Kaid breezed by Niklas as he was mid-sentence.
Halsten nodded his chin toward Kaid, who was already sauntering toward the castle entrance without the rest of the group. “Better luck next time, mate. The rooms?”
Kaid turned to watch Halsten clap Niklas on the shoulder before he too passed by him.
Niklas sprang forward, running to catch up and lead the way.
In the entry hall, there was a grand staircase with a landing in the middle that split to more stairs going left or right. The walls were equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows, sandy shore visible through the glass, similar in color to the dark marble Kaid stood on. The sunlight from the ocean reflected on the golden accents lining the white walls, causing shiny tendrils of light to dance along the surface. Kaid had been to castles before, but never any this naturally bright. The nobility in Salendron liked their quarters dim and mysterious, so this was a refreshing change.
The rumble of a crowd caught Kaid’s attention and he started walking toward it, Halsten falling into step behind him.
“My lord!” Niklas cried from the center of the foyer. “Your suite is upstairs!”
Kaid chuckled to himself when he heard Niklas sigh in defeat as he and his friend continued down the hall, leaving their tour guide behind. They came to a grand set of doors, the sound of the crowd bustling within, and a blonde woman pacing to the side of the doorway.
Kaid walked past her and she halted. He peered into the ballroom and observed the massive crowd, staying back to remain out of sight.
“Are you an attendee?” the blonde woman asked, startling Kaid from his spying.
Kaid cleared his throat and ignored her question. “Quite the grand party for a couple who has never met.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed slightly. “It’s not every day that a princess gets engaged. Though I’m not sure it will last.”
“You don’t think the engagement will hold?” Kaid asked, his curiosity instantly piqued.
He tilted his head, observing the woman from head to toe. Her looks were pleasing to the eye—fair skin, blonde waves and captivating emerald eyes. Her figure was small but not weak. If she wasn’t so ill-tempered, Kaid likely would have tested the waters with a seductive remark or two.
She nervously pressed down the front of her high-necked lilac gown. Kaid couldn’t put a finger on it, but something about the soft color didn’t fit her. One of her hands clenched into a ball. “Well, you said it yourself. They have never met. The Enrathi line has standards, and as I’m sure you know, the lord has a notorious reputation for seeing women as pieces in his game.” The woman peeked into the doorway and observed the crowd. “He hasn’t arrived yet, but I don’t think he will stick around once he realizes that marriage means being tied down, and being tied down means he can’t bed any woman he meets. I’m also quite positive that the princess doesn’t want to wed such a problematic partner.”
“I’ve heard the man is a real prick,” Kaid mused.
The woman made a noise that was a combination of a laugh and a scoff. “I don’t need to meet him to determine that. I’ve heard enough. A selfish child is what he is. A spoiled brat who lets his father do the hard work while he reaps the benefits.”
Kaid laughed and looked over his shoulder at Halsten, who was monitoring from down the hall. Halsten gave him a knowing smirk, then grabbed Niklas’s shoulder to hold him in place and stop him from his incessant pacing.
“What if Lord Kaidian is different from the rumors you’ve so willingly believed?”
“He’s not,” the woman said curtly, tugging at the high neckline of her dress.
Kaid had no problem internally admitting that she was correct. He and Halsten had slept their way through Haalberg and all the surrounding dukedoms. They liked to party, and most of the time, did not give a single fuck about anything other than that. But why was that such a terrible thing? Until now, Kaid hadn’t any responsibilities. He was just a duke’s son. The parties were happening regardless of his attendance and the women were willing, so why not seize the moment?
Kaid took her cold stare as his cue to exit. “Enjoy your party. I have a feeling I’ll see you again soon.”
Before she could respond, Kaid walked back to Halsten and Niklas, letting the latter lead them to his suite.
Chapter 2
Niklas unlocked the finely carved oak door with a golden key, then pressed it into Halsten's palm.
“I’ll wait in the hall for you. When you’re ready, I will escort you back to the engagement party.” Niklas began slowly closing the door, but then it swung back open quickly. “Not that there is any rush, of course! I didn’t meant to imply—”
“You’re a worry-wart, aren’t you, Niklas?” Kaid chuckled. “We will come out once we’ve cleaned up.”
Niklas bowed, once again catching his glasses, and then backed out of the door and closed it behind him.
Halsten nodded a head toward the entrance of the washroom and made his way there, closing the door behind him. Kaid looked around his common room, taking in the fluffy sofas and chairs, lush fur rugs, and paintings of the coast. He ran his hand over the cherry oak bar, which was set in front of a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the beach below. It was similar in decor to his home, aside from the oceanside location, so Kaid immediately found the room comfortable.
The young lord peered out the large window and watched the waves crash against the sand, seaweed and driftwood floating about. The shores were lined with evergreens and large boulders, aside from the stretch of sandy beach directly in front of the castle, which was likely finely groomed for the royals to enjoy. At the edge of the castle, there were multiple terraces with stairs that led directly down into the water below, and he made a mental note to steer clear of those particular entryways.
