Thea shrugged, unsure of what to say. “It’s a bold move. That’s for sure. I can’t see King Julian being very pleased with it.”
Trumpets cut through the air, silencing the music. All subjects stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to the main entryway into the ballroom. A loud voice boomed over the now silent ballroom. “Their Majesties King Julian and Queen Oriana, and His Highness Prince Sterling!”
All the guests bowed. King Julian entered first, his usual golden attire swapped for an icy-blue pant-and-doublet ensemble, with a citrine-emerald-and-sapphire Citrine Court crest across the chest. Queen Oriana followed shortly after, in a stunning full-length opal gown. The bodice and skirts were encrusted with millions of tiny diamonds. Her hair had been twisted into an elaborate updo consisting of curls and braids, accented with delicate glittering white ribbons. The queen shone like a winter star as the lights from the ballroom reflected off the facets of the jewelled masterpiece. My heart skipped a beat as Sterling made his appearance. He was dressed in dark emerald pants with a matching short jacket. Delicate golden piping details lined the lapels and cuffs. Underneath the dress jacket was a white tunic that had several buttons undone, showing off his muscular chest. I bit my lip as I took him in, refusing to acknowledge the feelings stirring within me at the sight.
Thea cleared her throat beside me and lightly nudged me. I looked at her, annoyed, and realized she was trying to clue me in tobowing. Rolling my eyes, I turned to face the royals and made the most pathetic excuse for a bow.
“They aren’t my king and queen,” I hissed at Thea.
“An uneventful evening, Aurelia. That’s what we want,” Thea replied snarkily.
King Julian and Queen Oriana ascended the dais, where three large throne chairs were situated, while Prince Sterling headed straight for the bar. A flicker of annoyance shot across the king’s face, but he quickly returned to his stoic, unmoving mask.
“Thank you all for coming here this evening to celebrate the return of our beloved son, Prince Sterling. Please, drink, dance, and be merry. It’s truly a day to celebrate.”
With that, the king took his seat on the central throne, next to Queen Oriana. Irritation flashed across his face as he glanced at the empty throne to his other side. He turned his attention back toward the dance floor, watching his subjects return to their dancing and drinking.
King Julian diligently scanned the crowd. It was obvious that he was not going to enjoy himself while here until he found what he was looking for. A sinking feeling in my gut knew what he was looking for, or more specifically, who. Our eyes locked as a muscle in his jaw ticked. King Julian’s lips moved slightly as he continued to maintain eye contact with me. As uncomfortable as the stare-down was, I was not going to let him intimidate me or make me back down.
Just then Thalos approached the dais, grabbing my attention away from King Julian. Before I had a moment to respond consciously, my body went into survival mode. My pulse pounded, and arcana pumped through me as I tried to hold on to my emotions.
“Settle down,” Thea calmly whispered as she grabbed my hand, rubbing soothing circles with her thumb in the spot between my thumb and forefinger.
Unable to look away, I met Thalos’s piercing gaze—a decision I immediately regretted. All at once King Julian, Queen Oriana, and Thalos were staring in my direction, having a private conversation. Unfortunately, I lacked the fae ability for sensitive hearing, but I didn’t need that to know that they were talking about me—most likely about the events that had happened in the human quarter earlier in the day.
King Julian looked me up and down and smirked. Whatever he was assessing, he was clearly pleased with it. I turned away, unsettled and unable to handle any more of it. Looking ahead, I caught sight of Sterling heading straight toward Thea and me.
“Incoming,” Thea teased as she noticed Sterling charging through the crowded ballroom.
He stared at me unblinkingly as he made his way through his subjects, who were all trying to grab and congratulate him. His scent of musk and vanilla reached me before he did. Within moments, he was right in front of me, and the heat of his body rolled off him in waves. Unable to handle the closeness, I took a step back and bumped into Thea.
“You. Come with me. We need to talk,” Sterling commanded as he forcefully grabbed my arm, pulling me away from Thea.
“Sterling. Stop!” I protested, trying to pull free from his grasp.
He whipped his head around, yanking harder on my arm. “Now.” His tone left no room for negotiation.
Thea stepped toward me, reaching for my other arm. “She said stop, Prince Sterling.” All pleasantness evaporated from her tone.
I waved her off. “It’s all right, Thea.” I hoped the words sounded more believable to Thea than they did to me. I was unsure of what was about to happen, but I had conceded the fact that it was probably best to quit resisting and get it over with.
“If she is not back here by the end of the next song, I will come looking for her,” Thea threatened, not so subtly.
Sterling huffed and shook his head at Thea as he continued to pull me away from the only trusted friend I had in this realm.
Whispers and stares followed us as Sterling forcefully escorted me out of the ballroom. Once we were away from prying eyes, his grasp on my arm loosened. He looked down at me, his cold blue eyes assessing every inch of my swollen, beaten face. His jaw tightened as he took in the rest of my bruised figure.
My shoulders rolled forward, protecting me from his menacing stare. “What do we need to talk about?” I muttered weakly.
“Not here,” he replied as he looked around.
Satisfied with what he had or hadn’t seen, he pushed on the wall beside us. A portion of the wall popped out, and Sterling grabbed it, opening what now looked like a door, to a small space within the wall. He gently grabbed my hand and guided me inside with him, pulling the door closed behind us.
I could feel Sterling’s heat behind me as I took in the deceptively spacious powder room we now stood in. I took two careful steps toward the end of the counter and turned around to face him. His face was a storm of rage and sadness. His eyes narrowed and his fists were clenched at his sides. His breaths became increasingly quick as he stood staring at me. My chest tightened, and I started to feel I had made a mistake coming here. Unsettled, I clasped my hands together in front of me and directed my gaze anywhere but at the brooding fae man in front of me.
“Who did this to you?” The words came out of him like a snarling threat rather than a question.
“It was the captain of your royal guardians,” I replied flatly, finally looking up at Sterling.
