“Is he serious right now?” Taj asked me, half-humored and half-shocked.
We watched his bright red hair disappear into the crowd of people, and I shrugged. “I stopped trying to figure out how any Faolan thinks. Just… go with it, my friend.” I clapped Taj on the back. “Go find a bride, and remember, don’t be late. Our fathers wouldn’t like that.”
A flash of green caught my eye, and I left my friends without another word. I needed to talk to her again...
"Your Royal Highness," a voice said a second before a tall blonde stepped directly in front of my path. A very beautiful blonde.
I smiled. "My lady, are you having a nice evening?"
"Please, call me Belinda," she replied, revealing a devastatingly white smile.
"Belinda, then," I replied, rolling the name around. "It's very nice to meet you."
"I was hoping we might be able to get one dance in together? I know you're so very busy, and a lot of people are demanding of your attention..." She dropped her eyes, looking embarrassed for some reason.
Before I knew what I was doing, I reached for her hand. "I choose who I give my attention to, my lady... and I would love a dance."
Her blue eyes lit up. "Oh, thank you, my prince."
"Shall we?" I swung my arm out, gesturing to the dance floor. Since her other hand was already secured in my grasp, I gave her an encouraging squeeze.
Belinda seemed to glide across the floor as I escorted her to the center. She was beautiful, poised, and her manners were astounding.
A new song started playing, a slower tune with deep notes from the cello. We moved together like we'd done this dance a thousand times before.
"You're a wonderful dancer, Prince Torin," she said breathily as I pulled her back in against my chest.
"You are not without skill yourself, my lady. You are experienced. Tell me, where do you come from?"
"I grew up within the walls of Andaros.”
“You’re Andarian? Really? I can’t believe we’ve never crossed paths then.” So not only was she beautiful and well-mannered, she was from my kingdom. Andaros was our capital and the largest city in the kingdom. Our castle was positioned in the center, built atop a large hill, towering over the homes and shops of our people below.
“My whole family are proud Andarians. I've attended all of my courses—taught by the best teachers. I'm fluent in several languages and know how to party plan. It's a bit of a passion of mine."
I raised a brow, more interested in her now that I knew she was Andarian. "A passion for parties, hmm? And how does this one fare?"
"It's the best party I've ever been to and likely ever will attend. I can't imagine anything more spectacular!"
I chuckled. "Any one of the prince's weddings will be far more outrageous than this party, I assure you." Her face fell, and I frowned. "What is it?"
"It's just that, while that is probably true, I doubt I'll be witness to any of them. After this, I'll have to return home and help my mother with my younger siblings. My father passed two winters ago, and seeing as how I have eight younger siblings, I will need to prioritize duty over social events."
We continued moving to the music with the other couples, each of us lost in conversation with our partners, the steps of the dance happening from sheer muscle memory. "You speak as though you won't be chosen."
"I'm not planning on that, my prince." Her cheeks began to redden. "With the death of my father, I'm quite convinced that our family is cursed with bad luck."
Cursed?
"You don't know what will happen, Belinda... but I do not doubt that you will get a proposal. You're captivating, humble, and gorgeous. We make our own paths, and while family must come first, we must also ensure that we have opportunities to grow our own. To go out into the world and make our own decisions, our own mistakes."
The music was slowing, getting softer. "Thank you, my prince," she whispered. "You have no idea how much your words mean to me."
The final note rang out, and I released my hold on her. "Thank you, Lady Belinda, for the dance. It was a pleasure meeting you."
She dropped into a deep curtsy effortlessly. My breath hitched as she looked up at me from so low, those blue orbs piercing me like arrows. "The pleasure," she said and began slowly rising from the ground, "is all mine."
A trickle of sweat dripped down my spine. Fucking hell, how much longer would this evening last? I didn't think I could take much more of it.
