Of magic and blood

Chapter Twelve

I could tell Evander wanted to talk to me. His eyes kept cutting to me as we both moved through the throng of courtiers.

Cheerful music played as ladies and gentlemen danced. The room was filled with talk and laughter, as our courts mixed and mingled. Dinner had come and gone, and with it, my patience.

I was in the middle of fending off a persistent gentleman when Evander made his way over to save me.

"Excuse me," he said smoothly, "I sadly must steal my sister for a few moments."

Gratefully, I let him tuck my arm around his and strongly lead me away from the gentleman. We smiled and nodded and played the perfect royalty as Evander maneuvered his way over to the doors.

Once in the hallway, he dropped my arm and I sighed in relief.

"I thought we'd never get out." Evander said nothing, just paced the floor in front of me.

I paused for a moment, then said quietly, "She's prettier than you expected."

Even I had noticed, Lilac, or Lily or whatever she was called, definitely lived up to her beauty. All of the gentleman, both in our court and their court, had watched her. It was easy to tell that she didn't know how beautiful she was, because she hadn't noticed any of the stares. In fact, her eyes had betrayed her emotions; I had seen the worry and dread in them.

"Yes," Evander growled, looking very upset, "And it isn't helping anything."

"Well isn't that good?" I asked, trying to hold back my laughter.

Evander was very curious about her, I could tell, and fascinated by her. As was I, but I was more curious about why she was nervous, far more nervous than what was called for in the situation.

The conversation I heard yesterday had not gone unnoticed. Whoever the Princess was, I was going to find out and get to the bottom of this.

I let the silence fall, because I knew that Evander needed a moment to compose himself, to plaster on his signature look of indifference.

"We should go back in." I told him after the moment was over.

He straightened and nodded, already back to the Evander I knew so well.

It was eery, how sudden he was able to just hide his emotions from the world. I knew I would never be able to do the same; I knew I was very readable.

We reentered the room, Evander immediately whisked away by some stuffy old lords. I thought of finding Lady Madeline, a close friend of mine, but someone else caught my eye.

It was Lilac, looking distressed as Lady Blythe and Contessa chattered away about gossip and elegant in a beautiful mauve dress. As the oldest ladies in our court, both happily maintained the gossip and rumors.