“Alaya, at last.” The General’s wife trills, her heels echoing in the vast room as she walks towards me. “Daphne Atticus, pleased to meet you, My Lady.” She bobs down slightly. “I have been asked by the King to ensure you are both adequately instructed on the dance steps for the Commitment Ball, especially your first dance. Oh, how exciting! We haven’t had a ball in years.”
“I don’t dance.” My prior happiness from the dress fitting is gone. Tension coils through my shoulders.
“No worries, my dear.” She smiles with a touch of pity. “We shall go through the steps, then you can partner up and practice. Dancing is the natural flow of music to movement. Our Prince is quite a master of the dance if I remember correctly.” She simpers a smile over at Prince Kiernan, who shifts uncomfortably.
Daphne spends the next thirty minutes going through the steps that will be our official first dance. I’m mortified to learn this will start with just Prince Kiernan and me, while the entire Court looks on. The thought of being in that kind of spotlight—of their contempt directed at me—makes me feel nauseous. I’m so distracted that I miss several of the instructed steps, and they all become a jumble in my head.
“Lovely.” Daphne claps. “Now to try them out. Alaya, for now so that I can see how you do, you will partner with Xavier. Prince Kiernan would make the worst dancer look good, and I need to ensure you have the steps right yourself.”
I freeze as she points towards the Fae that assaulted me.
Terror sweeps through me. I don’t want to be anywhere near Xavier, let alone close enough to dance. My feet instinctively attempt to flee. Then I feel his dominating bulk in front of me, and his hand comes up to my waist to pull me closer.
A shiver of revulsion sweeps me. I shudder, his hand on my waist feeling like a burning grip. I look up. He’s leering down at me, his tongue licking his lower lip as if he can taste me., and every part of me is screaming to run. I try to pull away, but his grip tightens, his other hand grabbing my free hand, which is clammy with sweat.
“We meet again, Princess,” he drawls, his voice low and husky.
That night flashes in my head: the taste of him on my lips, the feel of his hand cupping my breast, his strong grip on my thigh. And my body’s involuntary reaction to him.
I can’t breathe.
I start to tremble, and I can’t see straight. The Fae at the piano starts to play, the music rings out and Xavier starts to lead us around the floor. I am stiff and uncoordinated. I hear Daphne shouting instructions, but it’s as if she’s miles away, muffled behind the roaring in my head as I just try to stay upright. I’m not even sure what steps I’ve made when Xavier suddenly stops and mercifully drops my hand and his grip on my waist.
Though once he isn’t holding me up, my legs give way.
I puddle to the floor in an undignified heap.
The cool marble presses against my palms. I focus on breathing—in, out, in, out—until the roaring in my head subsides to a dull hum. When I finally look up, Daphne is staring at me with pity in her eyes.
And Prince Kiernan?
Oh Gods. His jaw clenches, a vein pulsing at his temple. The promise I made to him echoes in my head—pretend in public,don’t embarrass him, keep up appearances. Heat floods my cheeks as I replay the moment, that bastard Xavier’s words and touch cutting through my composure like a blade. My vision blurs, and I blink rapidly, willing the tears back before they can fall.
Prince Kiernan strides over and grabs my arm, pulling me roughly to my feet.
“Alaya will dance with me,” he says, seething.
Daphne looks flustered but composes herself and signals to the Fae playing the grand piano to continue.
“May I?” Prince Kiernan asks, motioning with his hand towards my waist.
I’m taken aback, but I nod. His hand comes up and lightly sits on my waist. As he takes my other hand, I can feel the tension from him, his muscles taut. He takes the lead stiffly, and I try to follow his flowing steps, but I am so shaky and confused I stumble, trip, and misstep the whole way through.
“I’m sorry. He—”
“Shut up,“ he snarls into the inches between us, his voice a white-knuckled grip on a temper about to snap. “Don’t say anything, or I might do something I regret.”
I bite my tongue.
The music stops. He instantly pulls away, so fast I stumble and nearly fall again.
“We are done!” he shouts.
As he throws a menacing look over his shoulder towards Daphne and Xavier and strides purposefully towards the door, I catch the mumble under his breath.
“Never again.”
Prince Kiernan
