My chest tightened as I fought the urge to lean into his touch. Lifting my gaze to meet his, I laid a hand upon his chest and let my eyes flutter as I leaned in closer, a coy smile of victory forming as I felt his heart rate quicken beneath my palm.
"The Goddesses would reconcile their grievances before you caught me blushing for you, Delmar."
Leaning back, the hand against his chest shoved slightly to create distance between us and his eyes narrowed upon me. Yet it wasn't anger I saw swirling in their depths, but delight.
The prick was enjoying this.
Yet, wasn't I as well?
“Stop avoiding me.”
His words had me pausing, an almost earnestnessbelying the command in them.
"Am I interrupting something here?"
Jumping, I shoved off the wall, brushing past Roan as I gave Bran a tight smile. “Not atall.”
Sending a quick wave to Merle, I turned and pushed my way out the shop door, my cheeks flaming as the cold air whipped against my skin. My confidence and determination for control of the situation instantly evaporated into the frost bitten wind.
I could hear Roan's wicked chuckle as Bran muttered to him, "You two are so Goddess-damned odd together."
Without waiting to hear the reply, I scurried up the snowy streets of Amori City, willing my heart to slow its rapid beating.
Chapter Sixteen
The invitation had arrived while I had been at Merle's. It had been tied to the handle of my door—an elegant, cream colored scroll, the crest of Tavari pressed into the wax seal that held it closed. The same mark was branded upon the Priestesses of Soli, and carved into the golden breastplates of the KingsGuard—a flaming sun with four points.
That same scroll lay upon my desk the following day, almost mockingly as Rena applied makeup once more to my face.
It had been an invitation to attend a royal celebration in honor of the quest the third-born Solerian Prince and his companions would be embarking upon. It had been signed by King Artius Soliel himself, highlighting that as one of the companions, I would be a guest of honor.
The thought had the contents of my stomach curdling.
I had never come face to face with the King of Tavari before, had never even seen a portrait of the man. After the assassination of Queen Mishana, every portrait of the royal family within the kingdom was ordered to be burned. The common people, at least those that had no interaction with the royals, had no idea what they looked like. It was whyI had no clue that it was a Solerian Prince that had waltzed into my shop that fateful day.
To face this man that caused so much grief within my life seemed impossible. How could I keep myself together long enough to hold idle conversation and pleasantries when just the thought of him sent fear and rage coursing through my bones?
"There we are," Rena said, pulling me from my thoughts. “What do you think?"
As always when Rena worked her magic, I looked stunning. My eyes were lined in a green shade that blended out perfectly and highlighted my grey eyes beautifully. The flush of my cheeks was soft, natural, and my lips were painted a stunning rose. A dusting of golden shimmering powder had been added to highpoints of my cheekbones and eyes, giving my face a sharper look. As I turned, my long black hair was pin straight and swayed as it brushed the bottom of my spine. It would be left unpinned today, a request I had made—a shield for what was to come.
Rena moved across the room to retrieve a garment bag from the back of the door, removing the covering as my eyes fell upon the deep viridian satin that flowed out, so dark it was nearly black.
"Rena," I murmured as my fingers reached out to brush against the soft material. “This is..."
She gave a conspiratorial smile. “There wasn't enough notice for us to go shopping together, so I'm afraid I can't take credit for picking out this beauty."
My brow rose. "Then who did?"
"Roan," Rena stated simply, unaware how the air was sucked from my lungs at that name, the last name I had expected to hear at that moment. "The man can be such a brute that I sometimes forget he wasborn noble, before his father was stripped of his titles. He does happen to have exquisite taste."
The dress fit like a glove, hugging every curve of my body. It was strapless, tightening all the way down to my hips in a flattering v shape, before flowing into a beautiful skirt. A slit travelled high up my thigh and I was delightfully surprised to find that it had a sewn in holster to strap in a dagger while still keeping it hidden from sight.
Had that already been there, or had he requested it be added specifically for me?
My necklace, thankfully, was long enough to be hidden beneath the neckline of the dress, and I prayed no one asked of the silver chain. The necklace alone wouldn’t mark me a Luanthian, but there was something vulnerable that coursed through me when the pendant was on display for others to see.
Hands smoothing out the fabric, my eyes lingering, I was hardly able to fathom that he had picked this dress for me specifically. It would have been something I picked myself, as if he had truly considered what would compliment me best, from how the color highlighted the natural olive of my skin, to how the fit accentuated the curves of my figure.
