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"Yet you do not wish for my hand in marriage? Should I be offended, Fynn?"
Another laugh flew from his lips. His laughter was carefree and reckless, a feeling she craved. "Take no offense, Princess."
Kallie’s gaze slid over him. "Hard not to be offended."
He shrugged. "If you knew what I knew, you would not be, Princess. Trust me.”
She did not.
She narrowed her eyes. "And where did you say you were from again?"
His gaze moved beyond her. "I like to think the people you surround yourself with are your true home." He spun her again.
The muscles in her arms tightened, becoming rigid. She was growing tired of his games. When she was in front of him again, she said, "Not an answer."
A strand of hair fell loose from the ribbon holding back his hair. "Some things are better left a mystery, don't you think?"
By the notes of the song, Kallie knew their dance was almost over. It was her turn to smirk as she tightened her grip on his hand. "I suppose you are right, for I would not want you to know my secrets either."
"The lady has secrets?"
She chuckled. "Every lady has secrets, Fynn, but you will never know mine." Her gaze was unwavering, her voice steady as she pulled on her ability. "When the song ends, you will return me to Prince Sebastian and apologize for stealing me away."
Fynn stared at her, unblinking. A thin haze glazed his brown eyes.
When the song reached its crescendo, Fynn led her to Prince Sebastian. A look of confusion painted the Prince's face. With a single nod, Fynn passed her off to Prince Sebastian and took a deep bow. But when he sank back into the crowd, Fynn’s gaze never strayed far from her.
A strange feeling bubbled in her throat, but she didn't have time to flesh it out before she was pulled into another dance. She dragged her attention away from the stranger and onto the prince before her. She cleared her throat and wiped the fog from her mind. "My apologies for making you wait, Prince Sebastian."
"Unnecessary, Princess." Sebastian led her around the dance floor as they performed the standard five-step dance with the rest of the crowd.
The party had only begun.
Chapter4
Suitor after suitorlined up to dance with Kallie in the hour that followed. It was their final chance to persuade her to choose them. She listened to several suitors discuss their various responsibilities, the lands they owned, the people they oversaw. She heard the same conversation, listened to the same surface-level compliments seven times. None of her suitors had asked her about her interests, her desires, her goals.
Because at the end of the day, the only thing that mattered was the crown upon her head. She was a princess, a prize. A way to achieve a higher position in their society. But Kallie was more than that.
When she was queen, she would show the world who Kalisandre Helene Domitius truly was.
Right now, however, she needed to escape.
Before the next suitor could ask her to dance, Kallie slipped away to her table to gain a moment of reprieve. Her headache had returned. No doubt a direct result of her encounter with Fynn.
So much for the chamomile tea, Kallie thought.
She took a gulp of her wine and leaned against the head table. The majority of guests were either dancing, conversing along the outskirts of the scuffed floor, or lingering near the staff to be within arm's reach of the various sweets. Few remained at their tables.
Still, one face remained hidden.
Since their dance, Kallie hadn't seen the man who had left an odd taste in her mouth. She did not trust that Fynn's intentions were pure, but nothing had gone astray yet. And if her long nights at taverns taught her anything it was that there was plenty of night left for things to go amuck.
Between the music and the chatter filling the ballroom, Kallie's headache turned into a migraine. Downing the rest of her wine, she lifted herself from the table and replaced her empty glass with a new one. As she glided toward the doors that led to the gardens and her escape, Kallie politely smiled at the guests she weaved around.
Upon exiting, she headed straight toward a dark corner drowned in shadow and shielded by bushes. Kallie had found herself wandering to this corner of the palace whenever she needed to get away from her guards or justpeople—which was more often than not. After disappearing several times, Alyn was quick to discover her hiding spot. She had assumed Myra had ratted her out. However, Myra had never confirmed or denied it. Either way, Kallie had decided to leave it alone since Alyn's quiet presence never bothered her. Plus, he proved to be of use when he brought a bench over to the enclosure.
Kallie sat on the worn cushion that had molded to her form after many years of use. After sliding off her heels, the tension in her feet dissipated instantly. She peered over the railing. A few of the guests had also ventured outside by this point in the night and to Kallie's surprise, Myra and Alyn were among them.
