QT: I Bent The Male Lead

Jason walked towards the ballroom alone. Today was Davion's birthday and yet he was not there with his love. He was forced to attend the party alone. 

He strolled quietly with his eyes looking back to see if he could catch a glimpse of his crown prince and Aricus. 

He bumped into a masculine chest and was compelled to look up. So caught up in trying to find out about Davion, he failed to notice the man that he bumped into. 

"My apologies," he bowed his head in apology. He glanced at the man from his toes to his head. His face almost resembled that of the crown prince. He was dressed in a black outfit, with black well trimmed hair. 

He had his hand gracefully at his back. With smoky black eyes that looked at Jason as though he could through to his soul. He had sharp features that gave him a manly look. His demeanor commanded respect and obedience. The man stood with a straight unmoved by Jason bumping into him. 

"It is no trouble," the man said. He walked around Jason proceeding on his tracks when Jason grabbed hold of his arm and stopped him. 

"Why are you alone?" Jason asked, he was sure he knew who the young man was. He tries to recall from the descriptions of the original version of the novel who he could be but it was hard to put his hand on it. 

"I don't see you with anyone either," the man turned around and darted at him. 

"My escort left me last minute," he noted recalling the rude way in which the king threw him out of his room. "And you?"

"I never had an escort to begin with. I don't like to have company," the man explained. 

Jason nodded, he thought that he could save himself some face if he were to go with the man to the party. But there was truly no way to turn the night around. 

"If you want, we can go together," the man offered taking in Jason's expression. Jason's eyes lit. It would hurt less to see Davion and his date walk into the party with Aricus if he had someone to walk in with. 

"I would love that," he said and flashed the man a kind smile. 

"I have to see someone, shall we," the man invited of him. Jason thought why not, the party was not going to be that fun either so the more he didn't have to be at the party the better. 

"Are you a guest of the throne or just a guest at court?" The man asked politely. 

Jason thought about, before he had been the guest of the throne. But that was before he had gotten engaged to the crown prince. Now he was a part of the family, he was no more a guest or an outsider. But he wasn't sure how long that would last. 

The crown Prince was under an enchantment of the most dangerous kind. He might even get sired to the man forever and that would be the end of him. 

"Family," he responded to the kind stranger. 

"Likewise, in fact it is why I am here. From the report I received, the palace was crowding with trash. I am here to clean everything up," the man informed him. 

Jason lived in the palace, he had not seen a single spot of trash around. The servants were very good at their jobs even though he never really see them working. 

It was like they clean when everyone was asleep. It was difficult to catch a maid working in the day. So he figured the man was referring to people. 

"Are you a guest of family?" Jason asked to satisfy his curiosity. The man seemed familiar with the way that he carried himself, it was unlike the side characters, he was an important part of the plot. 

Yet, he could not point to who the man was. Strangely enough the man was going towards the crown prince's room. Jason held his breath and crossed his fingers, to at least get a view of Davion as they walked past the room. 

The closer they got to the room the more excited his heart got. Just a glance of the man, that is what he wanted. 

"Both I suppose," the man let out. "Ahhh," Winrus screeched out as he bumped into the man. He was rushing out of Davion's room when he ran into the man. 

"Are you okay?" Jason asked worried for Winrus. The male went pale, he bowed his head and apologised repeatedly. 

"I apologise for my mistake. I should have been more careful your grace," Winrus uttered. 

Jason raised his head to the stranger. He was even more curious about the man's identity now more than ever. 

"It's alright. Don't make a habit of it," The man said and straightened his shirt. "Tell Davion that I wish to see him and his engaged boyfriend right now. Instruct Amberly that I wish to understand why she has enchanted the prince, the queen grandmother must also answer to me why she allowed her such dangerous potion," he uttered. 

Jason was surprised. The man was giving orders so effortlessly like it was something that he was used to doing. He was concerned about the title of the people he was talking about, he just went on and on. 

"Ask the king for an audience as soon as possible and by that I mean this instant," he demanded of Winrus. "I want everyone by the family room," he added. 

"Yes your grace," Winrus replied and rushed back into the room to inform Davion of the man's orders. 

Jason was impressed. He too wanted to be able to command the same amount of attention and respect that the man did. He didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point with what he wanted to say. 

It was remarkable. Jason walked away from the room and followed the mysterious man that had just walked into the palace. Five minutes in and he was acting like the king of Aphidia. 

"Why we're you abandoned last minute?" The man inquired. 

The scene from Davion's room a while back flashed before Jason's mind. How was he to explain that the person didn't mean to leave his side, he was compelled to by whatever Amberky gave him which turned out to be from the queen grandmother.

His situation was pitiful yet he didn't want anyone to pity him. Firstly off, he and the crown prince had a big misunderstanding and then he fell into the lake and woke up to the distance that had grown between them. 

After clearing the misunderstandings and seeing that they were on the same side. Then again an issue arose. With Amberly spelling him, the only mistake was that the spell went wrong and instead of her Davion was now stuck by Aricus's side. 

It was an irritating fact but the reality nonetheless. "It was on purpose, something came up."

"Hmm."

They sauntered to the end of the corridor. The man pushed open the door and ushered Jason inside. 

"May I ask who you are?" Jason question. The man stopped walking and gazed into the Jason's eyes.

"Am I to believe that you do not know who I am?" He asked intrigued. 

Jason shook his head. Even after walking with the man and hearing him talk, he couldn't say who the man was. And if he was going to the dance with the man, he figured there was no harm in asking him for his name. 

"Malcer," the man said. 

Jason ran that name to all the names in the novel but he was still unable to say for certain who the stranger was. The man chuckled from the look that Jason had on his face. 

"You look cute when you are confused," he uttered between his laughs. 

"I still don't know who you are," Jason uttered scratching the back of his head nervously. 

"I could tell," the man admitted. "Prince Malcer Valeon Blakemore," the man informed. 

Sweat trickled down Jason's forehead. He was shocked by the identity of the man. He was the youngest prince of Aphidia. But in the first novel, he equalled the crown prince in combat. 

He was the ice prince of Aphidia. He didn't control ice, his element of control was the four elements, only he didn't play by the rules. Where normal people would manipulate water, he manipulated blood. 

Where people manipulated fire, he played with lightning for fun. He was a man who didn't entertain jokes and rarely laughed. Despite being the youngest he commanded respect and abidance from all members of the royal family. 

"I take it from your reaction that my reputation preceded me," he spoke out. 

Jason nodded, he couldn't believe that he actually initiated a conversation with the prince. The man was bad news with flaws, and he had the most at the moment. 

No wonder the man said he was there to clean the palace.. Part of that meant him and it didn't make feel any better that they were on laughing terms.