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“Hello, Your Majesty.” She crooned, and I tilted my head to the side, a smile on my face.
“Nezettia,” I greeted her, taking her hand from the railing and dipping my head to drop a kiss to her knuckles. “Glad you could make it.”
“As am I,” She smiled, leaning her hip against the railing. “Where is your lovely wife?”
“Unwell,” I shrugged, copying her stance and leaning against the railing of the balcony. I knew most people down in the ballroom would be able to see us, but I did not care.
“Oh, what a shame.” Nezettia pouted, reaching out to put a hand on my chest. “Well, if you need company.”
I smirked at her, looking down at her hand pointedly and then letting my eyes wander to the crowded ballroom space down below.
“Where is your husband?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at her, and she rolled her eyes, scoffing in the same way she had at the wedding dinner.
“He’s here somewhere. No doubt boring some poor person about the cruelty you’ve shown to the merfolk.”
I laughed loudly, lifting my wine glass from the balcony railing, and taking a long drink, keeping my eyes glued to Nezettia as she flipped her hair and leaned forward,peering down into the throngs of people down below. I eyed her carefully, letting my gaze roam over her figure in her dress, landing on her exposed back, her dress cut so low that it barely covered anything.
I sucked a breath through my nose, turning my attention away and downing the rest of my wine in one quick gulp.
The music playing faded into silence, and a faster song started up a few seconds later. I smiled, glad to hear one of my favourites playing and turned to Nezettia again, holding out a hand to her.
“Would you join me?” I asked, bowing my head slightly and looking at her through my lashes. Her face broke out into a grin, and she nodded her hand, leaving her wine glass perched on the balcony railing and sliding her hand into mine. Her nails were painted the same shade of pink as her dress, and I smirked at the effort she had put in to her appearance for someone else’s wedding.
We descended the stairs together, and I could hear the whispers and muttered gossip before we even reached the bottom. I caught the eye of Nezettia’s family, her husband standing with his mouth agape beside her mother and father, who were beaming from ear to ear. I sent her husband a wink as I directed her onto the dance floor, sweeping her into my arms in one graceful movement and sending us both swirling in time with the music.
Nezettia’s laugh reached my ears as I spun her, her hands clasped tightly into my suit jacket. It was the same suit I had worn for the wedding, and the green colour of it wasjust as hideous this evening as it had been then, but she did not seem to mind. Her feet moved in perfect time with him, and before long, the rest of the couples had moved from the dance floor to the sides of the ballroom, leaving us to spin at speed.
I let my hand wander up to the bare skin of her back, the warmth of her skin delicious against the palm of my hand. Her eyes flashed up to mine and she flashed me a devilish smile, which I could not help but return.
As the music ended, I spun Nezettia one more time around the dance floor. I knew every set of eyes in the room were on us as I did so, pulling her back to me with enough force that she slammed against my chest. Her breathing was almost as fast as mine as we stared at each other for a second.
The only second we were allowed before the ballroom plunged into darkness.
Screams and gasps filled the space, and I stepped back from Nezettia quickly, looking up to see the three large chandeliers had been extinguished. I sighed, shaking my head and began to turn away, aiming to go and find Cirro, but the band who had been playing only seconds before started up again.
The chandeliers burst back into life, throwing the room into blinding sparkle once again, and there, stood on the balcony that Nezettia and I had just vacated, was Kira.
Applause erupted from the crowd, and I felt my heartdrop into my stomach at the sight of her, well and in her wedding dress, made up perfectly and without a hair out of place. Her eyes caught mine, and she smiled, sickeningly sweet.
“You said she was poorly,” Nezettia hissed at me, but I ignored the girl, turning on my heel and making for the staircase that led up to the balcony again, taking the steps two at a time and trying with all of my might to look like a fool who was madly in love with the woman who had just crashed his party.
Kira watched me as I drew closer to her, a smirk on her face now that she was not facing the crowd. I smiled at her, the best I could, and held out my arms, enveloping her in a hug that would have looked sincere from the outside, and caused a round of applause to begin, but I did not miss the way she winced as I squeezed her.
“Am I interrupting your date?” She whispered in my ear, and my teeth snapped together as I pulled back from her, plastering another fake smile onto my face and looking down at her, cupping her face in my hands. Her eyes flashed with fear for a second, as though she thought I was going to snap her neck, but she relaxed when I leaned in, peppering a few light kisses onto her face.
“You do have impeccable timing; I’ll give you that.” I quipped, and Kira snorted, rolling her eyes quickly before turning us back to face the crowd below, slipping her arm through mine and acting every part the doting bride as she grinned up at me, waving out to the crowd.
She was good, I would give her that.
I lead her down the stairs to another flurry of applause, the smile never leaving Kira’s face as we were greeted at the foot of the stairs by a thick crowd of people, all looking to speak to Kira or to congratulate us, to hold her hand even for a second or to pat me on the back. It was as though I had not existed as their King until Kira had arrived to the party, and the annoyance I felt through my blood was enough to make my hands shake.
~~~
The moon shone high in the midnight sky, and I was sitting at an empty table near the back of the ballroom.
Kira was still socialising, even though I had seen her yawning several times in the last fifteen minutes. It felt to me like she was putting on a show, like she was showing off that she was not dead. Like she knew it was me.
I ground my teeth together, taking another drink of the wine in front of me and letting my eyes roam the room again. Calliope and her girlfriend, Fionnuala, were cuddled up at a table not too far away from me, and Caliara slept soundly against Calliope’s chest, her big sister running her fingers through her hair soothingly. I watched them all carefully, smiling to myself at the sight of my sisters being so happy and carefree.
