The eyes of every person in the room turned in my direction as they stood. I was too preoccupied with my own thoughts to dwell on it as Sally guided me to an open spot near the head of the table.
“Lady Alina, you look spectacular!” Lord Adger exclaimed.
I managed a faint smile and took my seat, then the men immediately sat down. I smoothed the folds of my skirt and glanced around. I was seated between Lord Dayton and Lord Rutherford. Up close, he was a handsome man with soft, kind eyes. He smiled and raised his glass, I nodded back.
Even the evening meal was a ploy to get me to interact with suitors from the gold and white clans. The undeniable fact immediately agitated me.
I examined my plate, trying hard to conceal what was on my mind.
How did they decide who was going to sit with me? Did they toss a coin?
“Lady Alina, I’m glad that I finally get to talk to you.” Lord Rutherford smiled.
Looking at him, I noticed that his skin was incredibly smooth, as if he spent a lot of time on his appearance. His long, blond hair appeared really well cared for. I caught myself thinking about leaning over and touching his hair, just to make sure it was real.
“Likewise, Lord Rutherford.” I smiled back.
"It may be a strange thing to say, and I apologize for being so forward, but I love the way my name sounds on your lips," he said softly.
I nodded politely, picking up my water glass. More than anything I wanted to steal a glance in Kent’s direction, to see if he was watching me, but that would not be wise.
“I don’t know if you have ever visited Alsaard, milady, but at this time of year, the magnolias are in full bloom. It is incredible to see.” He continued.
“Alsaard? Is that the capital of white clan?” I asked.
“Yes, the most beautiful city in the entire world. The city of vertical gardens and a sanctuary for numerous species of birds.”
“How is that possible? The disease and lack of resources...”
“Ah, I understand. But, if we live in tandem with nature,nature will provide. We had to seal and guard the borders, but within the city, we nurtured life as it always was.”
“That’s incredible.”
“I hope one day, you could visit and see it all for yourself.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to answer.
“Do you enjoy music?” Lord Rutherford continued.
“Yes.”
“Maybe I could play for you later?”
“Do you play a musical instrument?” Against my will, my face betrayed my amusement.
“I confess, I truly enjoy music. And I could not ask someone to play for me every time I wanted to hear it, so I had to learn how to play.”
“I would love to hear it.”
Forgetting about my past resolution, I glanced at the gloomy figure standing by the opposite wall. Kent had the perfect angle to see my face, and he was close enough that he could just hear everything we were talking about. My cheeks flushed and I immediately looked away.
“How do you like the capital, milady?” Lord Rutherford continued.
“I haven’t seen much, but I hope to explore it more in the future.” I responded politely.
“Railand is not the way it used to be before the queen got sick. It was a very different place.”
“Was it?”
