The Curse of the Banished Book 1: The Spare Prince
Taevon was a cursed child. A child who's mother died during birth. Unfortunately, being cursed and royalty did not mix well with the people of his country. Trapped in an endless cycle of humiliat...
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The sound of music and lively chatter reached my ears. The ballroom was filled with nobles and royalty. It was considerably the party of the year, celebrating the peace treaty that had been set in place between Karlules and Ardoné. A miracle after decades of disputes and terrorist attacks upon each other.
Galas were supposed to be enjoyable. I should have been happily sipping on champagne and talking with my mutuals, but instead I was staring eye to eye with a young woman roughly my age. Her eyes were a pale blue and her ivory skin was covered in freckles. She had copper red hair pulled back into a low, wispy bun. Her silk dress was a baby blue and dragged on the floor. Thanks to her corset, her bodice was shaped perfectly into the fashion standard. Arguably, she was probably one of the most beautiful Lady I had seen in my Father's Court. I could not deny that.
I straightened the white collar of my shirt before I smoothed down my maroon overcoat that reached the back of my calves. My gray pants were tucked into my black, knee length boots. Everything was made to fit my tall figure and compliment my dark skin. Usually, my black hair would be down, but I had half of it pulled back for the occasion. My green eyes did not break contact with her blue.
She flashed her fan across her face so my eyes would remain in contact with hers. If she wanted to make me blush, she failed. Well, mostly. But it annoyed me more than anything because I knew why she was flirting. And it wasn't just because I was considerably good looking or that I was the second Prince of Karlules. Unfortunately, it wasn't because she found me as a person she'd probably find intriguing either. Her eyes were like an open book, easy to read.
Shoving my free hand in my pocket, I walked over to her, sipping on my champagne. I passed her a polite nod and she returned it with a half curtsy. An appropriate response since I was considered only half a prince.
"How much has my father offered you?" The words rolled off my tongue as I stood in front of her.
Genuine confusion crossed her face. "I beg your pardon? Why would his Majesty offer me anything?"
I flashed a fake grin, wondering how long we could play the game of carefully worded sentences so there is no lie to spot. "My apologies for assuming you were bribed to woo me like the last fifteen."
She tilted her head, snapping her fan shut in her gloved hand. The frown that deepened on her face made me second guess my approach. Her reaction made it very clear that she was not a force that should be taken lightly, and it was obvious that I had offended her. Perhaps I could have been a little nicer, but, in my defense, it was a recurring issue that was only growing more annoying with time.
"Other girls are being bribed?" She snorted, rubbing her forehead. "You're telling me that I'm so desperate for a spouse that I'm trying to get the one that other girls must be bribed to have?"
