A Royal Obligation
Chapter 93: Dance With Me

Chapter 93: Dance With Me

Sadiki stood at the edge of the crowd, and watched Prince Eirik and Kaelix dance once more.

The music filled the air, a lively tune that matched the mood of the celebration, but Sadiki’s mind was elsewhere.

His eyes tracked the graceful movements of the royal couple as they spun around in sync, the crowd erupting in cheers and laughter.

Eirik’s white hair shimmered in the setting sun, his laughter carrying through the air like a sweet melody that seemed to haunt Sadiki’s heart.

It was a beautiful scene, and yet it filled Sadiki with a conflicting sense of melancholy and acceptance.

He had known Eirik longer than most here.

He had been the one by his side when the world was smaller, quieter. Back then, their moments had been filled with shared whispers and unspoken feelings. But those days were behind them now.

Sadiki had noticed the recent change between Kaelix and Eirik.

There was a subtle shift in their interactions, a closeness that was beginning to take shape. It wasn’t forced; it wasn’t something that could be ignored.

The way Eirik looked at Kaelix now, with something more than mere obligation or politeness, stirred a bitter pang inside Sadiki.

He knew that Kaelix was making a sincere effort, and as much as it stung, Sadiki couldn’t begrudge them their happiness. Eirik deserved it.

He sighed, tearing his eyes away from the couple. He didn’t want to be that person, someone who couldn’t let go, who couldn’t move on. He’d tried to be happy for them, but it was harder than he thought.

"Still pining over your lost love, Sadiki?" a voice teased from behind.

Sadiki groaned, instantly recognizing the voice. "Drystan," he muttered under his breath. Of course, it was him.

Drystan, with his annoyingly perfect smile and perpetual air of smugness, sidled up next to SSadiki

From the very day Sadiki had stepped foot in Zephyros, Drystan had made it his personal mission to get under his skin.

And it had only gotten worse since Sadiki and Eirik had ended things. Everywhere he turned, Drystan was there, poking and prodding, always with that infuriatingly playful glint in his eyes.

Sadiki shot him a sideways glare. "What do you want?"

Drystan grinned, clearly pleased with himself. "Just checking in on you. Thought you might need some company while you stare longingly at your ex."

"I wasn’t staring," Sadiki said defensively, though he immediately regretted how defensive it sounded.

"Sure," Drystan replied, dragging out the word with a knowing smirk. He crossed his arms over his chest, watching Eirik and Kaelix dance with idle amusement.

"Though, you have to admit, Kaelix doesn’t look half bad as a match for Eirik. You’re not secretly fuming with jealousy, are you?"

Sadiki groaned again, this time more in frustration than anything else. "Piss off, Drystan."

There was a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, though, despite his best efforts to remain annoyed.

He didn’t know when it had happened exactly, but Drystan had become something of a constant in his llife

At first, it was irritating, Drystan always finding a way to poke at him when he was at his lowest, but over time, it had started to pull Sadiki’s attention away from his heartbreak.

In an odd way, Drystan’s teasing had become a comfort, something to distract him from the pain he wasn’t quite ready to let go of.

"You look like you could use a distraction," Drystan said, still smirking as he glanced at Sadiki. "Why don’t you come dance with me?"

Sadiki stared at him like he’d grown two heads. "Why would I dance with you?"

"Because I asked you to," Drystan replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Sadiki opened his mouth to retort, but before he could say anything, Drystan grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the crowd, weaving them through the mass of people who were already lost in the music and revelry. "Wait, what... Drystan, I didn’t..."

"Too late!" Drystan interrupted, flashing a grin over his shoulder as they reached the center of the crowd.

The dance was awkward at first. Sadiki stiffened, his mind racing with thoughts of how absurd this was, how he didn’t want to do this, how this wasn’t what he’d signed up ffor

But Drystan, ever persistent, didn’t let go, leading him into the rhythm of the music with a playful ease that was hard to resist.

"Just relax," Drystan said, spinning Sadiki lightly. "It’s just a dance."

"It’s weird," Sadiki muttered, though he was finding it increasingly difficult to keep the irritation in his voice.

"Only if you make it weird," Drystan quipped, pulling Sadiki closer as the tempo of the music changed.

Sadiki, despite himself, started to relax.

The stiffness in his posture eased, and slowly, he found himself moving more freely with the rhythm.

He wasn’t sure if it was the music or the contagious energy of the crowd, but the tension he had been carrying seemed to melt away. He didn’t even realize he was smiling until he caught Drystan looking at him with a soft expression.

"What?" Sadiki asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

Drystan shook his head, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Nothing. You just... you look good when you smile. You should do it more often."

Sadiki rolled his eyes, but there was no heat behind it. He couldn’t help but feel a little flattered, though he wasn’t sure why. "Don’t get used to it."

"Too late," Drystan said, spinning him again, and this time, Sadiki laughed, really laughed.

The sound of his own laughter startled him. He hadn’t laughed like this in a long time, not since things had started to fall apart for him. It felt good, and in that moment, he realized just how much he’d missed feeling... free.

Drystan watched him with a satisfied smile, clearly pleased with himself.

But there was something else in his eyes, something more than the usual tteasing

For a brief second, Sadiki thought he saw something deeper, something softer, but before he could dwell on it, Drystan spun him around again, and they were both laughing as they danced.

Drystan’s grip on Sadiki’s waist tightened slightly as they moved in sync with the music. There was an undeniable energy between them, something that hadn’t been there before, or maybe it had been, and Sadiki had just been too caught up in his own feelings to notice. Whatever it was, it felt... nice.

When the song finally ended, Sadiki was breathless, his chest heaving from both the dancing and the unexpected wave of emotions that had come with it. Drystan still had his hand on Sadiki’s waist, and for a moment, neither of them moved.

"You’re not half bad," Sadiki said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Drystan smirked. "Told you."

As they stood there, surrounded by the crowd, the music still playing in the background, Sadiki felt a strange sense of peace settle over him. He hadn’t expected this, hadn’t expected any of this. But maybe that was okay. Maybe, for once, it was okay to not have all the answers.

Drystan’s eyes lingered on him, and for the first time, Sadiki didn’t feel the urge to look away.

There was something in the way Drystan was looking at him that made his heart beat a little faster, something that made him wonder if maybe, just maybe, there was more to this than he had realized.

"Well," Drystan said, breaking the silence with a grin, "if you’re done pining over your ex, maybe you could spend a little more time with me."

Sadiki rolled his eyes again, but this time, he was smiling. "We’ll see."

As they walked off the dance floor together, Sadiki couldn’t help but feel lighter, more at ease than he had in a long time.

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