Blood Thirst: God of War

Dancing Queen

For this night, the Primrose Hill was like a floating world of its own, on the sea where only the most elite of the elite were gathered. 

And all the limelight was on the Morgan family.  

Kenneth and Quella had a clear mission as they moved through the grand ballroom with careful eyes: to find the Duke of Glamorgan.  

The head of the Morgan family.  

When they only found guests standing in every corner, Quella spoke in a slightly irritated way. 

“Why can't we just enjoy ourselves first? I'm already tense about the presentation, can't we at least eat something first, or at least mingle with our friends instead of looking for the rich old man?”

Kenneth tugged at her arm, a little harsher than he was used to. 

"Hush! Mind your words, Quella! There are many ears around… and most importantly,  he isn't any random rich old man. He is the richest man in the country, but that's not all! His lineage traces back to a hereditary duke, making him actual royalty.”

Quella took a deep breath, she knew that if they managed to gain the Duke's favor, they would have an untouchable financial force supporting their own Empire. 

His empire stretched across every sector… from hospitals to cemeteries. From birth to death, there was no stage of life where someone wouldn't come across one of his companies. 

Gaining such a valuable investor would surely make them rich beyond their imaginations. She nodded, knowing that he was the most important player to help them secure their golden future. 

After all, there was a saying in the country:  

"Only death and Morgan are inevitable."  

But before they could restart their search, the opening dance was announced. The orchestra began playing a soft, elegant tune, signaling the start of the banquet’s first dance.  

Their eyes met, and Kenneth took Quella’s hand. There was a confident smirk on his face as he led her to the dance floor. 

They were one of the four couples who began the inaugural dance, gathering the attention of the guests. Their movements were close, too close, but who cared anymore…? 

Her grandfather was already dead. Soon, they would be legally married, and after tonight, they would have made a place for themselves among the elite.  

Quella laughed happily, feeling that her ambitions were finally within reach.  

But just then, out of the corner of her eye she saw Julius.  

He was always at the periphery of her world, reminding her of his cursed presence. And right now, he looked like an omen of bad, sitting alone in this gathering.  

She immediately scoffed.

“What a sight!” 

She sneered, looking at Kenneth and then gesturing towards Julius with her eyes. 

“An evergreen loser. No matter how grand the event, no matter how much luck stumbles into his lap, he’s always alone. Always a stray dog, looking inside from the edges of greatness.”  

Kenneth chuckled, tightening his grip on her waist as they deliberately moved towards the edge of the dance floor, right in Julius' face. 

“Poor sob! He shows up in slippers, gets gifted a suit, and still can’t manage to be anything but an invisible, unlucky son of a bitch.” 

Quella smirked.

“What's the use of pretending like you own the fucking world! When at the end of the day, he has nothing in his hands. No woman, no power… just sitting there like a wet blanket while the real men make things happen.”  

Julius, as always, remained calm. He was used to their provocative insults; but Miley was neither habituated to their nonsense, nor was she calm at all. 

Before anyone could react, she stepped forward, her heels clicking against the polished floor with an air of undeniable authority.  

Despite the anger bubbling in her chest, he walked gracefully towards Julius and extended her hand.  

He looked up at her pale hand with a questioning look in his eyes. 

“Hey there, handsome.”

“Hey." 

He replied flatly, but there was a smile on his face. 

“Would you like to dance with me?”  

Quella’s smirk faltered, but she assured herself that Julius was definitely going to reject her offer. She had known him for so long, and he had never even looked at any woman… then dancing with her was out of the question. 

But Julius looked at Miley, then reached out without hesitation and took her hand.  

“I would love to.”  

A smile was pulling at his lips, and the music changed. The rhythm picked up, shifting from a slow, elegant tune to a more upbeat, passionate one. 

Julius confidently led Miley onto the dance floor. Holding her hand, he pulled her in, and she followed his lead, twisting her body and melting into his arms as if they had danced like this a hundred times before.  

Miley’s silver-white gown swirled around her like moonlight, catching the glow of light. Her measured dance steps were fluid and breathtaking, making her the absolute center of attention.  

One by one, the other couples stopped dancing, not because of any compulsion. But because they knew they couldn’t compare to them. 

Whispers filled the ballroom, as all eyes turned to the new couple whose dance steps were like a delight to watch. 

“Who is she?”  

“That dress… oh gosh! She looks like an angel.”  

“Look at their chemistry! They both look so hot!!”

Julius spun Miley effortlessly, pulling her in close before guiding her into another step. But unlike the other couples who had stepped down by now, Quella and Kenneth were still dancing.  

No matter what, their egos would never allow them to admit defeat to Julius. But compared to Julius and Miley, they looked like two quails learning to walk.  

Their awkward, stiff movements were completely overshadowed by the dazzling performance in the center of the room, and Quella’s face burned with humiliation.  

Kenneth tried his best to keep up, spinning Quella in circles until she was dizzy, but it was useless. No one was looking at them, no one cared.  

And then, Miley let go of Julius’s hand and started to spin.  

Once… twice… three times… ten times! 

A breathtaking, flawless series of turns that ended with her landing perfectly in Julius’s arms as the music came to an end. 

The room erupted into loud applause, as if they were completely spellbound by the couple.  

Kenneth and Quella stood frozen, forgotten at one side, but Julius didn’t even spare them a glance.  

He simply smiled at Miley, like sharing a secret between just the two of them. And that was the moment Quella realized something she couldn’t accept at first.  

In spite of her assumptions, Julius wasn’t alone. And compared to the queen at his side, she had become nothing.