Think Rosalina, think. I cycled through all the tales of castles I’d read over the years—until the most fantastic possibility lit my mind. I gasped. Could it possibly be true? I glanced at Ali for confirmation, and even though I hadn’t spoken my hunch out loud, it was as if he read my mind in that unique way only he could.
“Really?” I squealed.
He nodded.
“But I thought it was a made-up story, like the dragons wandering the palace…” Now that I knew the what, all that remained to be discovered was the how.
I yanked aside the tapestry and ran my hand along the smooth marble wall, combing my fingers for a hook or a knob. Nothing. But I was undeterred. I got on my knees and ran my fingers along the crease where the wall met the floor. Still nothing.
“Ali,” I complained.
“Heroines never give up, Rosie. You’ll be so pleased to have found it without my help.”
He was quite right about that, but I was naturally too stubborn to admit it. I let the tapestry fall back and sat back on my heels to stare up at it.
My gaze lingered on the dragon, flying in front of a palace, as if guarding a secret. I gasped as I remembered words Ali had shared during our first midnight wanderings. “Dragons guard the secret passageways.” I stood and pressed my thumb on the guarded door stitched into the tapestry, and the wall behind it slid open. I slid the tapestry aside to discover the dark tunnel that had been hidden behind the wall.
I gawked at it for a moment in disbelief. I, Rosalina, had just uncovered a secret passage in the Sortileyan Royal Palace. I squealed and covered my mouth with my hands to smother it as I bounced up and down.
“Ali! Ali, I did it! I found a secret passage! Nothing so thrilling as this has ever, ever happened to me. Ah, bliss!”
He chuckled as he wove his fingers through mine. My hand instinctively tightened around his, squeezing all the feeling from his hand as a way to channel my intense excitement.
“Don’t tell me the adventure is over quite yet. Shall we see where it leads?”
“You mean we can explore it?”
“Of course. It would be cruel to have you discover a secret passageway and not allow you to explore it to your heart’s content,” he said. “Besides, knowing you, you’d sneak back here and do it even if I forbade you and inevitably become lost in the labyrinth within the walls.”
He reached for an unlit torch hooked onto the wall and lit it. The torch flickered to life, bathing us in its orange glow.
Ali bowed and waved his hand. “Would you like to lead the way?”
I seized the torch and tugged him into the passage. The wall slid shut behind us with a thud that reverberated through my bones. A nervous thrill rippled over me. “What would happen if we got lost in these walls and never found our way out?”
“Then we’d die a horrible death and become ghosts who stalk the palace at night.”
“And perform spectacular hauntings on the royal residents for generations.”
Ali smiled. “I take it you don’t mind such a fate?”
“As tragic as it is, it’s not too terrible of a way to end the story.” Especially if I could be a ghost with Ali.
I plunged forward in my explorations of the stone passageway—dank, damp, and incredibly twisty. I kept a firm grip on his hand as our footsteps echoed and the flame of our torch bathed the grey darkness in flickering pools of light.
“Where does this lead?” I asked some minutes later.
“It would spoil the surprise to tell you,” he said. “Although I’ll mention that all the passageways are connected in one big labyrinth.”
“And should we take a wrong turn…”
“Then I’ll chortle like the villain I am as we suffer an untimely demise.”
I squeezed through a narrow spot and the coldness from the surrounding walls pressed against me. “Do you know these passages well?”
Cue his head tilt. “Do I?”
“You better.”
“You’re not resigned to your fate of dying tragically within these walls and becoming a ghost?”
“As spectacular as that would be, no, I’m not.”
His lips twitched. “Very well, I’ll ease your worries: I know them quite well. Prince Aiden and I spent hours of our childhood exploring them. Still, I’m only confident enough to guide you to specific locations, a few of which I’ll take you to tonight.”
I allowed Ali to guide me through the musty, twisting corridors within the walls, leading me to rooms that were locked from the outside at night. The passages were a maze I couldn’t even begin to figure out, but Ali guided me confidently—either leading the way or, when I wanted the illusion of leading, giving calm instructions behind me about where to go next.
In this manner we found our way to the library with its array of thousands upon thousands of volumes cast in shadowy night, to the conservatory whose symphony of perfumed flowers penetrated the air, to the garden bathed in moonlight and stars. Each time we entered a room, the wall closed behind us and I thrilled to discover the secret knobs that would allow it to swing open again.
“I think that’s enough for one night; it’s getting quite late,” Ali said once we’d slipped back inside after visiting the gilded throne room.
“But I want to see more.” Our whole evening together had been taken right out of a storybook and I didn’t want it to end.
“You will. There’s one place in particular I want to take you, but we wouldn’t have time to do it justice tonight.”
Anticipation filled me to my usual bursting. “Will you show me tomorrow night during our next midnight stroll?”
He gave my hand an assuring squeeze. Once again I experienced a strange fluttering from the simple gesture. “Of course. Adventures must be seen through to their completion.”
I smiled as I allowed Ali to lead me back through the passageways towards our final destination of the evening: the hallway outside my room, where we’d have to momentarily part ways. Even though I knew I’d see him tomorrow when he accompanied Eileen and me on whatever outing she had in mind, it wouldn’t be the same as being alone with him now.
So I relished this moment—Ali’s surprisingly soft calloused hand securely wound through mine and the rippling warmth that cascaded from my heart, seeping over me like a wave of sunshine. The unexpected twists of the passageways leading me along an unfamiliar route seemed symbolic of the course my story seemed to be taking—I wandered blindly down a corridor with no idea where I’d end up, but wherever it turned out to be, I was sure it’d be somewhere thrilling, especially considering Ali was leading the way.
Chapter 24
“Ali, if you don’t tell me where you're taking me, I'm going to assume it's somewhere dastardly and scream, waking up the entire palace. Then you’ll be thrown into the dungeon, to my great satisfaction.”
This was our third night exploring the secret passageways. Each midnight venture had been filled with pleasant memories spent in Ali’s company as he led us to the most thrilling places within the palace—from grand state rooms to long-forgotten nooks and crannies. Our nighttime adventures had been a much-needed reprieve from the monotony of palace life during the day, considering it was still filled with Prince Liam’s unwanted attentions.
I pushed aside thoughts of the annoying prince and smiled up at Ali mischievously. Despite what I had considered to be a delicious threat, Ali didn’t look the least bit frightened. Instead, his lips merely twitched.
“Scream away, Rosie, but I think you’ll find the royal guards will be on my side.”
I grinned. He had me there. “Well, if you won’t tell me where we’re going, can we at least get there sooner? I’ve been bursting with curiosity all day wondering where our adventure would lead us tonight.”
“Hold out a bit longer, for we’re almost there. About a minute more, I’d wager.”
True to his word, the secret passage began to slope downward. Ali held my hand more securely as he carefully led me down t
o where the passage ended at a solid wall. He grinned at me over his shoulder.
“Here’s a riddle: where is the most magical place in a palace?”
I shuddered in excitement, immediately knowing which room lay beyond the wall.
“Would you like to do the honors?” Ali pointed to a hidden notch. I pushed against the wall to slide it open to reveal…
I gasped in wonder as I stepped into the vast ballroom, which glistened in the night as if it’d been dipped in magic. The intricate marble floors were bathed in pools of bright silver moonlight, which not only danced across the surface but glistened off the dozens of crystal chandeliers. These were nowhere near as beautiful as the diamonds of stars filling the velvet sky, which shone through the windows lining the walls and the glass-domed ceiling above us. It was a wonder to behold, as if I’d stepped into an enchanted otherworld of starlight.
“Oh…” I breathed, for there were no words to describe the enchantment now surrounding me. “Oh, Ali…”
“Magical, isn’t it?” He stood so close behind me I could feel the heat of his body seeping into my back. I instinctively leaned against him—allowing his warmth to enfold me like an embrace—and tipped my head back to stare into his hazel eyes, lit like the surrounding stars.
“It is.”
His arms wound around me from behind to nestle me closer, and I melted further against him with a contented sigh. I allowed myself to bask in his embrace for a moment before I twisted around in his arms to hook my arms around his neck. Soon I inexplicably found myself running my fingers through his hair to satisfy my strange urge to touch him, all while my mind swirled in confusion.
This hadn’t been how my story was supposed to go, but now that it was, I couldn’t imagine it unfolding in any other way. It was always supposed to be Ali’s arms I was enfolded in—so securely and comfortably, as if he meant to keep me close always—Ali’s lips that caressed my cheek, Ali whom I was pressing myself closer to, just so I could bask in his warmth, Ali whom I felt the strange need to always remain near.
Ali was as far from a prince as anyone could possibly be. He was a guard—untitled, unwealthy, and very much unroyal. But whatever foreign beautiful thing this was, I didn’t want it to stop, certain that forcing myself to pull away would cause my heart to shatter.
A strong feeling burned within my breast, one that made my head foggy. What was this incredible-beyond-sheer-belief emotion that made my heart swell to bursting and cause it to soar? Why was my body reacting to such subtle touches from this guard? Could it possibly be…
My breath caught at my epiphany.
Ali’s lips had wandered to my brow, caressing my forehead with an aching tenderness. My fingers curled around his uniform to keep him close, and I whimpered with a need I didn’t know how to express.
There was only one way to know for sure what I was feeling—the very method used in hundreds of fairy tales, and what more perfect place to explore this cascade of blissful emotions than in a ballroom? Surely a dance would untangle the knot that was now my very confused heart.
“Ali, will you…” I could barely get the words out through the breathlessness that had overcome me. “Will you dance with me?”
He nestled against my hair. “You want to dance, Rosie flower?”
“This is a ballroom, after all, and dancing at midnight beneath the stars sounds positively…” I couldn’t finish, the thrill of the idea of dancing in such an enchanting setting with Ali filling me to the brim.
“…magical,” Ali supplied before pulling away. “I’m no prince, Rosie. Didn’t you want to meet your prince through a dance?”
It wasn’t that I wanted to use this dance to meet my prince, but to confirm what my heart had been whispering to me for ages, whispers I’d stubbornly ignored for far too long. “Dance with me,” I pleaded. “Please, Ali.”
Without another word, he hooked his hand around my waist—sending a jolt of heat up my spine—and pulled me into a tuneless waltz.
The dance was everything I’d ever read about and more—everything that I, Rosalina, had ever dreamed. A princess meets her prince at a royal ball, where they fall in love during a single dance. It was the stuff of fairy tales, and as I’d always believed, there was truth found in fairy tales, especially considering this dance was one straight from the pages of one.
Ali wasn’t the smoothest dancer by any means. In fact, to be honest, he was quite terrible. My feet were trod on half a dozen times as he twirled me first into one wrong step, followed immediately by another. I’d always imagined my prince to be a flawless dancer.
I quickly realized it wasn’t the steps that made a dance so utterly and completely perfect but the gazes, the touches, and most of all the feelings. Ali’s touch was like fire, making me feel like I sat curled up in front of a warm hearth; it was his gaze, smoldering as it seeped into mine, fusing a connection between us as we explored one another’s eyes; and it was the feelings, ones I now had words for but was still afraid to admit.
Ali pulled me even closer and I allowed myself to snuggle in his perfect hold as he leaned down to my ear. “Here’s another secret of mine: I’ve never met anyone like you.”
How I relished hearing such a sentiment from him. For a moment I had no words, afraid that my newest discovery from the magic of dancing—a discovery which left me breathless—would come tumbling out if I so much as opened my mouth.
“Do I make a good heroine?” I finally asked.
He burrowed his face against my hair. “The perfect heroine in any story I hope to be a hero in.”
“Are you the hero in my story, Ali?”
He pulled back and his gaze seeped into mine. “Am I?”
At his question, the truth exploded within me, the truth that had always been in my heart but which I’d refused to acknowledge.
I, Rosalina, was in love with the Royal Guard, Alastar.
We ended the most romantic of all dances by gradually slowing to a stop before Ali settled on the floor directly below the glass-domed ceiling, gently pulling me down beside him. I all too happily joined him, needing to remain in contact with the man I now realized had completely stolen my heart.
Looking back on all our experiences together, I realized it had happened exactly as Ali had told me he imagined true love to occur: bit by bit, as he stole portions of my heart until he possessed the whole of it. I stubbornly hadn’t realized the process had been taking place until my heart was firmly in his cherished possession.
The object of my affection lay beside me, entirely unaware of the dramatic change that had occurred within me. He gazed up at the starry night while I lay nestled beside him, his arm looped around me and my head resting on his chest.
I analyzed our position. He was holding me close. He must care for me. Perhaps tonight he’d finally share the feelings of his heart, giving me the confession of love I’d waited my entire life to experience. Now would be the perfect time for him to make his confession. I waited with bated breath…but he remained silent.
“Are you alright, Rosie?”
Was I alright? I’d just made the most important and amazing discovery and I was overwhelmed with wonderful soaring sensations. It felt as if our midnight dance had ended ages ago, for I was currently experiencing a hundred lifetimes in the span of only a few minutes. How did one return to earth after such an experience?
“Rosie?” Concern laced my sweet Ali’s tone as he sat us up and peered down at me, his gaze both tender and worried. “Has your voice been stolen by an evil sorceress?”
For once I couldn’t play along, the sudden shyness cloaking me making doing so impossible. I looked away. His rough yet still unbelievably smooth fingers hooked beneath my chin to raise my head and reconnect our gazes. My heart hammered in anticipation. Was he about to confess his love?
“Rosie?” His thumb stroked my cheek and I seriously thought I’d melt from the overwhelming sensations. I rested my hand over his and closed my eyes, leaning against his soft touch
.
“Oh, Ali…”
Even though my eyes were closed I sensed his smile, so attuned I was to its presence. “Your voice has been returned. I was getting rather worried.” He looped his arms back around me to pull me snuggly against his firm chest. “It’s unlike you to be so quiet. Did I do something wrong? Was it the dance? I know I’m a terrible dancer.”
I silently shook my head. The dance had been absolutely perfect.
He lightly traced around my closed eyes with his fingertip until I opened them to see his normally serious expression seeped in concern. “Then what is it?”
I love you. I ached to tell him but I could barely think, let alone make such an admission. Now would be the perfect time to share it, while we were bathed in starlight in a ballroom in a royal palace at midnight, but somehow I just couldn’t. Not yet. Not until I was completely assured he loved me, too.
I leaned against him and relished the feeling of his arms tightening around me. I tipped my head back to gaze at the stars. “So beautiful,” I murmured. “This is truly enchanting. It makes me believe that magic truly does exist.”
“Don’t tell me my Rosie ever had doubts.”
I smiled. “Not doubts, but…one hopes that things that can’t be seen turn out to be real.”
“Much like your stories?” His fingers were now caressing my hair. “Do you have any tales about the stars?”
I sighed. Made-up stories almost seemed so silly now compared to the one I was currently living. “Not at the moment.”
“I don’t believe it.” He twisted and untwisted a strand of my hair around his finger. “You always have a story, Rosie.”
And so I did.
Once upon a time, in a ballroom bathed in the enchantment of moonlight and starlight, a heroine and her hero shared a magical and perfectly romantic dance, during which the heroine came to realize she’d lost her heart.
“Not all stories are meant to be shared,” I murmured.
His brow furrowed. “You have a secret, Rosie, and I see this is one you’re determined to keep. The only logical explanation for such an impossible feat is that you’re an imposter.”
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