x
It was hectic behind the scenes. Servants were everywhere, bringing more alcohol up from the wine cellar; rushing platters of food from the kitchen to the refreshment tables in the ballroom and the parlor next door to it, where people could sit down to rest; carrying empty bottles, glasses, and plates back to the kitchens; cleaning up messes; meeting the demands of individual guests; and doing it all while staying mostly out of sight from the partygoers.
I didn’t get to stay out of the ballroom. There was always something to do, and I had to help wherever needed. A nice thing about my brief forays into the ballroom was the chance to admire the elaborate ball gowns the women wore and the formal attire donned by the men. The princes didn’t have to dress up at all. Their normal, everyday clothes easily passed for formalwear. Prince Luke was the only exception, but he dressed up for this, and he looked even more handsome than usual in his shockingly white pants, long white coat edged in black and gold over a green dress shirt, and white dress gloves. He also looked a little uncomfortable. I felt a twinge of sympathy for the commoner turned prince, two or so months into his new position as royalty and already having to play the part in front of a massive international audience.
Prince Chevalier and Prince Leon took their positions on either side of the dance floor, as Theresa said, holding court. Prince Clavis was at Prince Chevalier’s right hand. The subdued line of men waiting their turn to talk to Prince Chevalier was a violent contrast to the jovial crowd surrounding Prince Leon, who laughed and talked with them like they were all old friends. Except there was something in his amber eyes that didn’t look as cheerful and carefree as usual, and I knew why. He and Prince Chevalier were watching Prince Gilbert constantly. And I always knew where Prince Gilbert was by the silence and the deathly chill that followed him everywhere. I tried not to look at him, but whenever I did, he was always looking back at me.
Prince Chevalier kept looking at me, too.
It was unnerving. I stayed out of the ballroom as much as possible.
The hours flew by, eaten up by a constant stream of busyness. There was a point when the line in front of Prince Chevalier ended and the crowd around Prince Leon dispersed, but Prince Chevalier didn’t leave the ballroom. He didn’t join the dancing, either. He remained on the periphery, his piercing blue eyes watching everything, while Prince Leon joined the dancing. I’d spotted most of the other princes among the dancers over the long evening, with Prince Jin and Prince Silvio taking frequent breaks to grab a drink at the refreshment table. Prince Nokto hadn’t left the dancefloor once, to my knowledge. It was past eleven o’clock now, and I was fairly certain he’d danced with every beautiful young woman by this point. Prince Licht was the only prince I hadn’t seen all night.
The exhaustion was settling in. I blame that for my lack of resistance when Prince Clavis caught my arm and led me toward an empty balcony.
“Prince Clavis-” I protested, but I didn’t put up much of a fight.
“It’s time for a break,” he said lightly, opening the glass door and tugging me toward the railing.
“I can’t take a break yet, your highness. Not when everybody else is still working.”
But the cool night breeze was so refreshing on my face, and I knew he wouldn’t let me leave right away, anyway. I rested my hands on the smooth white railing and leaned forward, closing my eyes for just a moment while the scent of roses drifting up from the gardens below wrapped around me.
And then his arm wrapped around me. Sort of. I opened my eyes and looked down at his right hand next to mine.
He wasn’t supposed to be part of my trouble tonight.
“It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?” he asked, smiling down at me with glittering golden eyes.
“I think I should go, your highness,” I said firmly, stepping as far away from him as his arm would allow.
“Have you tried the champagne?” he asked, removing his hand from the railing and settling it on my waist to pull me closer to his side.
“Prince Clavis-”
“I hear it’s delicious. Here,” he said, offering me a glass.
“I’m not drinking any alcohol, and I’m certainly not drinking whatever that is, your highness,” I replied, pushing the glass away. For all I knew, he’d drugged it with something for his own amusement.
“Well, well, what a surprise.”
Prince Nokto’s smooth voice came from behind us, and I tried to pull away from Prince Clavis again, again to no avail.
“Nokto, surely you recognize the need for privacy?” Prince Clavis said as Prince Nokto joined us at the railing.
“Of course, but I’d just like to know what our little dove is doing out here with you instead of me,” Prince Nokto answered, tilting his head to the side as his sultry crimson eyes locked on mine.
This was rapidly spinning out of control. Heat rose in my cheeks, and I tried desperately to think of a way out of this.
“I-”
“I would think that would be obvious, Nokto,” Prince Clavis said, cutting me off. He leaned in closer to whisper in my ear: “I think we should go, Ivetta.”
“Hey now, what’s going on here?” Prince Jin asked, walking out onto the balcony as Prince Clavis turned us away from the railing.
“Prince Jin, I could use your help,” I said, relieved to see him.
“I can see that.” He pulled Prince Clavis off of me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me up against his side.
“Prince Jin!” I exclaimed.
“I’m the oldest, so I get the first crack at her,” he said to the other princes with a smirk.
“Just a few feet away, there is a room full of beautiful women in beautiful ball gowns, any of whom would love to meet one of you three, and I suggest you all get in there and get to know some of them!” I protested.
I may as well have never spoken.
“She’s too young for you, Jin,” Prince Nokto said, pulling me away from his older brother. “You’d probably bore her.” He whispered in my ear, low enough that only I could hear him, “Nothing excites me quite like a virgin.”
I’d heard that sentence before, and a sudden panic exploded in my chest. The three teasing princes were three leering drunks, passing me back and forth while Jack laughed. There was no way out. I couldn’t breathe. My heart was pounding in my ears, deafening me to whatever they were saying, and then I saw a glint of light reflecting off of metal. I stared in shock at Prince Chevalier, holding the tip of his sword to Prince Nokto’s throat.
“Enough,” he said, his hard, frigid voice cutting through the last shreds of panic and bringing me back to the palace, where I was on a balcony, Prince Nokto’s arm was around my waist, and Jack was just a painful memory. Prince Nokto released me, and I took a step back from him, my heart still pounding wildly. I met Prince Chevalier’s icy blue eyes and took another step back, this time from all four of them. He was angry.
“Not jealous, are we, Chev?” Prince Clavis asked with a smirk.
“Go,” Prince Chevalier snapped at me.
I nodded and exited quickly, but the further I got from the balcony, the more I shook. It was too recent, only a few months ago, the day Jack dragged me into his brothel and tossed me into a group of drunken men waiting for their turns with his prostitutes. I wrapped one hand around my wrist, my feet carrying me further and faster without my conscious guidance. Jack had stopped them after he’d decided I was scared enough to listen to his offer. Because that’s what would happen to me if I didn’t work for him, he’d said. He protected his girls, and I’d never have to deal with more than one man at a time with him. I’d successfully avoided him after that until-
I stopped in Prince Chevalier’s library, the silence of the books as loud as the pounding of my heart. The princes hadn’t known. I collapsed in a corner, tucking my knees up to my chest and burying my face in my skirt. They’d only meant to tease me, not to hurt me. I just needed to breathe. Jack and the brothel were long gone, and I was safe here.
The door opened, and I looked up quickly, my body tense and ready to run, but just a glimpse of Prince Chevalier’s black boots and white cloak was enough to flood me with relief. I buried my face in my skirt again, listening to his booted footsteps crossing the wood floor toward me.
“I just need a minute,” I said in a shaky voice when his footsteps came to a stop next to me.
He sat down next to me, his cloak brushing against my arm. The warmth radiating from him called to me. I suddenly wanted him to put his arm around me. He didn’t even have to say anything. If I could just feel his secure embrace, just for a moment…
“May I touch you?” he asked quietly.
“Yes,” I said immediately.
His arm wrapped around my shoulders and gently pulled me closer to him. It felt perfect. My side against his, the heaviness of his arm across my back, the smell of roses wrapping around us. He didn’t speak, and I didn’t cry. We just sat there for a while. Finally, I took a deep breath and lifted my head, resting my chin on my knees.
“I know they were only teasing,” I said quietly, looking straight ahead. “But it still really bothered me.”
“No, it scared you,” Prince Chevalier corrected me. “You finally let that show when you left, and they realized their mistake.”
“I hate being scared,” I muttered, hugging my knees tighter to my chest.
“I know.” He reached over and brushed my hair back behind my ear. “Jack?”
I nodded, and then, before I even knew what I was doing, I released my knees and turned into Prince Chevalier’s side, burying my face in his chest, clutching at his shirt.
“Sorry,” I whispered, “but I-”
“It’s fine,” he said quietly, wrapping me up in his arms.
“Someday, I’ll forget.”
His hands stroked my hair gently, but he didn’t reply. He didn’t have to. I knew it was a lie. I’d never forget, no matter how much I wanted to, no matter how hard I tried. If only we could just stay like this forever…
What was I doing?
Prince Chevalier should be at the ball. He shouldn’t have interfered with his brothers, and I shouldn’t be here in his arms. The plan had already failed. There was no hiding anything on those balconies with their glass doors. Prince Gilbert had to have seen that - everybody had to have seen it. And now everybody knew the rumors were true.
Prince Chevalier drew his sword on his own brothers for me.
“This was a mistake,” I moaned, pulling away from Prince Chevalier. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“I warned you,” he replied, reaching out to brush the hair back from my face again. His pale blue eyes were soft, and I looked quickly away from them, warmth spreading wherever his fingers touched. I scrambled to my feet, massaging my temples as I tried to think of a way to salvage this situation. Fabric rustled behind me as Prince Chevalier stood, and then his hand was on my shoulder, spinning me back into his embrace.
“Prince Chevalier, please,” I begged, inwardly telling myself I should push him away. I shouldn’t be closing my eyes and leaning into his chest, curling my fingers into his jacket, savoring the tickle of his blonde hair on my cheek as he leaned in to speak into my ear.
“You will not enter the ballroom until all the guests have left, and you will see me before you leave,” he murmured. “Do you understand?”
I didn’t understand anything anymore. The palace wasn’t safe. Home wasn’t safe. I didn’t know what to do or where to go, and I couldn’t understand why Prince Chevalier left a ballroom full of women who should be occupying his time and attention to come after me.
But I felt safe with him. And I trusted him.
“I understand,” I whispered.
He sighed, his breath hot on my ear, and then he released me. I immediately felt cold without him.
“Let’s go,” he said, his voice cool again as he turned his back on me to open the door.
I followed him out into the main library, across the wood floor broken up by intermittent rugs in the shape of roses in bloom, out into the hallway, keeping my eyes downcast so I wouldn’t look at him. Stay out of the ballroom, and then see him before I left for home. I could manage that.
Prince Gilbert. The cup of warm milk.
Our paths split. Prince Chevalier went back to the ballroom, and I went to the kitchens without saying a word about Prince Gilbert.
ns 15.158.61.54da2
