Page 136 of Kingdom of Briars and Roses

He entered expectantly, his gaze immediately locking onto me, and a smile—charming and practiced—spread across his lips. He looked every bit the prince tonight, his auburn hair swept back, his forest green tunic embroidered with gold thread that shimmered in the firelight.

His black eye had healed with no trace of injury.

“You look beautiful.” He took my hand and raised it to his lips, brushing a kiss over my knuckles. “I know the past few days haven’t been what we envisioned for our partnership, Aurelia. I hope that tonight we can start over.” His voice was as smooth as the silk of my gown. “That we can forget everything else and just… begin again.”

I stared at him, barely blinking.

Is he serious?

He thought we could wipe the slate clean, pretend he hadn’t betrayed me, used me? I didn’t answer, letting the silence stretch until it became uncomfortable.

Callan’s smile fell.

Whatever happened, I wasn’t going to let it be easy for them.

But then, behind him, I caught a glimpse of Rydian standing in the hallway with the others, his arms crossed, his expression as dark as ever. In another world, in a different life, Rydian and I would have had more than one night. But that was not the world we lived in.

He nodded at me as if urging me to play along.

Whatever harsh words I’d been about to unleash died on my lips. Instead, I smiled sweetly at Callan, as if nothing were wrong. “Of course,” I said, my voice light, airy. “We’re all adults here.”

Callan’s smile widened in relief, and I forced myself to focus. “Good,” he said, oblivious to the bitter taste those words had left in my mouth. “I want us to be unified in front of our allies. Tonightis important.”

I nodded. “Yes. Very important,” I murmured, my own agenda simmering beneath the surface.

Callan gave my hand one last squeeze before offering his arm. “Ready?”

I took his arm.

“I’m ready,” I said.

The ballroom shimmered, thanks to the chandeliers overhead. They reminded me of the lamplight party Sunspire threw every year for my birthday, which only made me think of my family—and home. Swallowing against the lump in my throat, I stopped beside Callan just outside the open doors, waiting to be announced, and my breath caught for a moment at the opulence of it all. Red roses and moonflowers—symbols of the Summer Court—twined in delicate clusters around glowing lanterns set as centerpieces on the tables scattered along the far edges of the room. The small nod to my home should’ve reassured me, but it only served to tighten the knot of anxiety in my chest. Because everywhere else I looked, there was only Autumn—opulently displayed.

Leaves the color of burnt orange and fiery gold wreathed the banquet tables. Vines made of gold crawled across the ceiling and down the walls. Alive somehow, despite the enchantments to make them gleam and glitter. Servers wore deep burgundy uniforms with crowns of ivy woven into their hair.

Duron wasn’t leaving any doubt that his power was greater than the enemy’s curse. Unfortunately, he’d all but killed his own people to do it.

My stomach roiled with the thought of how much magic he’d taken from them in order to make tonight possible.

Vanya’s, for one.

The idea that her magic had gone to turning freshly grown vines into gold fueled my rage. I tamped it down, reminding myself of the task at hand.

Tonight was a performance, and I was the star of the show.

As if on cue, our arrival was announced.

“His Highness, Prince Callan of Grey Oak, and his betrothed, Princess Aurelia of Sevanwinds.”

Every eye in the ballroom turned to stare.

Mostly at me.

I stiffened as the whispers began, but Callan seemed perfectly at ease under the scrutiny.

“You look breathtaking,” he whispered, taking my hand and raising it to his lips. His touch was warm, his expression smooth—too smooth. I caught the calculated glint in his golden eyes, and it ignited a familiar flicker of anger in my chest as I thought of a party very similar to this one seven years ago.

One that had ended in him deserting me to save himself.

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