“ . . . And you just go off and leave me,” hissed Leticia quietly to Rafe.
“Leticia,” said Rafe slowly, as if it was taking all his power to keep his anger in check. “I told you I was away. I cannot be at your beck and call all the time.”
“But we are to be married, and I want to know where you were for so long,” she said sharply, “so you better get used to it. You gave your word to your mother, and I know even you would not go back on that promise.”
I tried hard to hear Rafe’s reply to that, but a gaggle of chattering women had approached and were accosting the prince. I turned around. Leticia looked peeved, but Rafe seemed to be relieved and was now enjoying himself, flirting openly with all the women who were fawning over him.
I got up quickly from my chair, and Kalen followed. A young man, quite cute, who introduced himself as Viscount Steele, stopped me and asked me to dance. Aunt Serena had tried teaching me the intricate dance of Eldoren, which was very similar to a waltz. I was not very good at it, but I decided to give it a go.
I took the viscount’s hand as he led me onto the dancefloor. He wasn’t a very good dancer, and I tried to follow his lead, but he made it very difficult. The musicians were playing a lively melody, and my spirits lifted with the music. It was no use feeling sorry for myself and following Rafe around like a lost puppy. I was upset that he hadn’t told me that he was engaged. He just let me fall for him without a thought as to what would happen when I found out about Leticia.
Despite my anger, my eyes searched for Rafe, and my heart leapt when I found him. He was leaning against a far wall of the ballroom, his powerful arms crossed across his chest, watching me. Our eyes locked, but he didn’t smile.
The viscount was still obliviously whirling me around the dancefloor and stepping on my toes while he was at it. I winced each time and finally stopped dancing. The viscount apologized profusely, but I wasn’t paying attention. I looked back to where Rafe was standing, but he was gone.
The music stopped, and the viscount begged me for another dance. But I’d had enough and turned to leave the dancefloor, when my face collided with a rock-hard chest covered in expensive, midnight-blue fabric.
“May I have this dance?” said the voice I had come to love and trust.
I looked up at Rafe. His reassuring presence and piercing grey eyes were so familiar that I couldn’t help but smile.
“But, Your Highness,” said the viscount, interrupting and standing close to me. “You never dance.”
“I do now,” said the Prince of Eldoren, never taking his eyes off me.
Rafe held out his hand, and I took it, just as I had dozens of times before. He led me to the center of the dancefloor, and overdressed nobles moved out of the way to let us pass. The musicians started playing a haunting melody, and Rafe swept me up in his arms, holding me close and gliding across the dancefloor. He was a wonderful dancer, and I didn’t even have to think as I followed his effortless steps.
As we danced, Rafe said nothing, but he looked at me as if I was the only person in the room, and in that moment a flame in my heart ignited and my soul woke up, recognizing its other half for the first time. For some unexplainable reason, I knew beyond a doubt that I had finally found a permanent place for my heart.
Everyone was watching us as we danced, but I didn’t care. I was in Rafe’s arms and that was the only place I wanted to be. The music stopped, but Rafe didn’t let go of me immediately. I knew people were staring and whispering, but I couldn’t look away.
Erien came over and pulled me away into the crowd. “What do you think you were doing?” he chided in a whisper. “Everyone is talking about you and Rafe. He’s going to be married; you have to stop this now.”
“You don’t think I know that?” I snapped, irritated that Erien was absolutely right. “It was nothing. We were just dancing.”
“It didn’t look like nothing from where I was standing,” said Erien.
“It’s my life. I’ll do what I want,” I said, turning from Erien’s angry gaze. I wanted to be alone; I had to leave the ballroom.
But before I could disappear into the crowd, Leticia stopped me, and Rafe was too busy to notice. Leticia ignored Erien and glared at me. If looks could kill, I would have been dead a thousand times by now.
“Calisto told me about you,” said Leticia, sniffing with her thin, pinched nose as if she smelled something horrid. “We thought you were just Silverthorne’s orphaned ward. It looks like you deceived everyone, Your Highness.”
Leticia was quite beautiful, but as soon as she opened her mouth, all that beauty just vanished. Leticia Glenbarry had a shrill, nasal voice, and her words were acidic and deadly. She was definitely someone I wanted to stay away from.
“You may think you can deceive everyone else, but you don’t fool me. I just thought I would inform you that Rafael and I are to be married very soon, so don’t start getting any ideas,” said Leticia snidely. “Just because you have discovered that you are a princess, doesn’t mean that the prince will leave me for you. He doesn’t care about that sort of thing. He is mine, and there is nothing you can do about that.”
I looked down, embarrassed. Surely she couldn’t know how I felt about Rafe? No one did, or so I thought. But I guess the spectacle I had just made of myself was hard to ignore.
“I saw you and Rafael dancing,” said Leticia. “It is quite plain to see that you want him. If you don’t stay away, you will be sorry.”
Kalen pulled my arm, but I didn’t budge. Who did this woman think she was, talking to me like that?
“I have no interest in the prince,” I said, trying to sound all grown up. “He is close to my granduncle, that’s all. And for your information, Rafe knew who I really was months ago.”
Leticia’s mouth fell open.
Let her chew on that, I thought to myself, as I turned on my heel and walked away quickly. My heart was beating heavily, and I felt like crying. I had intended to stay away from Rafe anyway, and now that I knew he was to be married, I thanked my lucky stars that I did not get any more involved with him earlier or tell him how I felt. I would have looked like such a fool. Even if he did have any interest in me, it was just the way he was with any woman. He was gallant and kind and every bit a prince, and the more I thought about him, the more I wanted him. But it could not be, and I was definitely not the type to go after someone else’s fiancée. That dance was the last one we would ever have.
I was feeling claustrophobic. There were too many people chattering around me and to me. I didn’t even bother listening to what they were saying as I wound my way through the crowd. I had to get out of that room. It was too stuffy. I walked out onto the balcony and leaned against the marble balustrade. I gazed out at the now brightly lit gardens of the Summer Palace, took a deep breath of the fresh night air, and immediately relaxed.
I could think properly out here.
I walked down the wide steps leading to the garden. I just wanted to be alone. A few minutes of walking quietly would make me feel better, then I would just unobtrusively slip in one of the side doors and go up to my room, and no one would even notice.
In a few days we would leave for Elfi, and I would never have to see Rafe again. My heart ached with the loss of my first love, but I knew now that it was not meant to be. He was getting married to someone else, and anyway he had never even said that he liked me. I was just imagining that he did because that was what I wanted. I realized that now.
I looked out at the beautiful, moonlit gardens. There was no use in thinking about Rafe.
“Why are you out here alone, Aurora?” said an extremely familiar voice behind me.
Talk of the devil. I whirled around so quickly that my foot got stuck in the irritatingly billowing skirt of my Lady Charlotte creation. I could feel myself falling, but there was nothing I could do about it.
Suddenly, strong hands gripped my arms and prevented me from making a complete fool of myself. When I looked up, I was staring into the beautiful grey eyes of the Prince of Eldoren himself, and, to make matters worse, he was laughing at me.
I gathered myself and stood up shakily. Rafe was still holding me by my arms in case I stupidly fell down again, I supposed. He was looking at me intently, and I quickly brushed away a few stray tears that had unexpectedly stained my cheeks.
“You have been crying,” said Rafe. He looked angry.
I shook my head. What could I say? That I cried every time someone was rude to me? Rafe would really think I was a useless idiot.
“Did someone hurt you?” he asked again, more gently this time.
I shook my head again. I didn’t even look up into his eyes, as I was afraid of what he would see in them. According to Leticia, it was obvious to everyone around me, and she was right. In only a few short months, I had fallen completely in love with Rafe. It was useless denying it to myself, and as much as I tried to stay away from him, it made no difference; he was always on my mind. But he was betrothed and lost to me forever. My only hope now was to forget about him and hope that I succeeded.
I steeled myself, looked up at Rafe, and smiled. “Oh, it’s nothing,” I said, trying hard to sound flippant. “I just got some dirt in my eye, that’s all.”
“Oh!” said Rafe, coming closer. “Let’s see.”
I could only stand still and watch, spellbound, as Rafe brought his face so close to mine that our noses were almost touching. Looking straight into my eyes, he smoothed a stray lock of hair away from my face and tucked it behind my ear. Rafe entwined his fingers through mine, brought them up to his mouth, and brushed his lips over my fingertips in the lightest of kisses.
“Why did you lie to me about who you really are?” I asked softly, looking up at him.
Rafe looked to the side and avoided my eyes but didn’t let go of his hold on me. “I guess I just wanted you to like me for me.”
“Why did you think it would have made any difference?” I asked.
“It has in the past. Every girl or woman I am with usually wants the title that comes along. Even Leticia is only with me because she wants to be queen,” said Rafe.
“Well, I am not like that,” I said, pushing him away and folding my arms across my chest. “I was already in love with you when I thought you were an outlaw.”
Rafe smiled. “You were? You are?” he asked, a little apprehensive, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. But he still didn’t say anything about how he felt. He was always so mysterious; I had no idea what he was thinking.
“Yes, you silly fool,” I said, now waving my hands about. “I think I fell in love with you from the first minute you walked into that dungeon. I didn’t even know at that time if I could trust you or not.”
Rafe strode over to me, grabbed my arms gently, and pulled me to him. He looked into my eyes for a soul-searching moment, and his lips descended onto mine in the most urgent of kisses. I melted into his arms as he pulled me closer to him, his arms tightening around my waist. I wrapped my arms around his neck and closed my eyes. In that moment, I felt the whole world melt away. There were only Rafe and me and a world of possibilities before us. I never wanted this moment to end. It was everything I had wished for and more.
Finally I broke off the kiss, which had left me gasping for air. When I looked back up at him, his grey eyes were focused and staring straight into my own with an intensity I had never seen before.
Rafe held me close. “You are the most beautiful, courageous, and fascinating girl I have ever met,” he said. “I cannot help the way I feel. I know it’s wrong. But ever since I met you, you are all I think about.”
“What about Leticia?” I asked breathlessly, my heart leaping at the possibility that Rafe really may have feelings for me.
“Leticia is my betrothed only in name. It was a promise I made to my mother before she died, when Leticia and I were still very young,” Rafe said.
“But you cannot go back on your word,” I stated. I knew the answer before I even asked the question.
“No, I cannot. There is no way I can change the course of these events. Leticia and I will be married next spring,” he said.
I disentangled myself from Rafe’s arms and pushed him away.
“Then why did you kiss me?” I asked, stunned.
“I couldn’t help myself,” he said truthfully. “Ever since I saw you in that dungeon at Oblek’s castle, wearing those funny clothes, I was completely besotted. I wanted to get to know you before I revealed who I was, or my feelings for you.”
“I quite doubt that,” I said, now hiding behind my anger, which had started building up slowly but steadily.
I didn’t believe him. And I absolutely refused to be someone he had on the side, with Leticia as his bride-to-be. Then it hit me. I had been so stupid; of course he was only toying with me. He never intended to give up Leticia for me. It was the most humiliating moment of my life, and my heart was crushed, smashed into little bits. I was not sure I would ever be able to fit it back together again.
Rafe looked confused. Why was it that men never thought anything of being unfaithful? I thought to myself.
“I can’t do this,” I said finally.
“What do you mean?” he asked carefully.
“I mean that you are betrothed to Leticia, and I know that you cannot break your vow to your mother. I respect you for that, but I cannot be with you and kiss you knowing that you are to be married.”
Rafe was silent.
“And what about after you finally get married, what then? I will not be your dirty little secret. I will not let you treat me like some tart,” I said, trying very hard to keep my voice under control.
He suddenly looked more confused. “Tart?” he asked. “What kind of tart?”
If I were not so angry, I would have laughed. “Not that sort of tart, silly,” I stormed, but in a whisper, because I didn’t want anyone to hear us. “I won’t be your mistress, or girlfriend on the side, or whatever you were planning. I won’t do that.”
Rafe looked upset for a second, but he soon composed himself and had that charming smile back on his face.
“I never asked you to be my mistress, Aurora,” he said. “I would never presume to do so. I am sorry I offended you. What can I say? I lost my mind for a moment. And as for the feelings I have for you, well, there is nothing we can do about that. You are right; we can never be together. I am betrothed, and nothing I can do will change that.”