Page 58 of Ruined Kingdom

The buffet tables were as long as the room, running about the length of my family’s entire farm.

The food must have taken weeks to prepare! It all smelled so wonderful.

Everyone that was in attendance was dressed to the nines.

Even the staff were donning finer uniforms.

“Soph!” Lexi grabbed my arm and dragged me out to the middle of the dance floor.

She began pulling and pushing my hands, making me dance despite my inability.

“Please, Lexi, Kaine might abandon me if he sees how poorly I move my feet,” I whispered to her.

“Oh, please. Look at how that man looks at you.” She motioned her eyes to look behind me.

I turned to see Kaine standing against the wall with a glass of wine in his hand and a mischievous smirk on his face.

He raised his glass to me, clearly amused to see me on the dance floor.

My heart fluttered just at the sight of him.

“I suppose.” I tried to stifle my smile as I turned back to Lexi and danced with her.

Sharra shimmied her way in, leaning in to gossip. “Shifters sure do know how to throw a party!”

Lexi looked up at the ceiling to marvel once more. “You aren’t kidding. I’ve never seen anything so ornate in my life!”

I felt a tap on my shoulder, pulling my attention from the conversation.

I turned to see that it was my grandfather … though it felt strange to call him that. I didn’t know him the way I knew Tieni, but he was family. Not to mention that he had saved me on more than a few occasions.

“General Eugin.” I smiled at him as he offered me his hand. I took it graciously. “I feel I should warn you that I’m not a proficient dancer.”

“Don’t worry. I was never one for dancing myself, but my wife suggested I might like it more if it’s with my granddaughter.” He pointed at Tieni who was standing a few feet back waving at us like a proud mother hen.

“Well, I don’t plan to be on Tieni’s bad side.” I shuddered jokingly.

“Me neither.” He mimicked the sentiment with actual fear. He placed his hand on my waist and grabbed my other hand.

I could see there was something he wanted to say, but he seemed hesitant. I understood now why we hadn’t talked. He wasn’t really the talking sort of fellow. “General, is there something on your mind?”

I leaned over to catch his eyes.

“I was just thinking of … how much you look like my daughter.” His face softened, and his eyes glistened.

I wasn’t expecting that…

“Do I? No one really talks about her anymore. It’s too painful for them, I think.” My heart felt heavy just talking about her.

“If you ever want to talk about her—you can always come to me.” He managed to meet my eyes with an emotional sincerity that I hadn’t seen in him before.

The heavy weight on my chest disappeared, burned away by the warmth that replaced it. “I’d like that very much.”

After six hours, I was no longer equipped for partying. I wanted to crawl under one of the banquet tables and slip into a food-induced coma, but there were eyes on me at all times. Not to mention, I also had to keep an eye on Yenisey and make sure she didn’t try anything with Kaine.

Luckily, Tieni and the other staff members seemed to have been helping me with that matter.

Maybe I could slip away for just a moment. I’ll take a short rest and return here, refreshed and ready for the ceremony.

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