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"Seems our plan is working so far, Father."
"If my plan is to come to fruition, we cannot rely solely on your gift, Kalisandre," he stated.
"Of course, Father."
He peered down his nose at Kallie. "Do not forget: your future actions will send a message and pave the way for everything to come."
Kallie restrained from rolling her eyes. She knew the steps she needed to take. She would not mess this up. Not unless she wanted to disappoint Vaneria. Or worse, her father."I know, Father."
When the end of the song neared, King Domitius slowed them to a stop near Prince Sebastian. Once the song faded, Kallie picked up her heavy skirt and gave a deep curtsy to her father.
There was a shuffling in the crowd, and Kallie raised her head to greet the suitor she would dance with first.
But the man who stood in front of her was unfamiliar. His brunette hair was tied back in a knot. Loose strands accentuated his chiseled jaw where a shadow of stubble was showing as if he hadn't shaved in a few days. Objectively, the stranger was handsome, but his demeanor, while he stood before her with a half-smirk etched into his face, made him appear arrogant. It was the sort of arrogance Kallie despised. He was not one of her suitors, yet he stood in between her and the Frenzian prince whom the people expected her to dance with next.
The tension in the air was palpable as the stranger waited with an outstretched hand. "May I steal you, my lady?"
Kallie glanced at her father, who stood emotionless next to a frozen Prince Sebastian. Her father's words echoed in her mind. Her choices mattered."I mean no offense . . . "
"Fynneares, but you may call me Fynn," the stranger finished for her with the same cocky expression.
"I mean no offense,Fynneares—"
“Fynn,” the stranger interrupted, winking.
“Fynn,” Kallie said with a strained smile. “However, I really should prioritize those who have come all this way for me."
"And I haven't?" Fynn pressed a hand against his chest feigning injury.
"Considering you did not present yourself to me this afternoon, I can only assume the answer to that is no."
The right corner of Fynn's mouth tilted upward as he offered a hand again, challenging her to accept it in front of everyone. “Then tell me, Princess, how will one dance with a stranger hurt?" The man's accent and overall demeanor were foreign. No one in Ardentol was as brazen as he was.
Kallie never liked backing down from a challenge and a single dance wouldn't do any harm. She placed her palm in his. "One dance."
As a wide smile split his face, his fingers wrapped around her hand. "One dance is all I need."
He guided her away from the crowd and toward the center of the floor. His hand found the middle of her back, and Kallie set hers on his shoulder as he began to take them through the steps. One by one, other couples joined them.
As they moved across the floor, Fynn maintained the distance that separated them to the point where Kallie was unsure if she should be offended or not. But then again, she preferred the distance he gave her. It was more than any of her other unwanted dance partners had provided her in the past.
Fynn followed the rhythm of the music effortlessly. The only element he was lacking as a dance partner was conversation. She waited for him to say something, anything. However, when the first rendition of the chorus came and went, Fynn remained silent. He seemed lost in thought as he looked at her—no, not ather,throughher.
Preventing her thoughts from spiraling, Kallie focused on the man. She took a deep breath and instinctively felt for her gift at the bottom of her stomach. It called to her, an eagerness tumbling in her core. And it soothed her growing nerves. Kallie knew relying solely on her ability was dangerous. Still, it was a comfort knowing she had access to it in case it was necessary. In case her wit, charm, and skill with a blade ever failed her.
"What brings you to Ardentol, Fynn?" She asked in an attempt to gain some information out of him.
His eyelids fluttered and his brows knitted together as though it was hard for him to focus on her words. Fynn spun her away from him and when he pulled her back, the seriousness had vanished from his countenance.
“You,” he said with that arrogant smirk again, as if he had a secret he was hiding that begged to be freed.
Little did he know, she had secrets too. "Me?"
He chuckled. "Wouldn't want to miss my chance to steal the famed daughter of the king of Ardentol before she gets married off to a stranger."
Kallie tilted her head. "You came simply to dance with me?"
He nodded. The fabric of the dancers rustled around them as the musicians picked up the tempo.
