A Dance Between Worlds

Chapter Seven

The ballroom was alive with the sounds of music, laughter, and the soft murmur of conversations as the guests returned to the dance floor. At the center of attention were Aelir and Nimue, as they moved gracefully across the polished marble floor with all eyes following the royal couple. Nimue sharp and observant, caught the shift in Aelir's attention, the subtle distraction that had taken hold of him. Her grip on his hand tightened slightly, her fingers daggering into his palm as she looked up at him, her voice laced with a forced sweetness.

"You've been awfully quiet, Aelir, dear," Nimue said, tilting her head to catch his gaze. "Is something on your mind?"

Aelir's green eyes, that had been scanning the room, snapped back to her. He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Not at all," he replied, though even to his own ears, the words felt hollow.

Her smile didn't waver, but there was a sharpness to it now. "You seemed... distracted earlier," she continued, her tone casual, though her eyes were anything but. "Especially when you were talking to... what was the name of that lower? Alexia? Slexia?"

Aelir's steps faltered for the briefest of moments, a hesitation so slight that only Nimue could have noticed. Quickly recovering, he guided her through a spin, but the question rattled him. What had she seen to make her so mad? He was only talking to Luxia, the topic of conversation wasn't even inherently inappropriate.

"I don't remember, she was just a guest," Aelir said keeping his voice steady. "I'd never seen her before tonight."

"Just a guest?" Nimue questioned, voice seeping with accusation, though barely audible to anyone else. "You seemed captivated by her."

He met her gaze, trying to read the emotions swirling beneath her masked exterior. Jealousy, he realized, wasn't entirely unexpected. Nimue was used to being the center of attention, and she didn't take kindly to anything or anyone that might threaten that position. Though it had been a short engagement they had spent the entire time together, getting to know each other. Perhaps she had come to care for him more than he had realized.

"She was lost in the garden," Aelir explained, his voice gentle, yet firm. "I was just making sure she was alright."

Her lips pressed into a thin line, her grip on his hand tightening even further. "So chivalrous," she murmured. "But surely you could have found one of the servants to help her."

Exhaling softly, Aelir tried to ease the tension that was building between them. "I didn't see the harm in speaking with her for a moment to help her," he cupped her face in his hand. "She's a guest of Rowynn's, I was just helping her."

Nimue's eyes flashed, but when she spoke her voice was softer. "Rowynn's guest, perhaps, but a stranger to you. I am to be your bride, and you left me alone at our engagement ball. Surely you can see why I am upset."

Aelir didn't miss the accusation in her words; it was true he had left her alone tonight. It was like he was irresistibly drawn to Luxia. Even thinking of her sent waves of raw energy through him, like the hum of ancient power awakening deep within his veins. Sure, he hadn't actually done anything wrong, but his actions could be seen as so.

"Nimue, I spoke to her out of courtesy. That's all." As he spoke, his thumb brushed her cheek. "There is no need to be upset, my dear."

Nimue's expression hardened, her eyes narrowing slightly as they continued to dance. "I'm not upset," she said though the tightness in her voice betrayed her. "I just find it strange that you would take such an interest in a girl you do not know, tonight of all nights."