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4
Reece
Boredom was my enemy.
Listening to Marcus drone on and on, introducing one royal after another, I thought perhaps world war would be preferable. Nothing could be worse than this facade. Standing there with champagne in my hand and gazing about the room, I thought back to all the paperwork waiting on my desk.
To all the things that neededdoing,rather than justobserving.
I'd never fit in with these people, and I never would. My Kingdom thrived because I made it thrive through hard work, and the understanding that something could go wrong in any moment, so we had to prepare for that. I required a good, trustworthy team to keep things running smoothly. All of which were off for the night or trapped watching the proceedings of the inanest royal traditions the world had ever thought of.
"Excuse me, Your Highness, but I wondered if perhaps you'd like to dance?" a young woman asked, stepping up in front of me and jolting me from my wistful thoughts. A glance to the stairs confirmed they were empty, and I'd missed the last of the introductions. I couldn't muster up the energy to care that I'd missed the introduction of the mysterious Princess of Lantis. Rumors varied, and debates were spirited on whether she had been hidden away because of a hideous deformity or was potentially the greatest beauty of our time.
I saw through that, knowing it was just another game her vapid, desperate mother played to make her shallow and useless daughter seem more intriguing. From a kingdom like Lantis, it was only to be expected.
The blond girl in front of me stared up at me with wide eyes, waiting for the response she had to know wouldn't go her way, with the way I glared at her. I'd never seen her before in my life, whether we'd been at the same events as one another or not. Pretty, but I just couldn't force myself to care, despite Cheval's reminder that I needed to marry so I could carry on my line.
It was my duty as the host to dance and entertain. To pretend I wanted these people in my Kingdom. But even that was too much for me, especially for the first night.
"I'm sorry. I'm afraid I promised the first dance to someone else already," I said, forcing a brittle smile to my face.
She heaved out a disappointed sigh, but her honey eyes went hopeful just before she turned to give me a glimpse of how her dress hugged her ass. "Maybe later?" she asked, her soft voice sounding too sweet to go along with the clear attempt at seduction.
"Perhaps. If you'll excuse me." I darted off, not bothering to get her name. I had no intention of dancing with her that night or ever. In this one aspect of my life, duty be damned.
I walked away from the corner where I'd lurked, casting my eyes about the room in a brief check for my cousin Mallory. I thought she must be preoccupied, since the ball had served as her debut, but I knew she would humor me one dance.
She was nowhere in sight, and I twisted my bottom lip in frustration as concern flooded me. The ball had only just begun, and if someone had scared her off already, it wouldn't be an enjoyable night for anyone. "King Reece." Another princess blocked my path with a curtsy, her face lifting with a bright, beaming smile. "Would you honor me with a dance?"
This one seemed familiar, with warm hazel eyes that were more friendly than most. Still, concern for Mallory twisted my gut. "Maybe later. I'm afraid I'm looking for someone. If you'll excuse me." I gave her a more friendly smile and a shallow bow, ducking around her to continue on in my search for Mallory.
Couples flitted in and out of my vision as I stalked through the ballroom. Finally, I spotted her arguing with her bodyguard Beckett at the edge, tucked just beneath the stairs but in plain view. Striding towards them, I shook my head in disappointment. Beckett had always been protective of her, and for him to be so on edge meant somebody overstepped.
And I would not allow it. Not in my kingdom.
I made a beeline for her, determined to find out which entitled asshole had crossed a line in Beckett's eyes. Then, I’d also be able to snag her for a dance. Hopefully, regardless of our familial connection, the dance would appease the judgmental eyes around the room.
A couple danced out of the way, clearing the path for me to make my way to her. But at the last moment, the movement of a flash of green in the corner drew my attention away. She swayed to the music slowly, her face distracted as she chewed on her plump bottom lip. A fitted dress accentuated the curves of her body like a slip and sparkled against her dewy golden skin. When she finally lifted her gaze and saw me, I'd already taken two steps in their direction.
Mallory forgotten, all that mattered in that moment was the woman dancing with Corbin. Too close. So close that my fists clenched and tension crept up my neck.
All that mattered was the hand on the bare skin at her back and her shocking green eyes on mine.
I saw the moment her chest stopped moving, like all the breath had been trapped in her lungs in the same way as mine. I didn’t let the inability to breathe hinder my pursuit. I couldn’t—not with another man touching what was mine. I stalked towards her, moving with a new purpose that even I didn't understand.
She hurried to turn her attention back to Corbin, and I didn't care if she was shallow and after his coffers. It didn't matter if she'd come to the ball with the intention of landing herself a rich husband to support a self-centered lifestyle. I didn’t even care if she would be a beautiful Queen with nothing inside that pretty head.
One glance of those eyes on mine, and I knew I'd give her anything.
“Unhand her,” I bit out the moment I was in their space. So close that the enticing scent of her drifted upwards, blurring all the thoughts from my mind, capturing whatever bit of my soul was left to catch.
Corbin's shoulders stiffened as he pulled the woman closer to him. He shot me a hard look from his dark eyes and said coolly, "Reece. Alina and I are dancing and having a lovely conversation."
Alina.
I said her name softly to myself, allowing even those five letters to capture a part of me. I reached out to touch the hand that grasped her too tightly. I smiled, a dark and cold smile that I used only on the people I most reviled. "Then it is time that you ended your dance." I bowed shallowly in her direction. "My lady."
Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, her eyes darting nervously between me and the man who had her captured on the dance floor. Around us, I felt the stares of the others who attended the ball. I gave her what I hoped was my most charming smile. "I was hoping to have this dance."
