ad the princess around the dance floor. The smile on Kit's face made it all worth it, even if he would get q

o his ear as he held her close. "None of thos

warm scent of honey and lavender, an aroma

long as he could remember, certainly since before the announcement of her Proem. But then, as if thoughts of the ceremony also filled her min

and their melody was light and airy, but the princess's disposition was beginning to seep into him, an

omen, one he had to ignore. "I don't know," she said quietly. She looked up then, raising her head

ered have already been inspected by the physici

her briefly. "You didn't

t all. But I assure you, every member of your guar

e'd volunteered. Her lips were slightly darker than usual, likely from the wine she'd been drinkin

-as a member of the guard, of course. His family wasn't nobility, not anymore anyway, and he had never been an invited guest.

rned her face back to him. "Do you

day. In fact, that's the way he'd intended to reply to any of her questions about the Proem. Not because he believed his answer

esponse. "Don't you think...." Kit looked around as if she wasn't sure if anyone could hear. She cleared her t

uation and avoid the princess at all costs, and yet he hadn't seemed to be able to do that. Now, as dark eyes bore t

lt to see. Streams of fabric in blue and gold hung from the ceiling, obscuring the exits, and large displays of flowers lined the dance floor. But Kit knew

out before catching the eyes of anyone save the few guards who were watchi

air filled his lungs as he took her in. The moonlight landed on her hair, illuminating the edges, and filtered down to radiate off of her alabaster skin. In that m

name, though tarnished, was capable of being resuscitated, and when she turned to look at him, he was reminded that

thereal, "that I'll be able to walk among my own guard

rd who fulfills his duty tomorrow will be a tool of the physician, simply taking his place because the older gentleman is not capable of performing the ceremony himself. I am sure that whomever

be calmed for a moment before all of her worries came floodi