Page 93 of The Promised Prince
Renna looked at Seran as guilt expanded in her chest. She had guessed Seran would be upset, and rightfully so, but Seran was a gorgeous princess; nothing would ever take the attention away from her completely.
Renna braced herself for Seran’s anger, but whatever the princess felt, she masked. She raised her chin. “There are modesty rules in place for a reason, Renna. I think it is important to obey the rules.”
“Not every rule should be obeyed.” Renna shrugged and pushed past Jenica and Seran and nearly collided with the queen.
Her mother’s tight grip stopped her feet. The queen’s long, painted nails dug into her forearm like the claws of an eagle. She looked like she was going to have a heart attack. Probably fall dead on the floor. Renna wouldn’t even be able to help her, with the way the tight fabric of her dress trapped her legs and torso, keeping them from bending. The dress was that ridiculous; her mobility was a complete hostage to it.
“Renna, what has gotten into you?” Her voice was laced with panic. “Go upstairs and put something appropriate on.”
“Who says this dress isn’t appropriate? The Council of Essentials? They don’t even follow their own rules.” She tried to make her voice sound kind, easing her mother off the ledge. There were too many people around for her mother to make a big scene.
Renna wriggled her arm free from her mother’s grasp and continued through the crowd. With each stare, look, and nod, she grew bolder and bolder until her feet were taking her past the king.
“You’re testing my patience, girl.” The king’s fangy teeth were barred. He looked like a wolf ready to devour her.
“Like you said, I’m a liability.” She returned his gaze with a fierce look of her own. “I can’t help it.”
Was he going to rip off her dress like the evil stepsisters in the pre-Desolation Cinderella fairytale? That would draw too much attention, but the look in his eyes suggested he was contemplating it. His boney, sharp chin jutted out, but then his body turned from her, and he walked away.
The breath she had been holding escaped.
There was one last person to confront.
Trev stood in the middle of the ballroom with Drake. Both men hadn’t taken their eyes off her since she’d descended the stairs.
Despite Trev’s good looks, his elegant suit and the glittering gold crown on his head, right now, Renna knew she looked better.
Trev
The first thingTrev saw was Renna’s smooth, lean leg as it gracefully kicked out from the slit in her dress as she walked down the stairs into the great hall. The sight rattled his insides like nothing ever had before. To say he was speechless would be an understatement.
Drake was mid-drink when he saw her and practically choked.
All Trev could do was stand there and stare at Renna in that red dress.
“It’s the dress from the magazine,” Drake somehow got out.
“I...” Trev couldn’t locate his voice. It was caught somewhere in his throat or caught up in Renna. “She...she...looks way better than the woman in the magazine. How did she...” Trev’s words trailed off as Renna approached, her bare skin affecting every nerve in his entire body.
“Good evening, gentlemen.” She bent down in a slight curtsey. Trev’s eyes followed a little too closely, and judging by the smug smile on her face, she knew exactly where he had looked. He hadn’t done a good job hiding it this time.
She paused for a moment in front of them, and then walked away, lost in the crowd. All that remained was her perfume floating in the air.
Drake slapped him on the back. “You’re in big trouble tonight.”
Trev had to peel his eyes away from Renna’s smooth shoulder, from the stretch of her neck, the lengths of her bare arms.
He couldn’t just stare. Oh, but what he would give to just stare.
“There you are.” Seran’s sleek hand wrapped around his forearm, startling him. “The king said you were looking for me.”
Trev glanced at his father and knew what the king’s stern expression meant.
“He said you wanted to dance with me.” She smiled in her flirtatious way, raising her right shoulder in the process. Apparently, she had been unphased by Renna and her red dress.
This was the agreement he had made—the life he had chosen. From the outside looking in, it was the most straightforward trade-off ever.
Marry a beautiful princess and stop the murder of King Adler.
