Page 64 of The Sorrow of Shadows

“That’s the second genuine thing you’ve said to me.”

“Come again? I assure you I’ve been quite honest with you since the start.”

“I’m not saying you’re dishonest, but honesty and being genuine are two different things. The first time you were genuine with me was when you expressed what you wanted in a wife, the second was just now.”

He smiles and quirks his head as if he knows something I don’t. “Three times. I was being genuine when I said you’d look better in the colors of House Mordet.”

The first song ends and runs right into the next. This one is a dance where partners are switched throughout until you finally end back with your original.

The music picks up and Ayden spins me to my next partner.I’m surprised, but not upset, to find Ophelia’s brother, Lord Layne, waiting for me. He’s stiff at first, like he’s not quite comfortable, or unsure what to do with me. He obviously knows the dance as he leads us through the steps seamlessly.

“Lord Layne, it is nice to see you back at court,” I say, trying my best to make small talk.

“It is nice to be home, Princess.” The way he says my title is formal, so unlike the way Ayden or Aurelius says it. I know Ophelia loves him, but he’s so hard to get a read on. I can’t tell if he despises me, fears me, or if it’s something else entirely.

“Was your time away productive?” I try to act casually, but I’m not sure it works.

“It always is.” His answer is short, but polite. “How is my sister? I hear you accepted her as your lady.”

“Ophelia is more than my lady; she is my friend. She seems good for the most part. She’s come out of her shell recently. I think Lord Elijah has a serious interest in her.”

He snorts. “Elijah? Seriously? You’ve got to be making a joke. I’ve never seen that male serious about anyone.”

“While I would normally agree with you, he did ditch me to escort her tonight. He isalwaysmy partner for these events. It’s unlike him, especially when he could still sleep with whomever he wants even while escorting me.”

“Intriguing. Perhaps there is hope for him yet.”

“Did you just make a joke, Lord Layne? Perhaps there is hope foryou.”

His lips quirk at the corner in the slightest of smiles before he spins me away to my next partner. I’m flung into the arms of the emissary from Lennox.

Lennox borders Rimor to the east and is a relatively peaceful kingdom. I’m not surprised the King and Queen sent their emissary in their stead; they rarely venture outside their borders or engage with other kingdoms.

I make polite small talk and wait to be passed to my next dance partner.

I’m passed several more times before the familiar scent of bergamot greets me. Inhaling deeply, I look up into Aurelius's brown and crimson irises.

He smiles down at me as we twist and turn around the dance floor. “I’ll pretend I didn’t just catch you sniffing me,” he teases.

I shrug unashamedly. “Your scent smells like home.”

His eyes sparkle mischievously as he twists me away from him before pulling me back. “And yours drives me feral with a need to cover you in my own.”

I blush at such brazen words spoken openly. I then notice he isn’t dressed entirely in black like I had initially thought. Deep red, the same shade as our house colors and my dress, peek out from the lining of his jacket. Unnoticeable to most, but the subtle accent color makes me smile.

He leans closer and whispers, “I don’t know how you expect me to keep my eyes off you. You look like every deep desire I’ve ever had. I don’t know where you got that dress, but I cannot wait to see what it looks like on the floor.”

His words spark warmth low in my belly and make me want to leave this whole godsdamned room of people behind. Before I can act on my desire, I hear Ayden behind me.

“I believe you are monopolizing my partner, Lord Aurelius.” His voice has lost its normal flirtatious edge and seems serious for once.

I look around to see he is right, and everyone else has ended back with their original partners.

Reluctantly, Aurelius releases me to Ayden. He looks like he wants to say something but remains silent. I sense tension between them, but that’s not all that unusual. Aurelius hasn’t trusted Ayden from the beginning.

Ayden pulls me in tight and spreads hishand across the small of my back. This close I can easily feel the ridges of the muscles, including how tightly wound they are.

“That was tense,” I comment.

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