Page 71 of A Court Bright and Broken

Tearing my gaze away from Stellon’s, I looked around. It wasn’t just a single set of furious turquoise eyes burning a hole through me.

Hundreds of pairs of Elven eyes stared at us. Waiting.

A figure in the crowd caught my attention because she was hopping up and down. It was Ronia, beaming at me and clapping her hands.

This was real. It was actually happening.

And there would be no slipping away from the ball quietly. Literally everyone in attendance had seen me now.

Stunned numbness turned into mounting panic.What am I going to do?

There was only one thingtodo.

“Yes,” I said in a bit of a croak. Clearing my throat, I repeated the word. “Yes.”

After another long beat of silence, applause began, the weak claps becoming stronger and turning into thunderous applause.

It was joined by cheers. The music started up again.

Stellon rose and held out his hand to me. “It’s tradition for the betrothed couple to dance a celebratory dance. Shall we?”

My legs were shaking so hard I worried I wouldn’t even make it down the steps, much less be able to perform an unfamiliar Fae dance in front of a large crowd.

Once again, there was no choice.

Stellon slipped an arm around my waist, and with his other hand, took mine, holding it up and to the side.

“Just keep your eyes on me,” he said in an encouraging tone. “And move with me. You’ll be fine. Starting tomorrow, we’ll get you a dancing instructor. There are alotof royal balls in your future.”

I nodded, just trying to get through it. Hopefully when this dance ended, everyone would go back to minding their own business and I could find an excuse to slip away.

There was less than an hour left until midnight.

Once the hands of the enormous clock on the wall opposite the throne joined at the top, my disguise would dissolve—along with the love spell Sorcha had obviously cast.

Theneveryonewould see what Pharis had already seen. How wrong a choice I was for Stellon.

And why.

What would be the punishment for enacting a deception like this? For being a human with the audacity to mix with the Fae and pretend to be one of them? Instant imprisonment if not a swift execution.

Not only would my life be over, my sisters and father would suffer.

Unaware of my subterfuge and private torment, the Crown Prince seemed thrilled. He smiled at me tenderly.

“For a moment there, I wondered if you might refuse me… but you have made me the happiest man in the kingdom.”

“How could I refuse you?” I asked honestly.

Stellon grinned. “Someone once told me there’s always a choice—if you’re willing to own up to what you really want and make it. That’s what I did tonight. I hopeyoudidn’t say yes out of obligation?”

“Of course not.”

I’d said it out of sheer terror of what would happen if I’d said no.

“I am nervous, though, having so many people watching me.”

And not for the reason you think.

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