“Shh!”My mother craned her neck, and I heard the king’s booming voice.
“And my youngest eligible daughter is Lady Mara of Highcastle.”My father paused.“Lady Mara?”
My mother released my hair and pushed me.“Go!”
Chapter Six
Istumbled back intothe throne room, hearing more than seeing everyone turn to look at me.Chairs creaked, clothing swished, and then a few people made sounds of astonishment.I suppose I looked as bad as my mother indicated.I could tell my hair was falling out of its coiffure and my once neat curls were windswept and wild.My lips were warm from kissing Gaz, and I felt my cheeks heat further from having everyone’s attention on me.But I had been raised in the court, and my training was more or less instinctual.I faced my father and gave a deep curtsey.Then I turned to the room and did the same, gliding on wobbly legs back to my chair, where Finnrey stood.My sisters were standing, having been introduced before me.I stood behind my chair as well and tried to look like the attention didn’t bother me.
“I am told,” my father continued, his voice the formal one he used when he attended to state business, “that the challenging prince is allowed to meet privately with each of the princesses.I offer my personal antechamber for that purpose.Taio of the First House of Zulen, would you like to meet with any of my daughters?If I might make a suggestion, it would be to begin with the eldest, Cameed.”He gestured to Cameed, who dipped her head.
Like everyone else in the room, I glanced at Taio.He too stood at his chair, his fellow countrymen at the ready behind him.If he knew anything about our culture, he would defer to the king and meet with Cameed first as a show of respect to her rank as eldest.
Instead, his gaze slid away from the king, over Cameed, Morga, and Broga.His blue-green eyes landed on Riah and then Finnrey.And then I felt that shock once again as his gaze met mine.It was almost as though he touched me without even coming close.I wanted to look away, wanted to crush this strange feeling.Instead, I lifted my chin and stared right back at him.
He gave me a slight nod then said, never breaking eye contact, “I wish to speak to Lady Mara.”
I don’t know why I was surprised.Gaz had said Lord Taio would choose me.And he looked directly at me when he spoke.And yet I couldn’t seem to comprehend.I was supposed to speak to this foreigner?Alone?The Zulenii prince began moving around the table, past the other diners who were still seated.I didn’t dare breathe.Finally, he came to stand beside me.I lifted my eyes and then my chin to look up at him.I hadn’t looked up at anyone—man or woman—since I’d been twelve.The Zulenii held out a hand, and I simply stared at it.Finnrey pushed me, and I blinked and took in a breath.But I didn’t take the prince’s hand.I needn’t touch him.If he wanted to see me alone, so be it.It didn’t have to be an enjoyable meeting.
I turned my back to him and stalked away, leading him in the direction of the door to the throne room antechamber.Hopefully, we could get this over with quickly.As I passed the throne, I glanced my father’s way.The king was watching me, apprehension in his eyes.I smiled at him, trying to appear unconcerned.He did not smile back.
One of the honor guard opened the double doors leading out of the throne room.Another set of doors was just beyond those.When the prince stepped through, the honor guard closed the doors to the throne room.For a moment, the prince and I stood in the corridor together.I glanced down at the door to the balcony, where I’d been with Gaz just moments before.Had it really been just a few minutes ago?It felt like a lifetime.
Now was not the time to think about what Gaz had predicted or what my mother had said.What had she meant when she’d claimed Gaz had done everything he could to be at the banquet?And why was she not more surprised at his interest in me?She seemed to take it as a given.Gaz’s attention was sudden and unexpected.But mayhap he was telling the truth.Mayhap he’d tried to think of me like a sister, but his feelings were too strong.
The guard moved to open the doors to the wolves’ den, and I stepped inside.Little had altered since I’d last been here.The flowers in the center of the square table had changed and now the vase was full of purple flowers.These were my favorite.They had a scientific name, but we all called them amethysts.Two goblets and a bottle of wine—I wondered if this one was watered—had also been placed on the table.
The room was otherwise empty.The chairs near the hearth with its low-burning fire were unoccupied.Past these was a large bed with brocade hangings surrounding it, offering the king privacy should he wish to rest.The hangings were tied at the bed’s four posts so we could see no one else was in the room.
“I’ll be just outside the door, my lady,” the guard said with a sidelong glance at the prince.
“Thank you,” I said.He closed the door, and I turned to the prince.He was standing closer than I anticipated, and I almost bumped into his chest.I stumbled back, and the prince reached out and caught my arm.I gasped.
Once when I had been on patrol in the outerlands, there had been an enormous lightning storm.Lightning hissed and crackled in the skies for hours.I’d thought it beautiful until one lightning bolt hit a small tree a few yards from where we cadets were taking cover.The sound of the lightning strike was deafening, but what scared me was the electricity that vibrated through the atmosphere.The air I breathed had seem charged.The hair on my arms and even my head had risen, and static snapped between our group.
When the prince touched me, I felt that same surge of electric current, as though a charge went from his hand on my bare arm right through my entire body.The hair on my arms stood up like I’d been momentarily shocked.
