Page 19 of Crimson Kingdom

Finally, the song was over. Davin cut in smoothly to ask Avani to dance before any of the many waiting lairds could do it, for which she shot him an intensely grateful look.

Theo held his hand out for me, and we swept our way across the floor. He towered over me by a solid foot, his broad shoulders spanning twice the width of mine.

I remembered what it felt like to dance in his arms at the Summit, the fluttering in my stomach and the warmth that flowed through my limbs.

It didn’t feel quite that way now, but it did feel safe. And feeling safe wasn’t something I took for granted these days.

I was tired of feeling unsettled, tired of putting off the inevitable. Hadn’t I already decided this was for the best? Hadn’t I run out of reasons to prolong this decision?

I needed to tell Theo I would accept his proposal tonight, contingent on stupid Bear’s stupid permission, and then tomorrow, we could inform the Council. All I needed to do was open my mouth and let the words spill out.

Any second now…

When I finally parted my lips to speak, a different question tumbled out of me instead.

“How do you know the dances here?” I asked awkwardly. “And the, well, everything. I hardly even got the opportunity to tutor you on proper spoon usage.”

I gave him a wan smile that he returned.

“Socairan lords have a fairly rigorous education.” He said the words apologetically, since the implication was that it was more rigorous than Lochlann’s. But I couldn’t really argue that, based on the results.

“We study language and etiquette from Lochlann, and Rionn as well, in addition to the training we do for the military.”

I thought about the words Evander had hurled at me back at the negotiations, one of the few times he had said something almost complimentary about Theo.

Of course, it had been followed by something insulting toward me.

It’s because we were brought up to have a shred of self-discipline, something you could stand to learn.

I had always felt like I had the best parents in the world, the best family in the world, the best kingdom in the world… But the digs the courtiers had been making melded with Evander’s, and even Theo’s gentle comment.

Had I been spoiled, all this time? Too wild and not nearly disciplined enough? Not even bothering to learn the language or culture of the countries right next to me?

In spite of the distance I had been trying to keep between us, I leaned into him, stepping closer than was strictly appropriate and allowing him to ground me from the chaotic feelings I couldn’t quite shake tonight.

But even Theo’s arms couldn’t protect me from the way my stomach clenched when the music slowed to a lull mid-song, when the herald beat his staff on the ground three times.

“Please welcome the Socairan delegation from Clan Bear.”

A curious sensation overtook me before I even turned around, almost like the pins and needles I got when it was going to storm, tension that thrummed through the air in a feeling that was stars-damnably familiar.

I didn’t have to turn around to know who would be standing there, and it sure as hell wasn’t Taras or Mila.

Roaring sounded in my ears, nearly drowning out words like emissary and, worst of all, heir. I forced my head to turn, slowly, just as the herald called out his name.

“Lord Evander.”

CHAPTERELEVEN

If I had told myself a thousand times I didn’t care anymore, I would have known every one of them to be a lie in this moment.

I couldn’t breathe.

Evander was here, standing at the top of the staircase like he owned the entire castle.

As usual, he showed not a single sign that he had been travelling for weeks. His long black coat was pristine, his silver buttons polished to perfection. He was clean shaven with his midnight hair falling casually onto his brow.

From his posture and the arrogant tilt of his lips, I might have thought he was completely unruffled to be walking into a ballroom where I was still standing in Theo’s arms, but his eyes...