Page 29 of A Dagger in the Ivy

Over his shoulder, I spot the king and queen. His brows are drawn down as he speaks with her, and I notice her pallor has a reddish hue to it. It must be the wine. The king takes her by her gloved elbow and says something that makes her bite her lip and frown. My guess is that he’s cutting her off from having more wine. Perhaps he’s afraid she will embarrass herself.

The queen pulls her arm free and turns on her heel. Her pace is quick as she leaves the room, her maidservants scurrying after her.

The king scowls at the table and runs his fingers down his white beard.

Torbin spins me, and I lose sight of the king.

“I have to admit, I find your standing in the Royal Regiment intriguing.” Torbin’s eyes are on me, breaking my trance. “You’ve got quite the reputation as Commander.”

“Thank you, my prince.”

“Celeste, I already told you. It’s just Torbin.”

“Torbin.” I nod. “It’s a position I’ve trained hard for—commanding the regiment. And it’s been especially challenging these past months because of the carnoraxis attacks.”

“Ah, yes. Dreadful. Are you fighting them off with just weapons? Or do you have some special fae power that gives you an advantage?”

I stop myself from stiffening. Though we may be old acquaintances, I am not yet comfortable sharing my lack of fae powers with him. “Fae powers do help. Strength and speed, mostly. I heal quicker than full-blooded humans.”

He lifts his brows. “That would come in handy, indeed.”

“Have you been keeping up with the whole ordeal?” I look over my shoulder, but I don’t spot the king at the table. “Do you know anything about the Shadow Tsar?”

His eyes narrow for a millisecond. “How would I? He’s been a mystery since he usurped the former ruler of Dulcamar. Very secretive, but he’s got everyone’s attention with his army of beasts. I do hear they are full of unimaginable power and strength. To be honest, I’m a bitfascinated by them. But you’ve seen them firsthand, so I’m guessing this isn’t the news you were searching for.”

I release a resigned sigh. For a moment, I had a glimmer of hope that another kingdom, especially a neighboring one that also bordered the enemy’s land, would have some useful information that could help us.

“Celeste.” He stops for a moment and lifts my chin with a finger. “This night is for celebrating. We can attend to all those matters in the morning.”

I give him an apologetic smile. “You’re right. Forgive me.”

“Perhaps we should get some air.” He gestures with his head toward the glass doors that lead to the courtyard. “Clear our heads.”

“Yes. I think that would help.” Anything to break me free from dancing.

My focus goes to the table, but the queen has not returned, and the king is nowhere to be seen. I find it odd that they would leave the ball so soon, but then again, I’m not well-versed in these events. Besides, the prince and I are also departing the ballroom, at least for a moment. Unless he’s planning on sneaking me off for the rest of the night.

I’m not sure I would object.

Torbin turns so we’re both facing the doors and places his hand against the small of my back. My eyes seek out Nadya, who is dancing with a handsome noble in dark blue. She gives me a questioning look, to which I nod, indicating that everything is fine. Some of the nobles and courtiers watch us as the prince and I exit the ballroom. A blush warms my neck and cheeks when a few of the onlookers whisper to each other as we pass by.

“Get used to their stares, Princess.” Torbin’s voice is low, the breath of it vibrating against my earlobe. “You’re their future queen.”

Outside, the music is muffled. The night breeze cools my skin, chasing away any blush that remained. Gas lamps illuminate the courtyard in a soft glow, creating an atmosphere that is both regal and inviting.

We stop near a part of the outer wall that is not covered in ivy. I lean my back against it, welcoming the feel of cold stone on my hot back. “How long do these balls usually go on for?”

Torbin stands extremely close to me, placing a hand on the wall beside my head. “It depends. Sometimes they end quickly. Other times, they go on until morning.”

“I’ve been to parties that last that long. Though nothing as formal as this. And they usually involve gallons of ale and at least one of my squad members getting into a fist fight.” And more often than not, it’s Isaac. That’s generally followed by Mylo breaking up the fight, Giorgi tending to Isaac’s black eye, and Aila calling them all idiots. “I don’t know how you could possibly tolerate something like this for an entire night.”

“Well, company helps.” He lifts his hand and pushes a strand of hair away from my cheek.

His gaze is so intense that it’s hard to look away, but at the same time, it’s almost too much to bear. “And do you often have that kind of company?”

“None quite as captivating as you.” His eyes roam slowly from my face to my chest and back up.

I can’t hold back the smile that forms on my lips. “I think you’ve had too much wine.” Or maybe I have. I don’t usually let anyone look at me like he is without putting them in their place.

---