Page 91 of Rise of a Fallen Man

“You look lovely tonight, my prince,” I said calmly, before turning to the grand duchess. “There is nothing indecent about my husband, Your Grace. His upbringing instilled the unshakable sense of propriety in him that nothing could corrupt.”

Sadly, that was as much as I could rebuke her in public without causing a scene and potentially a political fallout with Olakrez. Mother looked tense already, watching me with concern.

I didn’t insist on Leafar taking off his dress coat. Doing so would put him on the spot and undoubtedly result in an argument with the duchess when it wasn’t about her, or me, but about Leafar and his ability to stand up for himself.

There was strength in him. Though, his ways of getting what he wanted tended to be sulking and manipulation, but I hoped that with time, he’d learn to speak his mind and defend his point of view in a more straightforward manner.

Giving his aunt what she wanted, Leafar quietly moved away from us with the group of his gentlemen-in-waiting

One of the Olakrez ladies chuckled, pointing at the gladiators.

“Those boys are natural. Just look at them mingling with the nobles as if they weren’t of a low birth themselves.”

“They act like they belong here,” a gentleman scoffed.

Mother lifted her head. “Tonight, they’re our guests of honor.”

I smiled at the courtiers politely. “Some of those ‘boys’ did more for the queendom in the past few days than many people of the court have done in their entire lives.”

“One of them saved our daughter’s life,” Father reminded everyone. “Wouldn’t it be lovely, Your Majesty, if you asked our hero to dance? I’m afraid no one had asked him. One would think his card would be filled by now, but I haven’t seen him dancing yet.”

The dance floor had filled quickly. Gem danced with Falo. The games master and her husband were also there, swirling in the quadrille.

“I’d rather stay with you, dearest,” Mother cooed, not letting go of Father’s hand. “But I’m sure Princess Arini would welcome the chance to express her gratitude to him for saving her from the dragon. What do you think, my dear?” She looked at me.

“If you insist, Your Majesty,” I replied quickly and headed across the room before anyone could object and stop me.

Was it reckless of me to accept Mother’s suggestion so eagerly? Was it careless of me to approach in public the man I loved in secret?

The music stopped as the quadrille ended. Now, all eyes were on me as I crossed the dance floor toward Salas.

He bowed to me, as did the men who flanked him on both sides.

“May I have this dance?” I offered him my hand as the orchestra played the first notes of polka. “That is if your card stillhas any space for me.” I tipped my chin at the sage-colored card pinned to his belt on the left. All single men at the ball had a card like that for the women to write their names in to claim them as partners for each dance.

“It’s full, Your Highness,” he rumbled quietly. “But only because I can’t dance any of that...” He gestured at the floor where the couples were gaining speed in a whirlwind of polka. “Despite my dance teacher’s best efforts, I’ve only mastered the waltz. They’re going to play it twice tonight. Both times, Lerrel already auctioned to the highest bidders this morning.”

Despite his words, he took my hand, as if accepting the invitation, anyway.

“The waltz is such a lovely dance, isn’t it?” I smiled, squeezing his hand. “There is no reason it can’t be played three times instead of two tonight.”

I lifted my free hand and snapped my fingers at the orchestra. The snap couldn’t be heard over the noise in the room, but the conductor caught my gesture over her shoulder and immediately halted the music.

“Waltz, please,” I ordered in the relative silence that followed.

She nodded and raised her arms. A new rhythm filled the ballroom.

Salas smiled as I led him onto the dance floor where the couples have regrouped to adjust to the change in music.

“The power of the crown princess,” he said.

“Sadly, that’s all there is to my power.” I sighed.

I was powerless to even tell the man I loved how I felt about him.

What would he do if he knew? Would he feel elated like me? Or would my love just add another complication to his life?

Doubts and hesitation entered my mind.

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