Page 45 of Enchanted Kingdom
He gave me a wink and walked away.
Turning, I went to find someone to talk to. If Keir was going to act like I hadn’t been attacked by Aiyana today, then I was going to act like he wasn’t in the room. Which might have been childish of me, but I was a novice to rules of court and dammit if he didn’t deserve it.
“But how do you know!” Nara exclaimed minutes later. “What to keep in your hand and what to ditch?”
I laughed. “You need to watch the others. When it is not your turn. You know there are six of everything in the deck. If you have seen three fives in a short span, then you know only three remain to work with.”
Renna squinted. “You wretched, girl! That’s cheating.”
I shook my head. “No, it’s not. It’s just paying attention.”
Nara’s eyes went wide. “Wait. So you keep track of what’s been played?”
I moved my head back and forth. “Yes and no. You cannot track it on paper or anything, and if you are too hyper-focused on it, it can ruin the fun, but you can note the patterns of what is being played or discarded.”
Here we were. Elaborate ballgowns. Highest privilege of a woman in our country. Standing in a ballroom with multiple chandeliers. And talking cards.
I snickered. “You all are out of control.”
Nara shrugged. “It’s fun. And unlike the gossiping going on in other corners of the common rooms, it doesn’t tear anyone else down.”
“Ladies.” Prince Keiran joined the group and somehow squished between Nara and me while we all bowed. “Jorah, will you please walk with me?”
“Of course.” My response was less heartfelt than the previous night.
Renna gave me a look as if channeling me good luck.
Once outside the same doors he took me out the previous night, I took in some deep pulls of air and felt brave enough to walk over to the edge of the balcony for once. I wasn’t sure how I felt about being this high up, but tonight I just wanted to be as far away from the castle as possible. In only a few hours, I could return home to regroup and reset. I took a deep breath.
“I’m sorry,” Keir said, coming to stand next to me.
“How many others did you have come out here with you?” I asked.
“What?”
I spun toward him, not happy, but not irate either. “You heard me. How many?”
“A handful,” he admitted.
I looked back to the stars.
“I’m sorry about this morning. You told me it would happen; I just didn’t really think it’d escalate that quickly.”
I sighed.
“Are you not going to say anything about it at all?”
I shook my head. “Not when you aren’t going to like what I say.”
He cocked his head. “Try me.”
I looked him in the eyes. “I am less mad about this morning, because Aiyana is not a kind person so it wasn’t all that surprising that she would attack me. I am more upset about tonight. While the rest of the room wondered if she’d be here at all, she came in on your arm, Keir.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment.
Neither did I.
Then he smiled slowly. “You do know that it was not my choice to walk in here with her, right?”
