Impeccable (Zayn Malik AU)

xxix. Seventeen

♡ Odette's POV ♡

Erica and Falene seemed to take pleasure in picking out my outfit and doing my hair and makeup before my party.

Erica wanted something sweet, picking out tons of pastel gowns and wanting makeup to highlight my natural beauty. Falene, on the other hand, wanted something show stopping, picking out bold dresses and wanting to try new creations with my hair.

In the end, I compromised with both of their visions, choosing to wear a flowy golden dress with a beautiful diamond necklace and high heels. I let Falene curl my hair and Erica do my makeup, keeping my eyes fixed on the both of then through the mirror in case they got any ideas on changing my look.

Afterwards, Erica got changed into a midnight blue cocktail dress, effervescent pearls shining among diamonds in her necklace. Her curls had been pinned up with Falene's help, and her black heels made her tower over my minuscule height, even with my heels.

"We better hurry," Erica said as she fixed her diamond earrings. "I don't think our kings would be happy if their queens were late."

***

The ballroom was packed, full of royals and nobles I had never seen before. I assumed royal birthdays were now an excuse for everyone from everywhere to party, though I'm sure most of the royals there were acquaintances of Zayn.

Night had just fallen over the Empire, and my official seventeenth birthday party began.

I spotted some familiar faces in the crowd, and others I had never seen before. Everyone wished me a happy birthday as I passed, and with a start I realized this was no formal ball like I had been brought to my entire time here.

The lights had been dimmed and the streamers and balloons glowed with an ethereal light that seemed to reflect off everyone in the room. Waiters and servants walked around carrying trays of snacks and flutes of champagne and other alcohol, and everyone was socializing or dancing to the loud music.

Erica guided me through the huge crowd as we searched for Zayn and Eli, finding them by the snack table not long later. I found Zayn was talking to Ivy, a black dress hugging her figure and her dark hair straightened. She looked nice despite her bruised face.

"For you, my dear." Eli told Erica as we approached them, holding a flute of champagne out to his fiancé. Erica took it graciously before downing it all in one gulp, winking at her king afterwards. Eli only stared blankly, almost like he hadn't witnessed his love act so improper before.

Erica held her hand out to her fiancé and soon dragged him out to the dance floor, Eli looking bewildered as he was forced to follow.

Zayn chuckled next to me, sipping on his own glass of champagne. His eyes seemed to sparkle with something...mischievousness? He was dressed nicely in all black, and he seemed to think I was dressed pretty nicely too, as he couldn't take his eyes off of me. I soon realized it wasn't mischief in his eyes like I had previously thought when he leaned in close, a hand on my back pressing me closer to his body. It was lust.

"You look amazing in this dress." He whispered into my ear, his hand on my back gradually moving lower until I moved away, giving him a coy look. Zayn smirked and grabbed a glass of champagne off one of the servants' platters, handing it to me.

"Drink up, you're seventeen. You deserve a bit of fun." He told me, my small fingers gently grabbing the glass and raising it to my lips. I had tried alcohol before, but never really craved it all that much. I would drink at special occasions or formal parties, but never really just on a whim.

Then again, today was my birthday. Zayn was right, I did deserve a bit of fun.

So, after several drinks and many dances with Zayn later, I was feeling like I was on cloud nine. The entire time I was held captive by Zayn's intense gaze, his hands keeping me close. My hair had been pushed to one side at one point, Zayn's lips gently assaulting the skin at the crook of my neck in the dim light. I had been left dizzy and breathless when he released me, his lips at my ear soon after.