Page 67 of The Promised Prince
“You can’t win them all I suppose,” he responded dryly, looking away from her.
She blinked. “But youdidwin. A lot. You swept all the preliminary rounds.”
“Preliminaryrounds.” He scoffed. “Those mean nothing. But don’t worry, the next time I go head to head with Ezra, I plan on winning.”
Renna had no idea how to respond to that. She gazed up at him, his jaw set in a hard frown as he looked over the crowd and wondered where this cold Joniss had come from.
“The night is almost over, and I’m looking for more than just a dance.” He glanced over her figure with a casual, assessing eye, then raised an eyebrow and smirked. “What are you offering?”
Renna swallowed. “I’m...only offering a dance.”
“Is that all?” He leaned closer and trailed a finger down her arm, leaving goosebumps in his wake. “A dance is the beginning, Renna. What comes after?”
She stepped back, unnerved by the leering way he looked at her. “I don’t know.”
“Hmm.” He straightened, his lips pursed together. “Other girls can offer me more than that.”
Renna felt frozen to the spot, embarrassment washing over her. Something about this situation was totally unfair, but her thoughts buzzed so rapidly that she could hardly focus.
Joniss winked at her again, but this time with an edge of mockery. “I’ve wasted enough time today.”
Jenica appeared at his side, her blonde hair draped over one shoulder. She pressed her body close to his with a coy smile.
“Officer Doman?” She curled her painted fingernails around his arm like a snake. “I know you want to dance with me.”
Joniss looked down at her and smiled. He seemed interested enough in whatshewas offering. He glanced back at Renna and shrugged. “Like I said, so many women. What’s a guy to do?” Then he let Jenica pull him away.
Rejection. Renna felt it in the core of her heart. She was alone, small, and insignificant. She folded her arms across her chest, wishing it wasn’t the only means she had to hide herself.
A waste of time. That’s how Joniss thought of her.
Where was the charming Joniss who had flirted and smoldered and made himself available whenever she needed a distraction from Trev? She needed Joniss to keep her thoughts away from unavailable princes, to firm her resolve. She was using Joniss selfishly, but that seemed inconsequential now that Jenica was wrapped in his arms.
Jenica pressed her body close and smiled up at Joniss through her lashes, seeming all too pleased to be in his arms.
Tonight, Renna had needed Joniss for a specific purpose and he had failed her.
But that wasn’t even the worst part
The worst part was that Trev had been right.
The time came for the kiss. Trev and Seran stood across from each other at the front of the party. The tournament’s headmaster raised Trev’s arm victoriously, and the people cheered for their prince in appreciation.
Renna looked at the cheering people, at her mother and King Carver standing to the side of the couple with satisfied smiles, at Joniss with Jenica draped across his arm. Her heart squeezed painfully. The moment couldn’t get much worse.
Trev bent his head and touched his lips to Seran’s, lifting a hand to gently hold her face. It certainly could have been a longer kiss, but it also could have been much shorter; their lips stayed together for what seemed like an eternity to Renna.
The crowd loved it.
Renna had to look away.
Too many times, she had wondered what it would feel like to kiss Trev. Now she could ask Seran.
Trev dropped his hand, grazing the length of Seran’s arm until his fingers interlocked with hers. His gentle caresses seemedrealto Renna. Real enough to break her heart over and over again.
The couple raised their joined hands to the audience as if they had won a big prize. Or maybetheywere the big prize.
King Carver stepped forward and hushed the crowd with his hands. “This is an important day for Albion and New Hope. For the unifying of these two great countries and the unifying of a young prince and princess.Whenyou elect Prince Ezra as king in a few months, this powerful couple will lead Albion into a new age.”
