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There are plenty of things I haven’t asked her about, though.
“That’s what I thought,” Aster said, examining my features. Then, her expression brightened into something mischievous. “Come on, now. Time for me to enter the ballroom with a tiny human on my arm. It’s hardly an event if I don’t make some kind of stir.”
I couldn’t help but smile back at her. That was the worst part, really, that I understood why Lina would want to marry into this family, to marry a prince.
That didn’t make it any easier when Aster pulled me directly over to her family when we entered the room. I had never been to a ball before, but I was reluctantly impressed with the way the room combined opulence and warmth, weaving in sparkling streamers and glowing lanterns and pieces of nature to look like… well, like a fairy kingdom, I supposed.
It was easier to focus on that than the three people in front of me. Lina didn’t seem to be here yet, which was a small mercy. I didn’t feel prepared to look at her yet.
“It’s good to see you again,” the queen said, with a bit of a smirk, like she wanted to add,and fully dressed this time.
“So, this is the friend of the girl I’ve heard so much about,” the king said, in a voice that was gruff, but not unkind.
At least, I assumed he was the king by the ornate crown he wore, gold leaves and branches with ruby roses set into it.
“This is Edrich,” Aster confirmed. “Edrich, this is my father, and my brother, Larkspur.”
“Lark,” the prince corrected, congenially.
I was finally forced to turn my attention to the man I wanted desperately to hate, but as soon as I saw him, I knew that was impossible. He had a kind, open face, not unlike his sister’s, and the smile he gave me was genuine.
Somehow, that makes it all worse.
I managed to dredge up a smile of my own, one that wasn’t half as real asLark’s.Commotion behind me saved me from further attempts at conversation.
As soon as I turned around, I reconsidered that thought.
Because seeing Lina like this wasn’t necessarily a better alternative.
She had always been gorgeous, but this was something else entirely. I was unprepared for how utterly breathtaking she looked walking into the ballroom.
I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Heads turned to look at the newest addition to Ellaria as she practically floated across the gleaming wooden floor. She wore a pale, silky gown, and her hair was arranged around a tiara with a pearl the same subtle shades as her delicate wings. Her teal eyes were wide and sparkling, but they weren’t taking in the enchanting ballroom like I expected them to be.
They were fixated firmly on me.
And I couldn’t look away, even though I knew I should.
Aster cleared her throat as Lina came closer.
“I hate to ditch you so early, Edrich,” she said. “But it’s tradition for the ball to open up with a dance between my parents and one between my brother and me.”
I tore my eyes away from Lina long enough to see confusion clouding the prince’s eyes, and I reconsidered my thought that Aster was guileless. There was no time to call her on it, though.
The king raised his glass for an announcement, and the room went still.
“Tonight, we celebrate many things. One of our own has returned to us.” He gestured to Lina, the glint in his eyes unmistakable. She was not the enemy and would not be treated as such. My respect for the royal family seemed to rise with each move they made.
“We have the rare honor of a human guest.” He tilted his head in my direction, again making his intent clear. “And as most of you are aware, the reason we are all gathered here this evening. My son will choose his bride before dawn.”
I hardly had time to process that before the queen declared the celebration officially starting, and the music began to play.
The four of them swept away to the dance floor, leaving me and Lina standing at the edge of the room by ourselves.
It seemed like the first dance was a standard beginning to these things, because none of the fairies hesitated before they coupled up and joined the monarchs on the dance floor. Lina and I stood only inches apart, tension zapping between us.
I was afraid to look at her again, afraid I would get lost in her ocean eyes and say something else to make an ass of myself when we had even less time than I thought we did, and her choice here was clear.
I couldn’t take this opportunity from her when I had nothing better to offer. The best thing for me to do now was walk away before it got any harder on either of us.
