No one will discuss anything here

When we entered the grand hall, all eyes turned to us. The king and queen watched us closely, scrutinizing our every move as if searching for a flaw. I took a deep breath, feeling Rafar’s grip tighten around my hand, a silent gesture of encouragement.

As we began to dance, my body moved instinctively, flawlessly—like it had known these steps my entire life (which, in truth, it had). Gradually, I noticed Rafar increasing the tempo, but it wasn’t difficult to keep up.

Whispers spread across the hall, and I overheard murmurs about how remarkable we looked together. I tried to stay focused, determined not to make a mistake, but the comments made me uneasy. Scanning the crowd of nobles, I spotted a familiar face among them: Eigar.

His expression was unreadable—no doubt a reaction to the last time we met when I was poised to become the “future bride of the Prince of Lacorda.” And now, here I was, dancing with the future king of Luthor.

What if they thought it was all part of a sinister plan? What if they saw me as dishonorable for being here with Rafar?

These thoughts distracted me, and I faltered—a single misstep that nearly sent me to the ground. But Rafar’s strong, metallic arm caught me, holding me steady. We found ourselves face-to-face, our lips mere inches apart.

I could feel the warmth of his breath, a sharp contrast to the coldness of his arm. His dark, unreadable eyes searched mine, as though trying to decipher my thoughts. The stray strands of hair falling across his forehead made me want to reach out and brush them away.

It wasn’t until the next song began that I realized we were still in the same position. Embarrassed, I stood up quickly. From then on, Rafar kept his distance, his demeanor icy for the rest of the ball.

Seated on his throne, the king raised a hand, silencing the musicians. He shared the same dark eyes and hair as Rafar but carried a more weary, somber expression.

“Ladies and gentlemen of Luthor,” he began, his voice commanding, “it is an honor to have you all here tonight. For years, our kingdom has…”

His speech was long, but I barely heard it, my attention fixed on Rafar. When I tried to hold his hand, he pulled away.

“My successor to the throne has a significant announcement to make,” the king finally said, “so I will grant him the floor.”

Rafar stepped forward, straightening his posture in a familiar, practiced way.

“Your Majesty,” he began, “it is with great honor that I announce my engagement to Lady Mai Hutz.”

The hall erupted in murmurs. The king gave me a warm smile, while the queen’s gaze was sharp and penetrating.

“But that is not all,” Rafar continued. “I also request the kingdom’s support to invade the lands of Lindor.”

Gasps echoed through the room. Lindor was a small province near Luthor, rich in diamonds and minerals but infested with wild, dangerous creatures.

The king raised an eyebrow. “And what do I gain from this?”

“You will receive as many resources as our men can carry back. I give you my word—you will not regret it.”

“I will give you my answer tomorrow,” the king concluded, and the ball resumed late into the night.

Exhaustion weighed on me, but I didn’t dare ask Rafar to escort me back to my chambers. Whatever had caused his foul mood, I didn’t want to provoke it further.

I sat in a distant chair, observing him from afar. He seemed lost in thought, his mind elsewhere. What had I done wrong?

A hand on my shoulder startled me.

“May we talk?” Eigar asked, his tone serious.

“Of course,” I replied, distracted. My thoughts of Rafar consumed most of my mind.

“Have you looked into what we discussed last time?”

Eigar nodded, his expression one of admiration. “How did you know?” he asked. “I mean, how did you know Lady Penelope and so many other nobles were scheming against the king?”

I smiled, pride welling up—not for myself, but for the knowledge I’d gained from a novel I’d once read.

“Lady Penelope introduced herself to society a few years ago as a member of the Franci household. But none of them look like her—they all have black hair, while she is the only redhead. I found that… curious, so I investigated her background further.”

“Interesting…” he murmured, stopping a server to take two glasses of wine. “I think we need to discuss this in more detail.”

“No one will discuss anything here,” came a thunderous voice from behind me.

It was Rafar.