by Leigh Walker
Elise rubbed her neck. “W-Why do I feel like this is probably not in our best interests?”
“Because we’re the hired help.” Alexandra frowned. “And I’ve learned the hard way—when you’re the hired help, it’s never in your best interests.”
“Well, then.” Elise gulped the rest of her champagne down. “I, for one, intend to go out on a high note. Best interests or not, I intend to enjoy this party until dawn.”
Alexandra drained her flute too. “Then I suppose I’ll have to join you.”
“It will be all right.” I had a sip of champagne as they stared me down. “Won’t it?”
“We’re in a room filled with bloodthirsty vampires led by a deranged queen.” Alexandra grabbed three more champagne flutes from a passing waiter. “It’s highly doubtful that anything will be all right.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Elise accepted another champagne flute then arched her eyebrows at the staring guards. “And I’ll drink to that handsome one too. It’s highly doubtful that everything’s going to be all right, but I can guarantee you that I will have a good time to night.”
Alexandra clinked her glass against her friend’s. “Amen.”
I joined in the toast. Because really, what else could I do?
16
Perfect
“I’ll get to the bottom of what’s going on,” I promised Alexandra and Elise just as Dominic appeared by my side. “But first I have to dance.” I forgot about worrying what the queen was up to—because I had to waltz, whatever that meant. And I had to do it in front of everyone. In the middle of this massive crowd, with all eyes on me. Um… Does anyone care that I don’t know how to waltz? If they didn’t care, I expected that they would in a minute, when I was tripping over my own feet on the dance floor.
The prince swept into a deep bow. “Elise. Alexandra. You’re both looking lovely.”
“Your Highness, thank you.” Alexandra curtsied, and Elise immediately followed suit.
I nodded to them as I took his hand. “I’ll be back soon. Enjoy your dance, but please be careful.”
Dominic led me to the center of the dance floor then took me in his arms. He smiled, but it quickly turned to a look of concern. “You’ve gone pale.”
“Er… I’m sort of nervous. I don’t really know how to dance,” I admitted.
Dominic put his face next to mine, his cool breath wafting against my cheek. “No worries. I’ll lead, and I’ll go slowly. Just relax, Victoria. I won’t let anything bad happen. I promise.”
“O-Okay.” Although I knew he was good for his word, my heart still stopped—it was too quiet, and all eyes were indeed on us. But the band started playing a grand, romantic tune, and Dom held me close. He swept me around the dance floor, and I forgot everything else—my embarrassment, his mother, the guards, all of it. So close to him, I could only feel warm, safe, and protected. It was as though my feelings for him and what was between us were balms against the rest of the world.
Dom leaned down and put his mouth near my ear. “You are so beautiful tonight. I’m a bit starstruck.”
“Thank you, and I know the feeling—I’m always dazzled when I’m around you. But you already knew that.”
“Ah, of course.” He chuckled, pulling me closer so we danced cheek to cheek. “It’s still nice to hear.”
I knew his parents were watching us, not to mention everyone else, but I couldn’t help but relax in his arms. We swayed in time to the music, and he made it easy for me to not trip, bless him. We were both silent for the rest of the song, lost in our happy embrace, but I felt so many things I thought I might burst. When the number ended, we begrudgingly separated. Dominic bowed and I curtsied to the onlookers, both of us polite and composed as everyone applauded.
But I felt anything but composed on the inside. Dominic pulled me against him again as the next song started, and my whole body lit up as if I were on fire. The guards and candidates took to the floor, pairing off quickly, but I couldn’t focus on them at the moment. Dominic flexed his hand against my hip, and warmth, intense longing, flooded me, obliterating everything else. It didn’t matter that we were in public. It didn’t matter that his crazy mother was within spitting distance and would destroy us all if she saw fit. I rested my face against Dominic’s chest, lost in my feelings. I longed for him, yet he was right next to me.
I knew what I felt. It was desire to never leave him again. It was longing for moment, this happiness, to last forever. But it can’t. It won’t. The voice nagged at me, reminding me that I was just a traveler in the kingdom, a visitor. I could get called at any time. I would be forced to leave him, to forget what we had.
“Victoria.” Dominic stared down at me, his dark eyes glimmering in the light from a hundred candles. “You have made me very happy. If we only have tonight, it is already a night I will never forget. I feel like we’ve finally been given a chance.”
“A chance at what?” I asked.
“A chance at forever. I can ask for nothing more.”
It appeared the prince had read my mind. “Do you mean that you think I won’t get called back?” I asked a bit breathlessly.
“I hope you don’t, of course.” He gently kissed my forehead. “But what I really mean is that I feel closer to you than I ever have. And I’m not afraid anymore.”
“Afraid of what?”
“Of losing you.” He pulled me closer, enveloping me in his warmth as we swayed in time to the music. “Because I feel like I have part of you in my heart, and it can’t ever be taken away—even if you come back and don’t recognize me again. It feels different between us this time. I feel closer to you. And I have you tonight, in my arms, and that’s as much as I can ask for. I will never forget it, and I will die a happy man, no matter what.”
“Well, that’s lovely.” I swallowed hard, overwhelmed. “But I’m still afraid.”
“Don’t be.” His arms tightened around me. “I see it differently now. In my darkest hours, I used to think the gods had cast me out because I loved you so much that it hurt terribly every time you left. But now I see they wanted me to understand the nature of true love. Nothing can separate us, neither time nor space. Even if you are gone, you will never be gone from my heart, my lady.”
My eyes filled with tears, and I pressed my face against his chest. I wanted that to be true. I wanted it so badly that I physically hurt.
“Let’s get some champagne,” Dom suggested quietly.
We left the dance floor, and I composed myself as the prince procured our drinks. He never let go of my hand, which I appreciated more than I could say. There was no shame in feelings, of course, but I didn’t want to break down in public, especially in front of the queen.
“Have I upset you?” Dominic asked after a moment.
“Not at all, Your Highness. I’m just having some…feelings.”
“Ah. I’m familiar with the sensation.”
Standing by the candles, we watched the dancers.
“We must go and see my parents,” Dominic said. “But first—what were you warning the girls about? You told them to be careful.”
I was relieved to think about something other than myself for a moment. “Your mother’s letting the guards be a bit open about their interest in the candidates.”
Dom nodded toward one couple that was dancing close to us. The guard’s hands were on the small of the candidate’s back, and they were whispering to each other. “So I’ve noticed.”
I sighed. “You know she has an ulterior motive, don’t you?”
He laughed, but I could tell he didn’t think it was funny. “She may have invented ulterior motives. I mean, just look at this place.” He motioned toward the opulence of the ballroom. “We haven’t had a ball in ages. I daresay that will be made up for tonight. My mother clearly intends for this to be quite the event.”
“What do you mean?”
“She’s flexing her muscles, of course. She insisted that the slaves be here tonight, against the will
of the council, and she is also letting the majority of the guards participate in the festivities. She has an agenda. Everyone knows that the slaves are off-limits, the province of only the royal family. That is, unless my mother says otherwise.”
“But I don’t understand.” I watched the guards and the slaves as they twirled across the dance floor, smiling and laughing. “Where’s she going with this?”
Dominic frowned at the dancers. “She has taken it upon herself over the years to periodically let the slaves mingle with the guards, claiming it was to keep both sides’ spirits up, though I never believed her. My mother couldn’t care less about their spirits. I think she wanted to foster something between them, a familiarity. And now? With this ball and her encouragement, the guards and the slaves are becoming more attached. I think she wants them to become romantically involved so that both will have something to thank her for.”
A couple twirled past us, laughing gaily. “The slaves have been lonely for a long time.”
“So have the guards.” Dominic had a sip of champagne. “She’s encouraging them to feed from the slaves tonight, not to mention…other things. I expect by tomorrow there might be a request for a proposal or two.”
I gaped at him. “Your mother’s encouraging that?”
“They would not be out there if this wasn’t exactly what my mother wanted.”
Dominic motioned to the dance floor. A new song was playing, something faster, and the guards and the slaves were energetically dancing, pressed up against each other. I had to look away.
“There is more fine champagne than we can all drink in one night, and it is flowing freely,” Dominic continued. “Trust me—she knows what she’s doing.”
At that, the queen herself motioned for us.
Dominic gripped my hand as we headed toward the thrones. “Mother, Father.” He swept into a deep bow while I curtsied. “Thank you for this gift of a ball. It’s lovely. We’re so pleased.”
“T-Thank you.” I smiled at them stupidly. I supposed I was forever cursed with stuttering in front of the queen.
To my surprise, the queen grinned at us. “No, thank you. Your happiness is the perfect excuse to hold a boisterous party. I daresay I’m everyone’s favorite queen again, if I do say so myself.” She smiled at the dancers. “I expect an intercross or two before the holidays.” She tittered.
“Mother.” Dominic glared at her. “You shouldn’t say things like that, not unless you intend to let the guards marry the slaves.”
She arched an eyebrow at her son while the king poured himself more wine. “Not everyone’s as much of a prude as you are, Dommy.”
The muscle in the prince’s jaw clenched. “Having beliefs about the sanctity of marriage and children doesn’t make me a prude, Mother.”
She rolled her eyes. “Dear child, you have always been such a buzzkill. Now, then. Get back out there and dance, won’t you? Perhaps you will grace me with an intercross soon too. Ooh, and make sure to smile at the council members, won’t you? They’re so angry about the intermingling. It’s positively delightful.”
Dominic gripped my hand as he led me back to the floor. “One more dance, my lady, then if it’s all right with you, we will take our leave.”
“Of course.” I looked at him as he clasped my hand and we began to dance. “What was that all about? What’s an inter—”
“Shh, there, now. I will explain later. This is not the time or place.”
I nodded then tried to enjoy the rest of the dance. Happy pairs of guards and blood slaves twirled around us. I saw one couple kissing, but I didn’t recognize the girl. I glanced at the council members, who were still standing against the wall. Queen Danica was right—they were enraged. They watched the couples dancing with a mixture of fear and disgust playing out on their faces. Lady Dowd guzzled her goblet of wine then called for more. Perhaps we should leave the ball soon.
At the end of the song, we clapped politely. The other partygoers happily accepted champagne from the passing waiters, but Dominic and I both declined. We waited until the next waltz started, then Dom gently but urgently tugged my hand, leading me toward the exit. I glanced around for Constance, Alexandra, and Elise to say goodbye, but all three of them were still on the dance floor, quite occupied with their guards. I wondered what they made of all this, and if in fact the new freedom could make them happier.
We practically ran into Anthony on our way out.
“Hey there—watch yourself!” he said as the prince almost collided with him.
“Where have you been?” Dominic asked.
“Well, hello to you too.” Anthony raked a hand through his hair. “I’ve been busy, Your Highness. Dealing with your long list of demands.”
Dom grunted. “Did you get far?”
“Far enough.”
“Lady Victoria informed me of your further tutelage down in the dungeons.” Dom glowered at his friend. “Would you care to share the details?”
“Not really, Your Highness. It’s a ball, isn’t it? I was sort of hoping to have a refreshment and perhaps a sweet tart—not an interrogation.” Anthony straightened his dress tunic, which I had to admit looked kind of funny on him.
“You look nice,” I said, eager to shift the subject away from the dungeons.
Anthony looked at me for the first time, and his eyeballs almost popped out of his head. “So do you. That dress is a bit of a risk, isn’t it?”
“A risk?” I crossed my arms.
“You might pop out of it is all.” Ant shook his head, as if that was obvious. “Where are you two off to? And what’s with all this?” He motioned to the dancers.
“My mother is letting them get friendly.” Dom shook his head. “And Victoria and I are retiring for the evening.”
“Of course you are.” Anthony rolled his eyes. “But wait—are there any blood slaves left for me? I wouldn’t mind a bit of company, you know. It’s not easy, always being the left-hand man. I need a break sometimes too.” He peered around, looking for a stray candidate. “Bloody hell, every one of them is spoken for.” He started in on a long litany of mostly unintelligible curse words.
“All right, then, Ant,” Dom said, pulling me down the hall. “Good luck with that.”
“I feel bad for him,” I said once we were farther away.
The prince scoffed. “Don’t ever feel sorry for him! He does what he wants when he wants. He’s just fine, thank you very much.”
“He just said he was lonely.”
“He’s hardly lonely. He has us.”
I arched an eyebrow. “I’m just saying maybe find him a plus-one.”
“I love that you’re so caring.” Dom threw his arm around me. “But forget about our ginger-headed friend, who I assure you is very capable of taking care of himself. Let’s focus on my favorite topic of the night—your dress—and how I’m sad that it’s served its purpose.”
“Ha-ha.” I nestled against the prince, once again overwhelmed by how amazing it felt to be close to him, how relieved I was to be by his side. “I told you I might wear it again if you take me back to that ridiculously good restaurant.”
“And I told you that I would do everything in my power to make that happen. I would love to pretend it was to please you, but really, my motivations are selfish. I am very fond of you in that dress.”
We made it to my door, and he bowed formally. Then he cleared his throat, looking a bit nervous. “Victoria, may I come in?”
I grinned at him. “I insist, Your Highness. I would accept nothing less.”
17
Pierced
I gasped when we entered my chambers. “Dominic… What did you do?”
Rose petals were scattered everywhere—the floor, the bed, and before the fire blazing in the fireplace. Candles, too many to count, were placed strategically around the room. A bouquet of flowers, fresh from the garden, was standing on the table.
“I asked Mistress Olivia to turn down your room and maybe add a few special touches.�
� He grinned at me. “I’ll tell her you like it?”
“Tell her I love it.” I leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for a wonderful evening. Though your mother’s a terror, it was still perfect.”
He grinned. “Thank you. I enjoyed myself in spite of her too.” He put his hands around my waist and pulled me closer. “And now I would like to officially close the talking portion of our evening.”
I had a million things I wanted to ask him—particularly about the intercrosses—but as he lowered his face to mine, all thoughts disappeared, and I could barely remember my name as he crushed his lips against mine. My heart rate kicked up. He ran his hands down my back, which was bare because of the revealing dress, and I shuddered from the feel of his skin against mine. I latched my hands around his neck, moving as close to him as I possibly could. Our tongues connected, and electricity zipped through me, straight to my core.
He pulled back after a moment, breathing hard. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to do.” Without another word, he put one arm around my back and scooped me up with the other one. Cradling me against his chest, he carried me to the bed.
I was breathless by the time he released me and laid me down, and I stared up at him, chest heaving. “What was that for?”
“You said you wanted me to carry you. I do try to listen.” Dominic grinned then leaned over me and kissed me hungrily.
I ran my hands over his head then his shoulders, pulling him on top of me. His hands roamed over my body while we kissed, the room growing hotter and hotter.
After a moment, he pulled away. “I need a minute.” His voice was thick.
“Dominic.” I sat up and kissed his cheek, his jaw, then his throat. “I need you.”
He blew out a deep sigh. “I am right here, my lady. But I am just minding my business for a moment.”
“Mind it over here, please.” I pulled him back down and kissed him hotly. Then, realizing that I was not at all listening to what he’d said, I stopped. “I’m sorry.”
