Terrin couldn’t keep his eyes off Elurra. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Strands of gold loosely framed her flawless face, and her dark blue dress made her eyes stand out against her pale skin. Her outfit was much better than his. He was dressed in a tacky ensemble the king had provided, which consisted of a loose orange shirt and golden pants. The rest of the dwarfs were wearing identical hideous outfits. Kai was dressed in a ridiculously over-decorated dark orange tunic and trousers. Everything was accented with golden thread, including his cape. A golden crown, which was adorned with a sun made of citrine, sat atop his head. Elurra couldn’t stop looking at him.
“Wow, Kai, you look…regal,” she managed. Kai flushed in embarrassment.
“This outfit really itches.”
“This corset makes it hard to breathe.”
“I hate corsets with a burning passion,” Aleah chimed in grumpily.
Terrin looked over at her and wasn’t amazed to see she was wearing an orange and gold dress fashioned with the same cloth theirs was. However, she looked ten times better than the other dwarfs.
We look like clowns, Terrin thought rancorously as he followed Kai and Elurra down the hall with the rest of the sunshine brigade. The other dwarfs lined up behind him as they descended the spiral staircase. King Jeshi met them at the bottom and walked them to the top of the grand staircase on the second floor. Kai offered Elurra his arm, and she gracefully accepted.
They look perfect together, Terrin thought, cringing.
Elurra and Kai descended the stairs. Terrin, Tristen, and Rowan followed in a row behind them on the left, and Aleah, Snore, and Plague walked down on the right. Thunderous echoes ricocheted around the enormous room when Kai and Elurra appeared. A sea of colorful outfits and faces blurred together below him. The king motioned for silence, and the cheering stopped.
“My son has been returned to me by Princess Elurra of Lur Alava! Let us rejoice!” he boomed. The crowd broke into louder applause.
Thank you for introducing the rest of us. If not for the dwarfs, your son would’ve been cave troll dinner, and the princess would’ve been an appetizer, Terrin thought as he joined the crowded room below.
The music started the second their feet touched the floor. Notes floated through the air, creating a light, bouncy tune. Kai and Elurra spun across the dance floor effortlessly, and Terrin decided to stop watching and eat before he lost his appetite. Everything looked delicious, but it was all tasteless in his mouth. He gave up and looked around the ballroom aimlessly. Happy couples danced together and held hands. Groups of men and women conversed in different corners, and a group of noblewomen about Kai’s age flocked together and glared at Elurra. Terrin considered joining them. He strolled around the mosaic floor, dodging milling people. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but then he spotted a set of double doors on the far side of the room and headed toward them. Terrin emerged from the noisy festivities to find a scenic outdoor balcony facing Lur Alava. The dark snow-capped Kerali Mountains outlined the horizon.
My hometown is somewhere out there, near the mountains, he thought dreamily. He missed Glan’ak, even if it had nothing for him. A round of cheers went up inside as the song ended and a new one began.
“Have you ever been to Lur Alava?” someone asked, startling him.
Terrin turned his head to find a girl he’d never seen before. She had long, light brown hair and bright green eyes. She wore a traditional, flowing, light-blue silk Amorian dress with sliced sleeves and a dipped top that accentuated her slender form. She walked to the railing and rested her elbows on the cold stone handrail beside him. Terrin gave her a curious stare, but her casual posture soothed him, so he answered.
“Twice now. The first time I was kidnapped and sold to the slave trade, and the second I was saving victims from a cave troll with a band of pirates. Neither was a very pleasant experience,” he said matter-of-factly.
She laughed, assuming he was joking. He looked over at the mysterious girl, displaying a hint of a smile.
“That does sound pretty ludicrous, doesn’t it?” He resented the fact that his experiences over the last few months sounded like a drunk man attempting to craft a fairytale.
“I can relate to being sold to the slave trade. My stepmother tried to get rid of me and claim my inheritance. I was luckier than most, though. I was saved before I reached the docks,” she said sourly, glaring at the landscape below.
Terrin glanced at her sharply, flabbergasted by her comment. Her cool green eyes stared back at him.
That story is way more believable than mine. I should take her seriously. He debated whether to say anything more and figured he might as well, considering she probably wouldn’t believe it.
“I wasn’t so lucky. I ended up on a slave ship for a week.” Terrin rubbed his wrists where the scars from the handcuffs were still visible.
“How did you survive?”
He gave her a sly smile. He couldn’t help but find it refreshing to talk to someone new. He’d been stuck with the dwarfs for a month, and none of the Amorian soldiers were very chatty.
“I was rescued by slave-liberating pirates. It’s a long story, but all the men who were just honored with rescuing the prince? They’re all freed slaves. That is, except His and Her Royal Highness.” Terrin tried to keep the scorn out of his voice and failed. Sudden realization sparked in her eyes.
“This is your party. Why are you not in there dancing?” If she caught the tone in his voice, she pretended like she hadn’t. He sighed and turned to look at the mountains again. He didn’t see the point in lying.
“The only person I want to dance with is busy at the moment.”
She smiled and extended her hand, palm down. “Rena Zyorence at your service.”
He looked down at the hand, puzzled. Suddenly, he understood what she was expecting and lightly kissed it.
“Terrin. Nice to meet you.” She smiled brightly at him. “Rena, why aren’t you dancing with anyone?”
She bit her lip. “The only person I should be dancing with is busy at the moment,” she replied. Terrin’s eyebrows raised, but he didn’t comment. A new song started, and she asked, “Would you like to dance?”
“I have no idea how,” Terrin answered honestly. She smiled.
“I will teach you. It is exceedingly easy.”
He hesitated and looked through the door to the ballroom, where Kai and Elurra were still swirling about.
“I would love to, Lady Rena.”
She grinned and placed one of his hands on her shoulder and the other on her waist.
“Follow my lead,” she told him. She took a step back, and he copied her, making sure to concentrate on her feet. He stumbled a few times, but after a minute, he grasped the concept and looked up his dance partner.
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“Why do you want to dance with Princess Elurra?” she asked.
Terrin glanced down at his feet, even though he didn’t need to watch her movements anymore.
“Well, she’s…she...” He trailed off, searching for the appropriate words. Instead, they lapsed into an awkward silence that left Terrin feeling embarrassed and exposed.
He thought she’d just drop it, so he practically bowled over when she blurted out, “Do you love her?”
He stumbled and accidentally stepped on her toe. They stopped dancing as she grimaced and lifted her injured foot.
“Excuse me?”
“I asked you if you loved her,” she repeated, her vibrant eyes searching his face as she leaned against the railing to nurse her injury. His mouth flopped open.
“She’s a princess,” he finally managed.
“That is not what I asked.”
“I’m a peasant.” He wished he hadn’t said it in such a demeaning way. He didn’t understand where her questioning was coming from. He could feel his cheeks flushing pink.
“Do. You. Love. Her?” she asked slowly, her piercing gaze never leaving his face.
“No. I can’t love her, obviously.” He managed to look her in the eye and regain control of his emotions, determined not to let the girl get under his skin.
“Why not?”
“Because I’m nothing to her. When she regains control of her kingdom, she won’t need me anymore.” As soon as he said it, the words twisted his stomach.
“If she was not a princess, and there were no boundaries between you, would you love her?”
She searched his face for an answer. For a long time, he didn’t speak. The song was ending, and he looked at Elurra and watched her bow to Kai.
“Why are you asking me this?” he asked, his voice sounding far away in his ears.
Rena looked down at her hands. “Prince Kai is my fiancé.”
Terrin gaped at her. “Prince Kai is engaged?”
Rena smiled ruefully. “I assume he does not talk about me often?”
Terrin stared into the room blankly as he watched them start yet another dance.
“Do you love him?” Terrin asked. Rena laughed.
“No. We barely know each other,” she said, a deep sadness in her eyes. Terrin was amazed by her honesty.
“Is there someone else then?” His voice was barely loud enough for her to hear. A dreamy smile graced her lips for a fleeting second before sadness took over again.
“It does not matter. The prince has left me no choice. When I came here tonight, I was hoping he had fallen for the Lur Alavian princess and finally freed me, but now...” She watched them silently for a while before she dragged her eyes away from their mesmerizing dance, “I apologize for my rude questions. They were immensely inappropriate, and I—”
“Yes,” he answered softly, startling them both.
“What?”
“The answer to your question is yes.” He couldn’t believe what he was saying. It was like someone else had control of his tongue.
“But what of the boundaries?” she asked softly.
A ghost of a grin appeared on his face, but it was fleeting.
“Boundaries can’t stop us from feeling. They simply hinder us from finding out what could have been.”
Rena studied his expression and then glanced back at the royal couple.
“Do not fret. I do not think she will,” she said as if she were reading his mind.
Terrin gave her a sharp glance, although he was getting used to being rattled by the mysterious girl. She seemed to know he was worried Elurra would take her place as Kai’s fiancé.
“But if he doesn’t marry her, then he will marry you.”
“I know.”
Terrin didn’t know what to say. He’d never expected to have such a conversation with a complete stranger.
“Rena, why was that question so important to you?” he asked awkwardly.
Rena averted her gaze and looked out over the river passing swiftly below them.
“Sometimes the expectations of a station make you blind to the truth. For so many years, I’ve had someone in my life who would do anything for me, but I denied my feelings because I thought the same way you do. He’s a gardener. Our positions are as different as birds in the sky and fish in the sea. I am engaged to the prince, for Yamoi’s sake, yet…” She trailed off, her emotions overwhelming her.
“If it means anything, I think Prince Kai and Amora would be lucky to have a queen like you.”
He meant it. Rena's was an enigma; a combination of mystery and blatant honesty that made him feel like he'd been caught up in a tornado. But the high he felt from finally being able to say what he'd been trapping inside for weeks made him feel giddy with exhilaration and immensely grateful to her.
She glanced up at him, a warm smile blooming on her face. Unexpectedly, she gave him a hug.
“Thank you, Terrin. You wouldn’t believe how much you’ve helped me.”
"Thank you, Rena. I didn't know just how much I needed a complete stranger to ask me the obvious." She laughed as she embraced him for a moment longer, then composed herself and slipped away.
Terrin was left alone with a million unanswered questions. He felt petrified with shock. The doors opened again, and Elurra slipped through, a funny look plastered on her face.
“Who was that?”
Terrin assumed she must be talking about Rena. “Kai’s fiancé.” He grinned in satisfaction at Elurra’s reaction.
“What?” she asked as she turned to watch Rena vanish into the crowd. “When did Kai get engaged? Why did he never mention her? When are they getting married?”
Terrin raised a hand, trying to silence her torrent of questions.
“I honestly have no idea,” he said. Elurra’s brow wrinkled.
“That is strange. This all started at his birthday party. Why was he meeting Nitiri when he was supposed to be getting married? Not to mention he tried to kiss me.”
Terrin scowled, wishing she would stop bringing that up. He turned and gazed out at the dark landscape below him, hoping she’d leave him be. It was hard enough to be around her under normal circumstances, but after his talk with Rena, he couldn’t even look at her without blushing.
“Why are you here instead of dancing with the Pendulum Prince?” To his astonishment, she inched closer and slipped her icy hands over his. A tingling sensation shot up his arm, and he had to fight the urge to yank away from her.
“I came out here to dance with you,” she said as she pulled his hands away from the handrail. She led him to the center of the balcony.
“Isn’t there a list of people you have to dance with?” he asked sarcastically. Elurra nodded, ignoring his tone.
“There is an order we are normally expected to follow.”
She placed her arms around his neck, and he placed his hands on her waist for lack of a better place. He’d expected her to match the dance Rena taught him, but Elurra appeared to have her own style.
If I watch her feet, I should be fine, he thought.
“First, I must dance with all the other princes and kings in the room. After that, upper nobles and the like, then lesser dignitaries, dukes, counts, and whoever else, and after that it really does not matter. After a while, one ends up with sore feet from dancing and sore toes from people stepping on them.” She grinned ruefully.
“Commoners are at the bottom of this long list?”
“Commoners typically are not invited to be a part of the festivities inside the castle,” she said, not meeting his eyes. Before he could say anything, she hastily added, “I find that a shame because commoners are much more interesting to talk to. All the stuffy pompous nobility only speak of how rich they are or how flagrantly offensive all the other dignitaries are in comparison. They are boring compared to you.”
He didn’t agree with her statement, as the only Amorian noblewoman he’d met so far had proven quite interesting. It was hard for him to focus on the dance because he was acutely aware of how close she was. Her body pressed against his, and her arms looped loosely around his neck.
Rena’s question bounced around in his head. The answer was blatantly obvious. He’d followed Elurra all over Incari. He’d lost his home and aged prematurely for her. He’d faced a leviathan, recruited a band of pirates, and attacked a cave troll to get back to her, even though she was the reason he was sold into slavery in the first place. He cared about her more than any other person in the world. But she was a diamond, and he was gravel. There was no way to change that. She was a future queen, born to do great things and live on in history. A servant or guard was the highest position he could ever hope to hold in her court, if he was even that lucky.
My feelings are irrelevant. I can never have her.
But at that moment, she was only inches away, her head resting on his shoulder as they slowly swayed to the music. She was in his arms, but he felt like he couldn’t reach her.
“Terrin, is everything alright? You look distracted.”
Miraculously, he hadn’t tripped over his own feet or stepped on her yet.
“I was thinking about something Rena told me.” It could’ve been his imagination, but he swore Elurra stiffened when he said Rena’s name.
“What did you two talk about?”
“Nothing too interesting, just normal small talk,” he said with a grin.
The dance was concluding. Terrin wished the song would last the entire night, but wishful thinking wouldn’t do anything to slow the musicians.
“Terrin, I wanted to thank you,” Elurra said, not meeting his gaze.
“What for?”
They slowly swirled around the balcony, the cool breeze washing over his skin.
“For the lesson in the library,” she clarified, flushing in embarrassment. “You were right. I need to be cautious.”
“Anything to keep you safe, my lady,” he muttered awkwardly.
The music ended, and she pulled away, distant and formal once again.
“Terrin,” she said with a curtsy.
“Princess,” he replied, bowing at the waist.
She walked to the door and took a deep breath. He watched as she straightened her shoulders and put on a polite smile. Her princess façade appeared in front of him, and the Elurra he knew vanished as she swished through the door. Terrin sighed and leaned back against the stone railing.
I wonder if she realizes I look at her that way, too.