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Others had controlled me all my life. I did not intend for that to happen again. Roar knew that, so why had he acted like the vampires who’d fed me potions to stifle my magic?
Actually, he was worse. The vampires made no qualms about what they’d done to me. They told me to my face, made me tip the potion back myself. The warden, the male I’d partnered with to trick a king, a court, a kingdom, hid his actions from me.
My throat tightened. “I need space.”
Roar shrugged, nonplussed. “I was only doing what was best for you.”
“That you believe you know what is better for me more than I do speaks volumes,” I snapped. “You should have told me. Had I known about the queen, I would have done whatever was necessary to protect myself, to protect us, but you never gave me that choice.”
I twisted to face Clem’s room. “Clemencia! I need you!” With that, I spun before Roar could reply and stormed into my room.
Clemencia entered a second later, wringing her hands. “My lady? What can I do?”
“Pack up a spare gown and whatever else I’ll need for the ball.” I grabbed my basket with the amethyst gown inside, nearly done. “I hope to wear this, but if I don’t have time, I want a backup.”
She dropped her hands but didn’t move. “Why do they need to be packed?”
“We’re leaving.”
Clemencia’s lips parted. “To where?”
“Princess Saga has invited me to get ready for the ball with her. I’m hoping that she wouldn’t mind if I came early to keep her company.”
Clemencia cleared her throat nervously but readied the trunk. Once she prepared it, we each picked up a side, and when I stormed out of my room to find Roar still on the blue settee, seemingly unbothered, I got mad all over again.
“I’m leaving.”
“What?” He leapt to his feet. “You can’t, we . . .” He trailed off, his gaze sliding to Clemencia. I knew what he’d been about to say. He wished to remind me of our deal.
“The princess has invited me to get ready for the ball with her. That’s where I’ll be.”
Roar was stunned into momentary silence. “Very well. I will come to her chambers to escort you to the ball. Please, wait there for me?”
I read the words he wasn’t saying.
Please, do not storm into the ball and make a fool of me. Or undo all that we have achieved.
I exhaled. “Very well. I’ll wait.”
It wouldn’t do anything to renege on our deal or hurt our futures. I simply did not want to see Roar for a few hours. To make that quite clear, I turned my back on him and left our chambers, determined to forget about the warden until tonight, when we would need to convince an entire kingdom that we were madly in love.
Hours later, I sat in a vast bedroom decorated in tones of pink—Saga’s quarters, of course—tapping my foot.
The start of the ball was upon us, and with each passing minute, my nerves grew. So much so that I didn’t hesitate when Sayyida suggested I have another glass of wine.
Clemencia, however, stopped my friend’s pour before the goblet filled all the way. “I don’t want to spill on her dress.”
Sayyida shrugged. “Whatever you say.”
She did not seem to be the same girl that pushed Dragon Fire on us the night we played cards. No, since she got back from port and joined us in the princess’s rooms, Sayyida had been tense.
Had I not met Sayyida before, I’d assume it was because balls were horrible affairs, but I knew that was not to be the case. Sayyida simply despised being made up, shoved into a gown, and being forced to make small talk with everyone who wanted to kiss her highborn rear—her own words, not mine.
I was of a different mind.
Though nerves roiled inside me, the idea of a ball, of dressing up and celebrating, still intrigued me. I’d never imagined I’d be able to do it before. For the first time, I was about to live a night that I’d dreamed of, and my lady-in-waiting had made certain I looked the part. She had dressed me up beautifully with painted lips, a gold shimmer across my eyelids, and a subtle shade of rouge to bring color to my fair cheeks.
Best of all, I worked on my dress in the hours that Saga and I had been together. I’d finally finished the amethyst gown. I could wear my own creation.
