He wants something.
“It was extremely rude,” I said.“And I was so accosted this morning I’m afraid I have not yet recovered from it.I do not appreciate being so horribly spoken to and dealt with.”
“Once again I am soverysorry.”
Was he patronizing me?
“I suppose one could not hold a grudge againstHis Royal Highness.”I threw it right back at him—but I still didn’t know what he wanted.
“Wonderful.”He dipped his head at me.“Seeing as you don’t have any family here and your friends are given to drinking, perhaps we could spark an alliance between us, become friends, as it were, for the remainder of the balls?”
He extended his hand.
To shake on it and seal the deal.
I stared at it, the pieces in my head finally connecting his odd behavior.
He meant more than friendship.
He meant to control me, to keep an eye on me, to keep me in his back pocket.He was trying to force me into an agreement to not work against him.He felt threatened by what I had done at the first ball last night.A spark of triumph flared within me.
I smiled the sweetest smile I could, not taking his hand.“That is amost”—I punctuated each word—“generousoffer, Your Highness,deeplyappreciated.”My dramatics were almost too much for me.“But I’m afraid that is not what I came to the Paravellian Balls for.I am perfectly happy with my friends and prefer to work alone.All is forgiven, but I think my friendship would end up dragging you down in the end.”
I strode over to the door, opening it wider for him to leave.
He stood frozen, wearing a stunned expression.
Slowly, his outstretched hand fell back to his side, and suspicion lined his face as he maneuvered past me.He paused in the doorway, one hand bracing on the side of it.
“I appreciate your offer of forgiveness, Analleia,” he said, studying me.“It is the most one could hope to gain after such an attack on your integrity.”
“It is, isn’t it?”I batted my eyelashes at him.“Good day, Your Highness.”
He stepped into the hall and I shut the door, locking it.Desmond and Nadiyah emerged from his room, eyebrows raising at the garden that had overtaken our suite.
“He tried to have you thrown out, Analleia,” Desmond said.“Are you sure rejecting him was a wise decision?”
I shrugged.“Probably not, but it made me feel good.”
