Page 63 of The Sorrow of Shadows

He lets out a deep laugh. “Touche, Princess. But I bet you’d look even better out of it.”

I roll my eyes and ignore his forwardness. He’s either trying to rile me or start shit elsewhere, and I refuse to take his bait.

After a few more minutes we finally reach the hallway outside the ballroom. Ophelia and Elijah have just been announced, leaving Ayden and me. Aurelius and my mother will follow, but they have yet to arrive.

I straighten my dress and curls, assuring everything is in its place. Ayden reaches up and adjusts the diadem on top of my head.

“You ready for this?” he asks, and I nod.

He nods back. “Let’s go.”

The servants open the double doors leading into the ballroom and we step through, halting just inside. “Announcing, Her Highness Princess Breyla Rozaria of Rimor, escorted by His Highness Prince Ayden Mordet II of Prudia.”

The ballroom is opulent, draped in gold and red the same shade as my dress. People from all over our kingdom and thosearound us fill the space. They’re dressed in finery, but they’re all staring at us. Uncomfortable with this much attention, I usher Ayden away from the doorway and along the side of the room. I may not be dressed in black, but I will hide in the shadows until my mother arrives and forces me to do otherwise.

It’s only a few minutes before the doors swing open again and the night’s main attraction arrives.

“Announcing, Her Royal Majesty Queen Genevieve Rozaria of Rimor, escorted by her fiancé, Lord Aurelius Rozaria of Rimor.”

My mother and Aurelius enter the room, and everyone falls silent. They’re truly a sight to see. My mother is dressed in a pale gold dress that flatters her frame but exposes nothing. The gold wrapping around her makes her look like the Sun goddess, Aura. Her strawberry blond hair hangs in loose curls down her back, and light makeup covers her face. A simple golden crown sits atop her head.

Next to her, Aurelius is her dark counterpart. Dressed in all black, he looks like sin incarnate. Gold rings adorn his fingers, and I find I was right—the gold really does compliment him. It shouldn’t be possible to look that good.

My eyes lock with my mother, and I recognize that I’m being summoned. Ayden and I cross the room until we stand before them.

“I can see I was right about my suggestion to wear red.” She smiles brightly at me.

I return it and say, “And I can see I was right in suggesting you wear gold. You look lovely, Mother.”

She pulls me in for a hug, and for the first time in weeks, I finally relax into her embrace.

“Thank you,” she whispers before releasing me.

We head toward the front of the room, where two gold thrones await us. My mother steps up on the dais in front of oneand clears her throat. The three of us gather around her as she begins to speak.

“Thank you all for gathering tonight to celebrate my engagement to Lord Aurelius. Aurelius and I have been friends for as long as I can remember, and I couldn’t think of a better male to help rule this kingdom. While I know no one can replace my Raynor, I have full faith that Aurelius will give his all to protect and lead this wonderful kingdom. To all our guests, no matter how far you traveled to be here with us, thank you. You have made this evening one to remember. So, let’s dance, eat, and enjoy this night.” She smiles warmly as everyone applauds her speech. There was no way anyone could claim my mother didn’t love and cherish this kingdom and all its inhabitants.

I had plans to question some of the guests in attendance to see if I could learn anything more about the attempts made on my and Aurelius's lives, or about the murders of Nolan and Julian. Having this many people gathered in one place was too much of an opportunity to pass up. I doubted the culprit was here, but perhaps I could find someone who had seen Julian before his death. His body was missing, and I was determined to bring it home.

“Shall we dance, Princess?” Ayden asks, breaking me out of my thoughts.

Despite hating nearly everything feminine, dancing was the one activity I loved and excelled at outside of swordplay and battle strategy. I had learned the art at a young age, and it was my first love. It was actually what made learning swordplay easier for me. I was already fluid and graceful from mastering many formal dances. Twirling and swaying across the floor is where I felt most free.

“I would love to.” I beam at him, letting him lead me to the dance floor.

We fall into line with the other couples dancing as Ayden places a hand on the small of my back, pulling me close. My armrests lightly on his shoulder as his other hand takes mine, resting out to our side.

The music begins and we fall into the steps, letting the melody guide us through the twists, dips, and turns of the song. Ayden leads with expert skill, and I follow easily, just happy to have a capable dance partner. They were hard to come by. I close my eyes and let the music take me, enjoying the feeling of the world falling away around me.

“I never suspected you would be such an adept dance partner, love. You are really in your element here. I thought you were all sharp edges and equally sharp words. Who knew you had such a soft side to you as well.”

I smile and finally open my eyes to find him staring at me as if he’s trying to put together the pieces of a puzzle. “I’m full of surprises, Prince Ayden. You just have to look past all the bullshit you think you see.”

“The gods have given you one face, yet it would seem you paint yourself another.”

“I think you’re actually referring to yourself there.”

“More than you even know, love.”

---