Page 62 of Burning Crowns

‘I can’t believe Shen Lo thought he could throw a grand party without you knowing,’ fumed Celeste, as they left the palace and returned to the square. ‘I’ll be right here if you need me, Rose. Just let me know if you’d rather me speak to Shen. I certainly have a thing or two I would like to say to him!’

Rose managed a smile. ‘You go and find Anika. I know you two left things rather unfinished in Gevra. You must have been missing her these past few months.’

Celeste sighed. ‘Of course I would go and fall for a Gevran.’

‘Well, that’s something you and Wren have in common,’ teased Rose. Thinking of her sister bolstered her now. Wren would be furious with Shen for hosting a party without inviting them. So, Rose decided she would be furious, too.

Furious was better than the alternative.

Devastated.

When Rose, Celeste and Lei-Fan arrived back in the courtyard, the dancing was still well under way. Shen was in the middle of the square, spinning Princess Elladora of Demarre, whose head was thrown back in laughter. Mercifully, someone had fetched him a new shirt. For a moment, Rose wanted to pick up her skirts and run as fast as she could out of the Sunkissed Kingdom. Run all the way across the Ganyeve Desert and back to Anadawn. But this was about more than her pride. She needed a witch-made weapon, and she knew she could find one here.

But first, she needed to remind Shen of exactly who she was. And that required an entrance.

‘It seems that we have one final arrival to the King’s Choice,’ boomed the Master of Ceremonies. ‘But I’m sure we can all agree that a beautiful maiden is better late than never. Especiallythisparticular maiden …’

The music stopped. Everyone paused their dancing, craning their necks to see who exactly the enthusiastic announcer was referring to.

‘This is going to be fun,’ whispered Celeste, who was standing behind Rose.

Lei Fan called on the wind. It whistled through the winding streets of the Sunkissed Kingdom and extinguished all the lanterns,until only the everlights burned. With a whispered spell and a drop of sand, Celeste extinguished those, too, and then all was dark.

Except for Rose.

Her dress shone.

Sheshone.

The wind whooshed through the crowd, pushing it apart, clearing a pathway for Rose that led directly towards Shen. Holding her head high, she proceeded down the path, her dress moving daringly with each measured step. She kept her eyes on Shen, and Shen alone. Even in the dark she could trace his outline, but she couldn’t see his face. Only the way he stepped away from Princess Elladora and moved, almost spell struck, towards Rose.

She saw how his arms opened in welcome, and she had to stop herself from running to him. She kept her pace steady, even as she felt the eyes of everyone on her face, her body, heard the rising hush of a thousand whispers.

‘Queen Rose Valhart, of Eana,’ cried the Master of Ceremonies, just as Rose reached Shen.

The crowd erupted in cheers but she didn’t hear them. There was only Shen Lo and her, the rest of the world falling away into nothing.

‘Rose,’ he breathed, before bowing deep at the waist. He straightened up, caught in the glow of her dress, and she saw his face properly now. He was smiling in disbelief. ‘I … You look … beautiful … like a dream …’ His gaze roamed all the way down her body. He swallowed thickly. ‘My wildest dream.’

Rose didn’t smile back. She simply dipped her chin in acknowledgement of his words and then extended her hand.

Shen took it eagerly. As his lips brushed her skin, she felt her heart skip, but she kept her face neutral. Those lips had kissed many hands tonight, and that stung.

The rest of the world crept back in. The crowd grew restless, pushing closer. With a whoosh, the everlights came back on and the lanterns sparked to life. The music started up. Rose recognized the song. It was a popular Eanan dance, where one switched partners throughout. It felt especially apt.

‘Aren’t you going to say anything?’ said Shen, as he stepped towards her and raised his palm in invitation. His smile fell, his eyes darting nervously. ‘This must all seem rather strange to you … It’s strange for me, too.’

Rose placed her hand against his, her skin tingling at his touch. ‘On the contrary,’ she said, trying to keep the hurt from her voice. ‘You seem quite in your element. Perhaps I should apologize for interrupting.’

All around them, other dancers came together and began to spin.

‘You’re as welcome as the sunrise, Rose,’ said Shen, his eyes locked on hers. ‘I’m so glad you’re here.’

‘If that’s true, then why didn’t you invite me?’ Rose’s lip trembled and she looked away, embarrassed to be so upset.

Shen blinked in surprise but before he could reply, the key of the music changed. It was time to swap partners. The queen of Krale stepped forward to take Rose’s place. Rose nodded respectfully and saw the Krale queen’s eyes light up with recognition. ‘Your singing was spectacular, Queen Adrienne,’ said Rose, before turning to the man next to her to carry on the dance.

He had short brown hair and light brown eyes, and was so tall Rose had to tip her head back to see his face. Aware that Shen was still watching her – watching them – she gave the man her most dazzling smile.‘Good evening,’ she said, coyly. ‘Shall we dance?’

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