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I was distracted when Selene’s hand trailed across my shoulders as she passed behind me. “Pet,” she greeted and pulled out a chair, her eyes moving from me to the chair. I took her offered seat.
“Thank you, Ma’am,” I said, turning to look and saw Lord Halvorsen narrow his eyes momentarily as he pulled out her chair.
She smiled at him as she took her seat. “Thank you, dear,” she said, placing her hand over his as she sat.
“My pleasure, love,” he replied, smiling brightly.
The table fell into chatter, the music playing at a comfortable background level. Servers in Sanguis Academy red uniforms brought out our meals.
The plates were large, but the food was not. I looked at my plate confused.
“Why is the food so tiny?” I whispered to Heidi. I was scared to speak, to interrupt Lord Halvorsen or the other nobles at the table, but I had never seen so little on a plate. It seemed to be a small piece of meat or fish with a leaf of something on top and small splashes of pink sauce.
Heidi giggled and leaned toward me, “We’re eating to enjoy the taste, the experience of the food, not for hunger.”
“Okay,” I replied. I understood enjoying food, but I usually wanted to enjoy more than one bite.
“Don’t fret, pet. I’ll feed you when we get home,” Selene whispered in my other ear. I blushed deeply, unable to help the thought that I would like to eat her. “Control yourself, darling,” she continued, and her lips brushed ever so lightly against the shell of my ear as she spoke. I practically shook with the force of the shiver her simple touch created.
“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied, coughing to clear the desire from my voice when she moved away.
Heidi giggled beside me, and I found my plate of miniature food very interesting.
After dessert, precisely one bite of something wonderfully chocolate, Lord Halvorsen stood, his glass of bubbling champagne in hand.
“If I could please have your attention,” he spoke to the table, but the whole room quietened to listen. “I have something important and special to announce,” he said. His perfect smile was big and bright, and his hand sat at the back of Selene’s chair as he looked down on her adoringly. “My love, Selene, earlier today accepted my proposal,” he said, looking to the table before turning back to address Selene directly. “I know you wanted to wait until the official announcement had been made before we went public. Yet I am so overcome with joy that I cannot keep it to myself any longer.”
I looked from him to Selene and was surprised by the warm smile she gave him. She stood from her chair, her arm around his back, her hand on his chest. “Oskar,” she said happily, “You’re making a scene.”
“I want the whole kingdom to know of my love for you,” he declared loudly, wrapping her in his arm and kissing her deeply. The hall erupted in cheers and clinking of glasses.
My mind took a few minutes to catch up to what had happened. The music had been turned up, people were starting to dance, and there was an endless procession of nobles crowding the table to congratulate Selene and Lord Halvorsen.
“Percy, Percy!” I turned when a hand grabbed my shoulder. Heidi was looking at me concerned. “Did you not hear me calling you?” she asked. At her interruption, I seemed to be able to think again.
“Yeah,” I answered automatically. Selene was officially engaged to Lord Halvorsen. I knew it would happen, eventually, it was an inevitability. I had thought about it often. I had dreaded it. Yet, I never thought it would leave me feeling so empty. Numb.
“Dance with me?” she offered, standing from her seat and holding her hand out.
I moved mechanically, accepting her hand and following as she led me to the dance floor. My feet remembered the steps as Heidi led.
“You’re not half bad. You haven’t stepped on my toes once,” she said.
“Thanks,” I replied and looked towards where I saw Selene standing, surrounded by others, no doubt talking of her engagement - her wedding.
I couldn’t watch it. Her smile was too natural. I knew it wasn’t real. I trusted she didn’t love him, but I hated watching her pretend like she did.
And with an engagement came a wedding. With a wedding, everything would change. Selene said things would never change between us, but I didn’t believe that.
I was beginning to feel all hot and like my skin was too tight for my body.
“I need to get some air,” I told Heidi. She tried to argue with me, but I left her on the dance floor and made my way towards a door in the corner of the hall propped open by a chair.
The door led to the fields at the back of the noble residence halls. Others had made their way outside, smoking or standing and talking in twos or threes. I leaned against the wall, the cool summer night air allowing me to breathe more freely.
I needed to calm down, but every time I thought about going back inside my breathing became erratic and my legs refused to move.
17. No Place is Safe
