“Naria!” Raena shoved through the crowds to reach us, her smile brighter than the glittering chandeliers. “Where’ve you been? My family are here, and they’d love to meet you!”
I winced. “Oh, that would be lovely, but—”
“Leaving so soon?” Another voice piped up over the music. Queen Marigold squeezed past a group of noblemen to block our escape. “But the night has only just begun.” Ignoring me, she addressed Lukas, “And there are still so many lovely ladies for you to dance with. Not to mention, we still have some important matters to discuss.” Finally, she spared me areluctant glance. “Why don’t you run along with your friend, dear? Let the adults talk. We’ll be just a moment.”
I narrowed my eyes, but before I could tell her exactly what I thought of her sickly sweet tone, Lukas drew close to my ear again.
“Let me handle this,” he murmured. “Go with Raena for now, and I’ll come find you as soon as I’m finished with her.” I wanted to argue, but then his voice darkened. “She won’t disrespect you anymore after tonight. I’ll make sure of that. But if she even tries,” he nipped my ear as if he couldn’t help himself, “she’ll have my entire army to deal with.” And then he lowered his lips to mine, kissing me hard enough to make Marigold’s lips slam shut. “Don’t go too far,” he warned, before pulling away and striding off into the crowds, leaving Marigold to follow awkwardly behind him.
“You’ve completely bewitched him.” Raena’s laugh brought me back down from the clouds I was floating in.
“Yes,” I breathed before clearing my throat. “Your family?”
“Oh yes! You’re going to absolutelyadorethem.” She swiped up my hand and pulled me back into the dancing crowds, my heavy skirt dragging with each step.
I did indeed adore her family. Her father was a sweet man with thick dark hair just as curly as Raena’s, while her mother was a tall, graceful woman with one of those bubbly laughs thatmade everyone else laugh with her. Raena had several younger brothers and sisters too, each with matching curly hair and warm brown skin, and all well dressed in dazzling clothes that somehow still stood out in a ballroom full of glittering outfits.
“Mother was one of Ryntook’s top seamstresses when she married Father,” Raena explained, drawing me away from her family and towards a buffet table loaded with sweets and sparkling drinks. “She used to tease us that he only married her so he’d always be the best dressed at court. But he lost that title when she moved in with him here, and now he’s got five others to compete with. Six, whenever I’m visiting.” She giggled while helping herself to the fruit punch.
Glancing back over to her family, I couldn’t help the twinge of sadness in my chest. What would it have been like to have what she did? A mother. Father. Brothers and sisters… Scrunching up my face, I grabbed a goblet of fruit punch. I did have that. I had the village mother, and all my friends.
Friends I’d soon be leaving…
“You said you had five siblings?” I asked quickly, tired of my thoughts. “But you’ve only introduced me to four?”
“Oh, yes!” Raena smiled, but then it faded. “Simon’s the youngest and he’s here too, but…” She chewed her words. “Well, he’s quite close to Raphael, and with the rumours and all—”
“Rumours?” I lowered my goblet.
“It’s all so silly.” Shaking her head, she dragged me away from the buffet table until we reached a small alcove in the ballroom’s walls. “We’ve tried to reassure him that it’s not true, but he’s young and so upset about Raphael, and at this point even the servants are gossiping.”
“Tell me what’s being said.” My scowl deepened.
Raena chewed her lower lip. “There’s a few different things…” she mumbled. “Some are saying the prince’s illness was brought in when you invited sick villagers into the palace. I’ve also heard some say that you carried the disease in yourself from Corlixir. And others – and this one is really ridiculous – are saying that you’re some sort of goblin-faery witch and that you cursed the prince as some bizarre revenge plot against Ryntook.”
“What?” I managed.
“I know,” she huffed. “I’ve been trying to distract them with other gossip, but right now nothing seems to be more interesting than Naria’s ‘evil spells’.”
I wanted to laugh. I wanted to tip my head back and scream at the absurdity of it all. I probably would’ve done had my throat not been too busy restricting my airflow.
“I’m so sorry,” Raena said, grimacing. “I promise I’ve been trying my best to shut them all down, but now some people won’t even talk to me considering I helped you with your ballroom clinic.”
Scrubbing a hand over my face, I sighed. “It’s fine.”It wasn’t.“We’ll be leaving soon anyway.” Or at least, I would be. How would Ivy, Marius, and Terr survive here with all the rumours? Would they be in danger?
“Ancients, why does everything just keep getting worse?” I pressed my palms into my eyes.
At least Arenn wasn’t here tonight. I could only hope he’d finally given up on pursuing me and gone back to Faelenna alone.
Unlikely, of course, but a girl could dream.
“There you are, my love,” a warm, familiar voice said behind me. “I wondered where you were hiding.” A smile touched my cheeks as I felt Lukas’s hand against my lower back. He’d never called me ‘his love’ before, but I could get used to the new name. The butterflies in my stomach certainly liked the sound of it.
“Oh…” Raena’s lips parted as she glanced between us. For a brief moment, something like uncertainty crossed her gaze until Lukas spoke again.
“You should return to your family,” he suggested to her, his voice low.
Her eyebrows pinched together.
