Page 130 of A Court Bright and Broken

He shook his head and got up, coming over to my chair and leaning down to whisper in my ear.

“It’s okay. Just a few moments, and you’ll understand.”

His closeness and the heat of his breath sent a shiver down my back. What was he up to now?

Was someone delivering yet another gift I’d have to refuse?

It couldn’t be any harder to resist than the previous ones, which had been things I’d always wanted without even knowing it.

I sort of felt like I might die if I didn’t get to smell that heavenly perfume again—and if I had to give back the magical hummingbird.

There was a bit of a clatter now coming from the balcony, which ran the length of his suite of rooms. Standing just in front of me, Stellon leaned against the frame of an open window and watched whomever was out there dowhatever they were doing.

“Thank you,” he said. “You may begin.”

At the first strains of music, it all became clear.

He’d arranged for a quartet to enter his sitting room at a certain time and access the balcony from there, setting up their instruments to play just on the other side of the windows.

Once they began playing, he turned and spoke to me out loud. “It’s safe to speak freely again. They won’t be able to hear us.”

I kept my voice low anyway. “But what if theyseeme? They’re right outside.”

Through the glass I could see the elbow of one of the musicians as he drew his bow back and forth over his instrument.

“They won’t. Don’t worry. They’re facing the ocean—and they’ve been warned, upon penalty of death,notto look into the windows.”

He smiled. “Being Crown Princedoescome with a few advantages.”

Relaxing my shoulders and breathing normally again, I settled back into my chair and listened.

Just as it had on the night of the ball, the music entranced me. I’d heard plenty of musicians play at our village’s weekly dances and occasionally in a neighboring village.

This was different.

Whether it was due to their musical glamour or their unique instruments, I wasn’t sure, but Elven music seemed to have a power of its own.

“It’s beautiful,” I said in a dreamy tone as one song ended and a new one began.

Stellon smiled widely. “I’m glad you like it.”

He approached my chair and extended his right hand. “May I have the honor of a dance, my lady?”

My heart rolled, causing me to place a hand on my chest.

“I… don’t know how to dance,” I told him. “Not like you do it.”

“I won’t judge. Don’t worry—there’s no one around to see you brutalize the royal toes.”

The musicdidmake me feel like moving, the way it had my first night here in the palace. And this time there was no need for me to pretend any sort of expertise the way I had when masquerading as a high Fae lady.

As a human, there could be no expectations I’d be any good at this. So I took Stellon’s hand and allowed him to pull me to my feet and into his arms.

Placing his cheek against mine, he whispered. “Even if you did step on my feet, you’re so little I’d hardly notice.”

I looked up at him in surprise. No one in my life had ever considered me “little.”

But then, Iwaslooking up at him, and his shoulder width dwarfed my own. My hand inside his had very nearly disappeared, wrapped inside his much longer fingers. Compared to him, I guessed Iwaslittle.

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