AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Is this where you saw your brother?” she asked, as soon as conversation was possible.
“I never saw my brother,” said the princess without remorse. “I wanted to be rid of your family.”
Cynthia’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment and pleasure. Her stepmother and stepsisters could be mortifying, and it was a dream come true to have a few more moments alone—well, semi-alone; as alone as two people could be in a crowded ballroom—with Princess Ammalia. And yet…
“They’ll be crushed if they do not get their dances with the prince,” she told the princess.
“They’ll get their dances,” Princess Ammalia replied. “Did you not wonder why there were still three empty chairs in a chamber filled with this many people? Those seats were reserved for marriageable young beauties.”
Cynthia tried not to be hurt. “I am to stay in the back of the ballroom because I do not qualify?”
“You’re the prettiest of them all, no matter where you’re standing. Are you angry that I did not lead you directly to the first chair in line? We can go there now, and—”
“No,” Cynthia said quickly. “I would much rather be here, with you.”
I would much rather be anywhere you happened to be.
Princess Ammalia smiled as if Cynthia had voiced this last secret aloud, and with enough volume to be heard over violins and stomping feet and the noise of all the other voices.
That the princess should have a mystical gift to see into the depths of Cynthia’s soul would not surprise her at all. Cynthia still couldn’t quite fathom that the princess had picked her out of the parade crowd to begin with, much less any of the bewildering events that had followed.
“It’s the Prince!” blurted an excited feminine voice. A clump of young ladies were walking past Cynthia and Ammalia’s chairs. “He’s selected his first dance partner of the night. Who is that? Have you ever seen her before?”
Cynthia lifted her eyes and straightened her spine, but there was no hope of seeing the dance floor from this angle.
“One of your sisters,” Princess Ammalia murmured. “Their seats made them next in line.”
Vicarious excitement filled Cynthia on her stepsisters’ behalf. “Which one did he choose?”
“I don’t know.” The princess started to shrug, then gave Cynthia a piercing look. “Would you like to go and see?”
“No,” Cynthia said softly. Her hand was still in Princess Ammalia’s. Between the crush of people and the volume of their skirts, no one could see their entwined fingers. The hidden touch was a secret in plain sight. “I’m happy here with you.”
Princess Ammalia’s gaze warmed. “As am I.”
She motioned to a footman, who arranged for a pair of armchairs to appear.
Cynthia was impressed. “Do you do this sort of thing often?”
“Suffer through ballroom after tiresome ballroom stuffed with starry-eyed women fawning over my brother in hopes of becoming his bride? Far more often than I’d like. No one is happier than I am that he shall finally make his selection and we can have done with this infernal wife market.”
But the princess did not look entirely happy.
“No,” Cynthia said. “I meant pluck a scullion out of obscurity and bring her with you to one of those tiresome balls?”
“Ah.” Princess Ammalia’s cheeks turned pink. “No, this is the first time.”
Cynthia was inordinately pleased by this answer as well as the princess’s charming embarrassment. It felt nice to be seen, to be thought of as special. She certainly thought the same about Princess Ammalia.
“Do you wish you were fawned over in the same way?”
“Col cavolo, I would throw myself into the boiling lava of Mount Etna before I’d want to wade through a sea of salivating gentlemen intent on bedding me.”
That was how Cynthia felt as well… but that was because she didn’t wish to marry a man. She hadn’t mentioned pursuing gentlemen suitors at all.
Did the fact that men were Princess Ammalia’s first thought mean that she did not view Cynthia in that way after all? After all this, were she and the princess only meant to be… friends?
Silly scullion, she scolded herself. Not even friends. At midnight, you must return to your world, and the princess shall return to hers.
