The Rose Princess

Six: Shadows of the Heart

The excitement in the ballroom had finally settled. Chatter and music blended perfectly as Remi reentered the ballroom. His gaze quickly found Ceriva's who was standing beside the grand staircase, her expression a mixture of irritation and suspicion. She had been watching him.

Her lips pressed into a thin line as he approached him. "What were you doing on the patio with her?" she asked, her voice low but firm, laced with underlying accusation.

He replied, his tone measured, but his mind was still on Lilia. "Why do you speak to her so cruelly?"

Ceriva's brows knitted together, clearly taken aback by his question. "She is just a servant, Remi," she said, a trace of confusion in her voice as if the answer should be obvious.

"Is that all she is to you?" he asked, his tone hardening. His eyes narrowed, searching hers for something—perhaps a trace of empathy, but he found none.

Ceriva's expression remained cold, her chin lifting slightly in defiance. "Yes," she said. "She was plucked from a convent and placed into service. She is meant to serve, not to be treated as an equal."

Remi's jaw tightened, frustration bubbling beneath his calm exterior. "She is more than that, Ceriva. She deserves respect."

Ceriva's eyes narrowed now, curiosity mingling with irritation. "Why are you defending her so much?" Her voice had a sharp edge, a hint of jealousy beneath the surface.

Remi held her gaze, his expression unreadable, but his silence spoke volumes. He couldn't put his feelings into words—perhaps he wasn't ready to—but there was something in Lilia that stirred emotions he had never felt before.

When he didn't answer, Ceriva's frustration grew. "She is nothing, Remi. A servant. You should not waste your energy on her."

Remi's eyes darkened, a hint of anger flashing behind them. He stepped closer, his voice lowering to a whisper, meant only for her. "She may be nothing to you, Ceriva, but she is not nothing to me."

Ceriva's eyes widened, shock flickering across her face. She tried to mask it quickly, but Remi saw it. For a brief moment, the queen who was always so composed had let her guard down.

"I suggest you remember your place," she hissed, her tone sharper than before. "She is not your equal, and she will never be. She is a servant, not a friend."

Remi remained silent, his expression hard as stone. Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Ceriva standing alone in the middle of the ballroom, her heart pounding with a mix of confusion and anger. She feared it was too late for her plan, she had pushed him away too much and this was the consequence of her actions.

For a while, Astin and Lilia walked quietly through the courtyard, the soft crunch of gravel under their feet the only sound breaking the stillness. Lilia clutched her hands together, trying to still the anxious flutter in her chest. The memory of how close she had come to kissing Remi haunted her, a shameful heat rising to her cheeks.

Astin glanced at her, noticing the deepening frown on her face. He sighed, his voice gentle but firm. "He's married, Lilia."

Her shoulders sagged with the weight of the truth. "I know," she murmured, her breath heavy with regret. "I didn't mean to..."

"And he's your king," Astin added with a slight edge in his tone, his gaze sharp as it rested on her. "You have to be careful around men like him. They only want sex," he said bluntly, his words hanging in the cool night air.

Lilia flinched at the harshness of his words. "He's kind," she countered softly, almost pleading. "We've spoken about our lives... he listens to me." Her eyes searched Astin's face, hoping he might understand, but he merely shook his head.