The Presentation began exactly like the Suitors’ Ball. Annalisa, escorted by old and balding Baron Amberfield, entered the ballroom first and promenaded in front of the suitors. Then Brietta entered with Duke Hyton, who was too drunk to notice she wore hismother’s gown.
Camille left with her father. Dinah and herfather followed.
I stared at another pair of wooden doors. My heart pounding in my ears drowned out the sound of my announcement and I startled myself as the doorsswung open.
I tried to will myself into calmness as I walked into the ballroom. My skirt’s ragged hem glided along the polished tile floor as the eyes of nearly every noble man and woman in Lycaster examined me. My heart drummed even harder, my palms were sticky with sweat, and my head spun amongst all the colorful clothes, hissing whispers, andstrong perfumes.
The world slowed down as soon as I found Derrick. He stood amongst the audience of suitors, wearing a coronet of gold that marked him as the heir on top of his shining dark curls. His brilliant Hyton Blue cape draped across his broad shoulders and he carried a bejeweled sword on his hip. His regal outfit and strong stance announced loud and clear that the heir of the House of Hyton was ready to takehis bride.
I loosened my grip on Father’s arm as I found my footing again. I could have looked into those beautiful blue eyes forever. Derrick smiled at me and I dared to let myselfsmile back.
Before Father and I exited the ballroom, I noticed a tower of blue that was not Derrick amongst thesuitors—General Hyton.
Before I could investigate any further, the ballroom doorscreaked shut.
We waited inside a small sitting room under the agonizing ticking clock as the suitors made theirbride selections.
Father and I sat on a velvet couch as I caught up with my breath. I dared to glance at Annalisa, who sat alone and looked at her shoes while Baron Amberfield chatted with Dinah’s father. The two men talked of the promising harvest in the Middle provinces and ignoredglassy-eyed Annalisa.
Her own father did not pay her any attention, either. Duke Hyton still had Brietta on his arm and offered her drinks from his flask to calm her nerves. Brietta politely declined until Duke Hyton finally shrugged and tipped the flask intohis mouth.
Even though I had imagined the worst-case scenario each time I worried about the Presentation, I never thought it would be so…unpleasant. Nothing seemed right or fair, but when hadanythingin my life been fair?
Still, just because life was unfair did not mean we all had to be miserable. Just as I was about to get up to extend an olive branch to Annalisa, my ears burned as Dinah and Camille whispered toeach other.
“How many suitors did you count?” Dinah asked Camille. “I onlysaw four!”
“Same here,” Camille whispered. “The same four from theSuitors’ Ball!”
“Who is the fifth suitor?” Dinah hissed. “There has to be afifth suitor!”
“Did you see your mother in there?” Father said, breaking my attention away from Dinah and Camille. “She wastearing up.”
“No,” I replied. I ran my sweating palms along the velvet seat. “Iwas distracted.”
“Of course,” Father said with a small smile as his voice hitched. Father looked at the wallpaper and then back down at me with tears welling up in his brown eyes. “You know, you used to be my Little Ember. You had fire in your sun-spotted eyes and a vibrant spirit…but when your brothers died, you went cold and it was like I lostyou too.”
My chest shuddered as I started to crumble. I closed my eyes to shut out tears, but I could not shut out Father’s shaking voice. “But just now, when you looked at Lord Hyton, I saw your fire return. Erik and Endre would be so proudof you.”
Memories of my brothers slipped out from behind my stone walls. I pictured Erik’s eternally serious face and Endre’s mirthful smile. The tip of my nose burned like I was about to cry for the first time in years, but a banging noise shocked me out ofmy sorrow.
One knock. Two knocks.Three knocks.
The selections were complete. He had madehis choice.
The world spun as soon as the final knock reached my ears.
I held onto Father’s hand to keep my balance as he led me back into the ballroom for the reading ofthe names.
We waited with the other brides and their escorts in front of the audience of nobility. The suitors had all left the ballroom to make their choices, but all the other noblesexamined us.
I was no more than a butterfly with my wings pinned toa board.
Seven gorgeous women all dressed in rich, colorful gowns and adorned with more gems than I had ever seen whispered to each other off to the side. The women had hair from blonde, to brown, to black, but their identical blue eyes were all on Annalisa. They could be no one else but the women of the House of Hyton. Derrick’s six elder sisters had returned to Lycaster and stood around their mother, DuchessFreya Hyton.
Duchess Hyton was classically beautiful just like Annalisa—blonde curly hair, heart-shaped face and lips, and stunning blue eyes with long and heavy eyelashes. I looked from the elegant Duchess to the ragged hem of my skirt and choked on myown insignificance.
Before I could let myself drown any more, my eyes found Mother’s in the crowd. She was easy to spot with her dark hair and dark green dress amongst a rainbow of bright colors. A confident smile spread across herpainted lips.
