how I feel about you,” he said with a soft smile. “I’ve never felt this way before, so I didn’t know that’s what that feeling was.”

Overwhelmed by emotion, she launched herself at Alan and threw her arms around his neck, nestling herself into his suit. “I’m so happy you feel the same…”

Alan was taken off-guard and stumbled back a step. Once he recovered, he slipped his arms around Lilac’s back. Now it was his turn to have flushed cheeks.

A thought crossed her mind. “Um, Alan…”

“Yes?”

“In the books I read, this is usually the scene where the protagonists have their first kiss…” She tilted her head back to look up into his eyes. “Can we… make this a scene from a romance novel?”

His skin paled. “You… want me to kiss you?”

“I-if you don’t mind,” she whispered. “I’ve always dreamed of having a novel romance…”

A deep breath left his body. “Since this is a special occasion and it’s important to you, I guess I can…”

Lilac’s body lightened with joy. Heart racing within her, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back a little more. For the longest time, nothing happened. No movements were detected. Just as she was about to open her eyes to see what was wrong, she felt a soft warmth touch her lips. An electrifying sensation spread from her lips through the rest of her body, causing her to feel as light as a feather. Subconsciously, her arms tightened around Alan, pulling him closer.

After another minute in an intimate embrace, Alan pulled away. “Did that measure up to your books?”

She blinked open her eyes. “It was better…”

The sound of sliding glass pulled their attention. Scarlett stood awkwardly by the glass door. “D-did I come at a bad time…?”

“N-no,” Lilac released Alan from her arms. “What’s going on, Scarlett?”

“Emmalyn told me to let you know… they’re about to announce who will receive the goddess’s favor this year…”

“Thanks for telling us,” Lilac said. “We wouldn’t want to miss that.”

“O-of course,” Scarlett dipped her head and started for the ballroom. Lilac and Alan followed her back down the staircase.

Up on the mezzanine, the princess stood with an aura of authority around her as she looked down at the ballroom below. “The goddess has looked down upon you all tonight and has offered her blessing. Guests, please clear the dance floor.”

Everyone backed up, leaving a wide space at the front of the room. The princess waited for the space to be fully cleared before continuing. “If your plumrose has blossomed, step onto the dance floor.”

Lilac glanced down at the bud that was pinned to her dress. Sadness struck her when she saw that it was still just a bud. ‘It’s okay,’  she told herself. ‘Just because it didn’t bloom doesn’t mean our relationship will fail. It only means we aren’t the goddess’s favorite couple.’

It was impossible to see the two that stepped forward into the open space through the crowd in front of her. After stretching as high as she could failed to gain her a better view, she hurried to the stairs and climbed a few steps until she could see over everyone.

The princess studied the two chosen guests and started to laugh. “As flirtatious as my younger brother is, he still lost to his closest friend!” The butlers at her side wore concerned expressions due to her behavior.

“Sorry, sorry.” She cleared her throat. “Speak your names, guests.”

A gasp escaped Lilac, replaced by giddiness. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

The girl stepped forward and curtsied. On her dress was a beautiful purple flower in place of the bud. “Emmalyn Roswell.”

“Vance Greyhelm,” the other bowed. On his lapel was a flower that matched Emmalyn’s.

“Vance, Emmalyn… The Goddess of Love has favored you with love and happiness in your relationship. I, Princess Catherine, wish you success together on her behalf.”

“Thank you,” Emmalyn and Vance said in unison.

Once they were dismissed, the ball came to a conclusion. This was the best day of Lilac’s life. Not only did she have the first kiss she had always dreamed of, but the friends she had shipped were blessed by none other than the Goddess of Love. Everything was perfect.