The Second Son

Chapter 30

The following evening I stood at the entrance to the Grand Hall. It was the palace's largest and most formal hall. At least twice the size of the room where the King held my welcoming banquet. Tonight's festivities made that party look like a small dinner party. I was dressed in one of the beautiful gowns the King had gifted me when I arrived here. It was a light blue satin with lace trim on the sleeves and neckline. Izzy had sent a necklace for me to borrow. It was a silver ribbon with a tear drop shaped pearl in the center. Betsy had put extra effort into my hair by pulling it all up and curling the ends. I had never put so much effort into my appearance and I wasn't sure why I had cared so much tonight. I shouldn't want any attention. Especially that of a certain prince.

I took a deep breath and walked into the ballroom and instantly felt overwhelmed. The grandeur of the room was like nothing I had ever seen before. White walls with portraits of all the great kings on either side. Gold accents and crystal chandeliers hung every few feet along the high ceiling. And the pagentry of the guests. I had never seen a party quite like this. If this was just the celebration of Henry's betrothal, I couldn't imagine what his wedding would be like.

I decided to stay on the fringes of the party since I had yet to spot Izzy. I felt eyes on me. Probably questioning why the King's healer would be here at such a grand ball. I found myself standing near the refreshment table and I grabbed a cream puff and a glass of lemonade to give myself something to do. Otherwise, I would just be standing there alone until I spotted someone I knew. The situation made me miss my cousin, Eddie, desperately. We always navigated fancy parties at my uncle's manor together. We would spend the whole evening whispering about how ridiculous all the guests were and causing mischief wherever we could. Eddie's older brothers were usually the target of our pranks.

I was deep in thought wondering where Eddie was tonight. He must have left for his tour of the country by now. Maybe he would make a stop in the Capital. I was mentally making a list of everything I wanted to show him when I spotted Samuel making his way towards me. He had an intense look on his face.

"Emily, you look beautiful tonight. Dare I say you are the most beautiful woman in this room." He took my hand and bowed his head slightly. When his head was low enough to reach my hand, I felt his lips brush my knuckles briefly. A shiver went down my spine at the action.

"Thank you Samuel. You look very handsome yourself. I feel a little bit out of place here. This is fancier than any ball I've ever been to." I took a sip of the lemonade that of course was delicious. Samuel chuckled and grabbed a glass for himself.

"This is the queen's doing. Her sons are all she cares about and finding them good matches has been her greatest achievement. Of course she spared no expense to celebrate not only Henry's marriage but the political windfall that comes with it."

I nodded my head in understanding. I was in over my head discussing royal politics. Maybe I was naive but I always thought you should marry for love, not for a political alliance. I cared deeply for Henry and it made me sad that his marriage would be without affection.

"Emily, I need to apologize again for what happened out in the woods. The Prince was right. You were my responsibility and I failed you. I will be sorry about it the rest of my days." He had the most earnest look on his face and all I could do was reassure him that all was forgiven and soon forgotten.

"Dance with me." He stood in front of me with his hand held out waiting for me to accept his invitation. The last time I danced with Samuel I had such a good time. I was hoping this time wouldn't be any different. I took his hand and he led us out into the middle of the dance floor. I felt even more eyes on me now. Samuel was a prominent member of the court and I'm sure there was gossip about us already. Once again, I was impressed with Samuel's dancing skills. He lead us smoothly through the waltz that the band was playing. He never took his eyes off of me and I was enjoying the attention.