I waved and smiled, unsure if they could even see it or not. I simultaneously decided that my princess wave was going to need some work.
But the people just kept cheering, happy to see us at all. It wasn’t lost on me that after our first dance we could have greeted anyone, and this was where Krew had chosen to go first. To the people locked out. The people deemed not good enough to be in the ballroom.
And honestly these people seemed less stuffy, and I wondered why we couldn’t just abandon the pretentious people and head down there with them instead. They looked like they were having way more fun.
Krew kept a tight grip on my waist at all times as we headed back inside and began greeting people in the ballroom. We would not be separated for this portion of the evening, evidently.
What had to be more than half an hour in, I was relieved to find Sasha and Juliette Girard. Some people I finally knew.
And I even halfway trusted Sasha. He was the first one to point out to me I might be the counter to the king’s power. He’d been wrong because now I was obviously Enchanted myself, but it had been a nice sentiment.
“I am not surprised at all,” he whispered to me, “to see you are the last one standing or to hear that you are soul bound.”
“Well, I was very surprised at the latter,” I laughed. “It knocked the wind out of us. Quite literally.”
Juliette grabbed at her chest. “I wish I could have seen it. Our bonding was rather intense too. You’ll have to tell me all about it some day soon. Some day when you aren’t being passed around a room full of people fighting to meet our new princess.”
Her word choice was daunting. “Are you sure you don’t wish for me to tell you right now?”
She reached her hand to my wrist and laughed.
My magic flared and I chalked it up to having not used it much due to all the prep work we had for the wedding.
Krew patted Sasha on the shoulder. “Don’t be a stranger.”
Sasha smiled at the both of us. “Wouldn’t dream of it. Wylan has much to be proud of today.” He leaned in. “And word has it, there have been parties in the streets of Nerede all day.”
I barely had time to process that before my magic flared again. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the emotions I felt in hearing Nerede was proud of me, or if again, I needed to use some magic.
Juliette glared at her husband. “Do not make our princess cry on her wedding day!”
I snorted a laugh. “As if I haven’t already done enough of that today.”
“Congratulations!”
Another couple, having apparently decided we were done talking to the Girards, stepped right up to the space between us and them, effectively cutting them off.
I looked around the smiling woman in front of me, who I had never met, to Juliette, but she just laughed and waved her wrist as if telling us to continue on.
“We are so honored to have a new princess,” the woman said with a bow.
I shook my head. “No. I am the one honored today. All I have ever wanted is this man right next to me.”
“A true love story,” the man said.
But the way he said it had my eyes flicking to his, examining his body language and posture. They were saying all the right things, but were they really going to welcome a princess from Nerede? Bow to a princess from Nerede? I had the hearts of Nerede and likely Rallis. But some of Savaryn were going to be hard to win over. I had no false notions about that.
“When will—”
The woman’s question was cut off as Krew shoved me behind him.
Krew’s navy magic was everywhere at once. And mine was causing my skin to glow, begging to join and help him. I had a half a second to decide what to do and knew I couldn’t release my magic. Not now. Not here. All of Savaryn would find out just how strong Krew and I were when our magic combined. The king would know how much of a threat we posed to his power.
So I pushed my magic down, though it physically pained me to do so.
And that was when I saw it. Shards of glass had been hurtling toward me. Krew froze them all in the air and then used his magic to travel along the lime-colored magic back to its source.
I caught my breath. I didn’t know that could even happen until I was seeing it with my own eyes.
