I closed the ballroom door behind me, drawing in a deep breath of fresh night air. Grabbing my dress in my hands and lifting it just slightly so I wouldn't risk tripping, I made my way along the cobbled stones to round the corner. The more secluded alcove around the side of the palace beckoned me forward.
The salty tang of ocean breeze called me as it mingled with the heady aroma of roses that wafted from the flowering bushes in the lush gardens of Oshal’s royal palace.
All I wanted was a few rare moments of peace. To be alone, without the judgmental and watchful eyes of everyone who expected me to perform and meet every expectation they set. As Prince, my younger brother would someday rule Theodosia. That was his duty.
Mine was to secure an advantageous alliance through marriage, to help solidify his position in the global market, when that day came. Such was my love for Theodosia that I would do it despite my misgivings, but there were moments I was weak and human enough to long for something different.
I stilled as I rounded the corner, my eyes trailing upward from the dress shoes that touched the marbled terrace. My gaze traveled over thickly corded muscle, barely disguised by the pants of his tuxedo, to the perfectly fitted jacket that hugged his torso as he leaned over the railing at the edge of the terrace, staring out at the royal gardens.
He was Holden's opposite in every way. Dark where my future husband was light. Brooding and dangerous where Holden was charming and playful.
Something about the way the twinkling lights warmed his golden skin sparked a light inside me, tempting me to steal away into the night with him. It was an allure I knew better than to succumb to.
But that yearning scratched at me, pulled at me like the opposing pole of a magnet. He finally heard my approach as I dropped the hem of my gown to look more ladylike. The sound of the fabric brushing against the terrace as I moved toward him drew his attention to me, and those vivid green eyes landed on mine once again. Sucking the breath from my lungs the moment they clashed with mine.
As if we existed in a vacuum, I heard the way he sucked in a sharp breath. Saw his chest expand as his lungs filled with the air he'd stolen from mine. His nostrils flared as I approached cautiously, and he tore his eyes away from mine to look back out at the gardens like the mere sight of me pained him.
"Do you mind if I join you?" I asked, gathering my courage as I stepped up beside him. Part of me begged him to say yes, to send me back into the terror of the ball. I was on the precipice of a choice that could change the path of my future. Whatever his answer was, it would cause ripples.
Even if only I felt them.
He said nothing for a moment and seemed determined to ignore me. My chin jutted out stubbornly. Protocol demanded that I excuse myself, but something about him compelled me to push boundaries I wouldn’t previously have considered approaching. "It's a free terrace," he murmured, his lips twitching into a smile as he glanced at me from the corner of his eye.
I bit down on the inside of my cheek to keep from chuckling. "Thanks. It was stifling in there, you know."
He looked at me for a long moment, those intense eyes piercing into me before he shrugged. “To say the least.” He sighed and looked back out towards the gardens.
I walked forward with my hand out. "It’s funny, really. I was just mentioning to Holden earlier that we’ve never met.” I winced at the awkward introduction. Without thinking, I’d already defined myself in the same way everyone else did. The woman meant to marry Holden. “Bristol Chaisson of Theodosia.”
His smile turned brittle as his full attention slid my way. He leaned an elbow on the railing, angling his body to the side as he faced me. He looked down at my hand but made no move to touch it.
My confidence faltered, and it was only my pride that kept me from retracting my proffered hand. He kept his body leaning against the railing and his hands clenched by his side, but even with his body slanted to the side, he still towered over me.
“He mentioned that.” The corners of his mouth straightened. “How quickly that has been rectified. Aric Atwater of Lantis.” He paused a moment and held out a hand, his elbow cocked because we stood too close to one another to extend it fully. “Just Aric, please.”
I shifted my hand and laid it in his, holding my breath while he lifted it to his mouth. My skin pebbled with goosebumps the moment his lips touched the back of it.
Royal life meant being greeted in just that fashion regularly. Countless men who’d meant nothing by it had made me feel nothing when their lips touched my skin. Never had my body sparked to life beneath a touch that should have been innocent. Never had it erupted into raw need from such a casual touch. His eyes bored into mine, watching my reaction. The corners of his lush lips curved into a smirk before he retreated into the shadows, pulling me toward him and away from the light.
I opened my mouth to speak, driven by a deep, all-consuming desire to know this man. It had been mere moments since I'd first breathed the same air as him, and yet, somehow, I already wanted to learn more about him. To let him draw me into his world and change everything I thought I knew.
For a moment, a flash of heat from his eyes seared me, taking my breath away. I wanted to ask him to keep my hand in his. To continue to breathe life and fire into my icy shell. But he bowed and released me instead. "Good evening, Princess. It is nice to make your acquaintance finally."
He pushed back from the railing, standing to his full height, and with him so close I suddenly realized how much he towered over me. He gave me a second, shallow bow and strode by me, but, going on instinct and that alone, I reached out to touch his arm. He stopped and stiffened under my fingers.
I couldn't help but squeeze his forearm, feeling the hard muscles clench under my hand. I looked up to the tightening in his jawline and tried hard for a casual smile. "Please stay. I don't want to chase you away."
He said nothing for a moment. Our gazes held before he reached up and pried my fingers from his arm. His massive hand held mine as he gently ran a thumb over my knuckles, sending a ball of heat straight to my stomach. My breath caught in my throat. "If you wish," he finally said in a gravelly voice that seemed bereft of his own breath.
“Thank you. Sometimes I feel as if I don’t exist. Like my future marriage means I’m invisible.” I walked forward to lean against the railing as I heaved a sigh of relief and lifted my face to take a deep breath of the salty air that spoke so clearly of freedom.
“I’m sure being invisible has its perks. It is hard to be judged when you aren’t even seen.”
My gaze cut to him and there was such a naked pain in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I’ve heard stories about Lantis, of course.” I paused and laid a hand against my heart. “It must be terrible to be at the center of gossip. And here I am complaining because people leave me in peace.”
He shrugged. “I should be used to it by now. Normally I am, but the spectacle my mother made of Alina was horrendous.”
I sighed and nodded, reaching over to touch him as if I could be of comfort. But I retracted my hand before making contact, reminding myself that he didn’t know me. The touch of a stranger would never be comforting and familiar. “I’ve been very lucky in the grand scheme. I know that. I’ve gone to school and made friends. I’ve been free to pursue my own hobbies. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for your sister, if the rumors of your mother’s schemes are true.”