‘So tell me everything. We don’t have long till Hew arrives, and I promised him he could have all my dances tonight.’
The tension squeezes harder around my throat and chest. ‘Kay, what are you doing?’
‘What? Honestly, Rose, if you spent any time with him at all, you’d love him. He’s fun. He’s caring. He’s attentive. He’s?—’
‘A lord,’ I say. ‘A member of the Royal Court, from which we were banished after our powers were stripped.’
‘To which we’ll be returned, when you win the gifting, right? There’s no point lying. I worked it out. That’s the only reason you’d put yourself through this, right? For us. So that we can get out of the slums. So that we can live safely.’ I try to interrupt but she won’t let me get a word in edgeways. ‘None of that matters to Hew. He doesn’t care about that. He likes me as a person. Do you know what an incredible feeling that is?’
I thought I did. I thought Kyor saw me.
Anxiety holds me fast, but looking at the joy on her face, the last thing I want to do is burst my little sister’s bubble. I can’t remember the last time I saw her this happy – if I ever have.
‘Just don’t do anything stupid,’ I say to her, pressing my lips tightly together.
‘Like what?’ she asks innocently.
My cheeks heat. ‘Like … you know what. If he’s as loyal and caring and unbothered about things as you say, then he’ll have no issue waiting until there’s a ring on your finger, will he?’
She scoffs. ‘My Gods, you really are the sensible older sister, aren’t you?’
‘Kay …’ Something about the way she avoids my gaze causes my pulse to hitch up another notch. ‘Tell me you haven’t. You haven’t? Honestly.’
Again, she offers me another look of exasperation.
I’ve felt like a parent plenty of times in the last few years, but I’ve never felt like the parent of an eighteen-year-old quite as much as I do now.
‘Just a little bit of fooling around, that’s all. Nothing that would get me into trouble. And you can’t tell me you’re not doing the same. I’ve seen the way Jonas looks at you. He’s smitten. So smitten, William reckons he might actually propose.’
‘What?’ I feel my jaw drop to the floor. That has to be a joke, right? Marriage? Me, married to Jonas? What could possibly be the advantage toJonas and his family in his marrying me? Perhaps they anticipate that if I win this thing, it will strengthen their name, but then why would Jonas be in it if he didn’t think he could win? I think of the way Estel sneered when she mentioned my father marrying for love. Artur would not wish for that same ridicule for Jonas. Besides, a marriage for love needs to be two-sided.
With a shake of my head I push the thoughts aside. I did not put myself in this competition to find a husband. Given the survival rate, it would’ve been a pretty shit mathematical probability to take a chance on.
‘Oh, look who it is!’ She’s on her feet without a moment’s hesitation, a wide grin on her face. I turn to see Hew striding towards us with Kyor at his side. As etiquette dictates, Kay stretches her hand out to the prince first.
‘Acacia.’ Kyor smiles softly. ‘You look lovely.’
‘Thank you,’ she says, dipping ever so slightly into a formal curtsy.
‘Rose.’ His eyes lock on mine. No hint of a smile. Nothing but neutral formality. And yet it’s still enough to make my pulse rocket. Still, I miss hearing ‘Thorn’ fall from his lips, and I hate the stiffness with which he holds himself apart from me.
‘Rose!’ Kay hisses, clearly expecting me to follow her lead and curtsy.
Though I thought often about bending my knees for Kyor, it wasn’t for a damned curtsy.
‘Miss Kultavaris.’ Hew looks solely at Kay as he speaks. ‘I believe you promised me all your dances tonight.’ His voice is syrupy sweet.
‘That seems somewhat selfish,’ Kyor says. ‘She probably wants to spend time with her sister. Besides, weren’t you saying there was that woman from Dorain you were planning on having some fun with tonight?’
Hew crinkles his nose and scoffs. ‘No, I was not. And your sense of humour is vile. Thankfully, Miss Kultavaris knows better of me than that.’
‘Come on,’ Kay says, holding out her hand. ‘We can fit in one dance, and then I’ll be in need of a glass of wine and a talk with my sister.’
Hew whisks her away without another word, leaving me alone with Kyor.
Silence rushes into the space between us. Heavy. Expectant.
‘Thank you,’ I say quietly to get it over with. ‘For allowing Caroline to attend tonight.’
