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THE REST OF THE NIGHT passed in a blur. Alex may have danced with Princess Rosanna at one point. He honestly couldn’t remember.
But he could remember the girl, her stunning red dress, and her long, black hair shimmering.
He hadn’t even had a chance to ask her name before she’d run off. Would she be at the ball tomorrow night?
He needed to see her again. She sparked something deep inside him that no one besides Mirabelle ever had.
Alex strode along the wall in the garden, listening to the river. He leaned against the cool stone but that didn’t clear his head. It just brought memories of holding her in his arms.
Footsteps crunched on the gravel path behind Alex. “Sire, it’s late.”
Alex shook his head, let out a breath, and turned. Daemyn stood a few feet away, looking and sounding more like Jadon, the manservant, than Daemyn, an advisor and friend. Alex forced his smile to something that was less...he wasn’t even sure what he wanted to call the feeling. “Actually, I think it’s early, not late.”
“Whatever you say, Your Highness.”
Definitely a twitch to Daemyn’s mouth. He was internally laughing at Alex.
And Alex was too happy at the moment to care. He leaned against the wall and stared at the stars far above, tiny, twinkling lights in a black dome. “Do you believe in love at first sight?”
Daemyn strode closer, leaned against the wall facing Alex, and crossed his arms. “No.”
“And when you met Princess Rosanna? Surely you felt something that first moment you saw her?” Alex couldn’t imagine Daemyn wouldn’t have felt something. Alex had known from the first time he’d seen Mirabelle. And now this girl, whoever she was.
“I believe in attraction at first sight, but not love at first sight. Love is deeper than that.” Daemyn glanced up toward the sky as well, as if searching for the words. “I knew Rosanna was someone I could fall in love with when I met her, but I fought the feeling, thinking I was going to die. And now, I think I’m still falling in love with her. Perhaps that’s something you never stop doing when you truly love someone.”
Was this merely attraction at first sight? It felt like something more.
Daemyn paused, then his gaze changed. It wasn’t the soft look he’d had when talking about Rosanna. Instead it was wary, with a hint of command. “I would be cautious.”
“What do you mean?” Alex turned to face Daemyn more fully. A hint of breeze whispered against Alex’s face. Was Daemyn right? Should Alex be careful?
“There’s something off about her. I’m not sure what it is, but my instincts are telling me something’s wrong.” Daemyn’s gaze didn’t waver as he met Alex’s gaze.
Alex pushed away from the wall. How could Daemyn think that? Maybe he should be careful, but that there was something wrong with her? That was too far.
Daemyn had to be wrong. It wasn’t fair, after all. Daemyn was already courting a girl, a princess that probably should have been Alex’s if things had gone differently. Why couldn’t Daemyn be happy that Alex was happy?
Alex clenched his fists. “She’s a nice girl. There’s nothing wrong with her.”
“What do you think she looks like?”
What was Daemyn talking about? He wasn’t making sense. “What do you mean, what I think she looks like? You saw her. She has the most beautiful black hair and gorgeous blue eyes.”
“Alex, she didn’t—”
“Don’t. Not another word.” How dare Daemyn use Alex’s first name, as if he could manipulate him to seeing his way by using their history and familiarity. Alex marched past Daemyn. “I don’t want to hear another word against her, understand?”
Daemyn’s face became blank in an instant. “Understood, Your Majesty.”
“Good.” Alex strode down the path. He was done with this conversation.