His eyes flicked to mine as his lips lifted into a smile.“A ball? How grand.”
“Keelynn, I am sure the ambassador is quite busy with his own life. I doubt he has time to attend a ball.”
“My dearest Aveen. I will make the time.”
With another bow to Keelynn, Rían turned and strode toward the door, continuing into the garden before returning to wherever cursed princes went when they weren’t plaguing innocent women.
Keelynn’s hand flew to her forehead as she fainted dramatically onto the settee. “Bloody hell, Aveen. A pillock? That man could charm the knickers off an old maid. If he isn’t perfect for you, I don’t know who is.”
Rían wasn’t perfect for me.
He only wanted me to break his curse.
7
Most days,I enjoyed being alone, especially in the garden. Nothing but me and the dirt and plants with no opinions. No agenda. No judgement.
The same could not be said for the nights. Nights felt too close. Too restrictive. With the rest of the world slumbering, one was left with nothing but one’s own thoughts.
And my thoughts were currently plagued byhim.
Was it any wonder? I’d let him kiss me at the foot of this bed. He’d touched the back of that chair. Ran his finger over the mantle.Laid on this pillow.
Such silly little things that shouldn’t be burned into my memory.
I toyed with the soft purple petals on the flowers the irritating fae had given me. Although the fuchsia weren’t wilted, they drooped toward the tabletop, beautiful but also too heavy. Perhaps that was why I loved them so much.
They were like me.
Pretty on the outside but with a heart too heavy for happiness.
My heart was so full of worry over my sister and my father’s demands that there wasn’t room for anything more.
There wasn’t room for love.
Perhaps that’s what I should wish for: love.
What a foolish notion. I buried my head beneath my pillow. Love wasn’t something you wished for. Love, if it existed, found you. And if love was meant to find me, surely it would be strong enough to wheedle its way into my heart the way that infernal fae had wheedled his way into my mind.
I loved my sister. That should have been enough.
It used to be.
I wasn’t so sure anymore.
The moment the thought crossed my mind, I swore I could smell cinnamon. I threw my pillow aside and scanned the room, disappointed to find it empty.
No. Not disappointed.
Thrilled. Totally and utterly thrilled that the prince had found something else to entertain him for the night.When would he return? What would I tell him when he did?
Worry. Worry. Worry.
That’s all I ever did.
What if I wished for freedom from worry? Was that possible?
Probably not.