Page 71 of Dragon King’s Duty Bride

“You didn’t tell me you could do that,” Sia said softly.

Celeste blinked, suddenly shy. “I…I just mess around sometimes. I dance for Luna and Stella when no one else is around.”

“You want to dance,” Sia said.

It wasn’t a question. Celeste stared at her for a moment before she nodded. “It’s not very royal.”

Sia felt something shift inside her. “I wasn’t exactly acting as a queen. If you want to dance, then you should dance.”

Celeste looked startled. “But princesses…”

“...are allowed to love things,” Sia finished. “Even messy, loud, spin-in-the-street things.”

Celeste smiled so brightly it nearly made Sia’s heart burst out of her chest.

Later, Sia waited until she and Lucas were alone in their chambers before she said anything to him.

“She danced,” she said without preamble. “Celeste. And she had so much fun.”

Lucas looked up from his newspaper. “I’m afraid that lacks context.”

“In the street. With actual talent and passion. So much so that she couldn’t even hide it.”

“Celeste did that?” Lucas leaned back slowly and something thoughtful entered his expression. “She’s always danced for her sisters when she thought no one was looking.”

“She has?” Sia’s heart squeezed. How had she never noticed?

He nodded. “I assumed it was just for fun.”

“It may have been, but this is more than that.” Sia leaned forward. “Lucas, she lights up.”

He studied her face, then smiled faintly. “What are you proposing?”

Sia’s grin turned wicked. “A surprise.”

A week later, Sia thought the secret would kill her if it was one day longer.

From her place halfway down the corridor, half-hidden behind a marble column, she watched Celeste pause outside the formal dining room with that politely puzzled expression she wore when she suspected something but didn’t want to ruin it by asking.

“Why are we having dinner in the formal dining room?”

Lucas played his part well. “Because it’s your birthday. Just enjoy it.”

“But the dining room is so…blah.”

Sia pressed her lips together to keep from grinning.nThe ballroom was connected to the dining room.

Celeste sighed as she smoothed an imaginary wrinkle from her skirt before she pushed the heavy doors open and music suddenly burst into the hallway like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.

A live band tucked into the far corner of the ballroom kicked into an upbeat melody similar to the one they had danced to in the street.

The castle ballroom had been transformed.

Lanterns hung in soft arcs from the ceiling, and gauzy ribbons streamed from the balconies. Long tables lined the walls, draped in lavender table cloths and piled high with pastries, teacakes, and towers of fruit. Flowers of all shades of purple spilled from vases with punchbowls full of purple-y drink.

And in the center of it all stood what looked like half the town.

“Surprise!” The shout shook the chandeliers.