I knew that the Blackwaters were also attending, as were other lords and ladies of the nobility that I hadn’t met yet: the Hartfields, the Rothguards, and the Greystones. I had studied all these families with Professor Dekela, and I knew who hated whom, which noble house was trying to gain power, and which ones were loyal to the king. After the Blackwaters, the Silverthornes, and the Glenbarrys, these were the prominent houses and titles of the aristocracy of Eldoren.
Aunt Serena came up to Erien and me and led us around the room, introducing me to everyone. A big, burly man with salt-and-pepper hair and twinkling blue eyes, whose doublet’s emerald buttons strained to stay closed, came up to me, took my hand, and gave a sweeping bow. I could smell the alcohol on his breath as he raised himself up from his tottering bow.
“May I be the first to introduce myself, Your Highness?” His voice was deep but kind. “I am Derek Sutton, Earl of Rothguard. It is an honor to meet you, and may I be the first to say we are delighted to find that you are indeed alive.”
“Thank you,” I said genuinely. He was a nice man, and I liked him instantly. His was one of the families Uncle Gabriel said would definitely support me.
“Your father was a very dear friend of mine. Anything you need from me, you only have to ask, and it will be done,” he said gallantly.
I smiled and thanked him again. It felt good to meet a friend of my family; maybe later I could speak with Lord Rothguard about my father. There were so many things I had been meaning to find out but didn’t know who to ask.
Another man, about the same age as Lord Rothguard, came up to meet me. He was tall and impeccably dressed, with chiseled features and an aristocratic nose. “Julian Fenton.” He bowed and kissed my hand. “The Marquis of Greystone at your service, Your Highness.”
“Rothguard.” He threw a pointed look at the earl. “Good to see you again.”
Lord Rothguard smiled and gave a short, perfunctory bow. “Julian, I thought you were in Andrysia.”
The Marquis ignored Rothguard and ran a hand through his wavy, blond hair.
Aunt Serena came up to me and caught me by the elbow. “There you are, dear. I have been looking all over for you. There are so many people who want to meet you. You must come with me or we will never finish.”
I followed Aunt Serena into the throng of chattering Eldorean nobility. I met old lords whose names I tried desperately to remember; I met their wives, the marchionesses and the countesses, and I had to rack my brain for the correct way to address them. I didn’t want to make a fool of myself from the very start.
I spotted Vivienne and raised my hand to wave at her. Vivienne smiled and turned to walk toward me, when an older lady—whom I presumed was her mother—glared at me and pulled Vivienne away, disappearing into the crowd. I turned away, tears pooling in my eyes. It seemed I had lost my best friend.
Suddenly, the trumpets sounded. Uncle Gabriel was being announced. “His Grace, Gabriel, Duke of Silverthorne, commander of the king’s army, and protector of the realm,” boomed the herald.
Slowly a hush grew over the room, washing gently like a wave across the great hall, when they saw who had walked in after the duke. The women had suddenly started giggling and whispering to each other like a bunch of crazed lunatics.
I also turned to see what everyone was staring at, and if I could have fainted, I would have. But I decided that fainting at this moment would really not be a good idea.
Standing at the top of the stairs, looking his usual dashing self, was Rafe, and he was staring straight at me. He was dressed formally in a midnight-blue doublet and hose with silver embroidery on the cuffs and collar. His boots were high and polished to perfection. And as usual, he looked devastatingly handsome.
I felt my heartbeat quicken. I wished I could do something about this infuriatingly erratic part of myself that I couldn’t control. Secretly, I was pleased that he had picked me out of a crowded ballroom almost immediately. But what was he doing here, at a ball in the Summer Palace underneath the nose of the king?
The herald hesitated for a second before announcing, “His Royal Highness, Prince Rafael of the Ravenswood dynasty, heir to the throne of Eldoren, Duke of Calos, Marquis of Shadowvale, and Earl of Killanon.”
My mouth fell open, and I could have sworn I saw Rafe wink at me as he walked confidently down the grand stairs toward us.
“I thought he was an outlaw,” I whispered to Kalen, who was standing beside me, but my eyes remained on Rafe. I couldn’t believe he was actually the prince of Eldoren. How could I not have known?
Kalen was grinning stupidly. “Oh yes! I must have forgotten to mention that in Eldoren, he has many other titles.”
I looked at Kalen incredulously. “And you just forgot to mention that one little part, did you?” I said scathingly. “You made me keep believing that he was a wanted man.”
Kalen shrugged. He was still grinning, and he seemed to find my reaction entertaining. “Rafe didn’t want you to know.”
My eyes narrowed. “Why? Did he think it would have made a difference?”
“I don’t know,” Kalen shrugged. “Ask him yourself. He’s coming over here.”
I looked up as Rafe and Uncle Gabriel came over to meet us.
“Glad to have you back, Grandfather,” said Erien, coming over and hugging Uncle Gabriel. He looked over at Rafe. “You too, Your Highness.”
Rafe nodded, smiling. “Erien, Kalen.”
Uncle Gabriel gave me a short hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Is everything all right?”
I nodded. I felt like such a fool. How would I ever talk to Rafe again? How could Kalen not have told
