"Okay, it's my honor," Kaelen said, immediately brushing his hand against hers, the contact sending an unexpected spark through him, igniting something he didn't want to name, something dangerous.
He wanted her deeper than she knew.
Her movements were exquisite, as though the music existed solely for them.
The crowd seemed to part, whispers spiraling around them like wind through tall grass.
"Who is he—?"
"Why is he dancing with her? She belongs with the crown prince—"
"I told you, she's a hallot."
"That's the prince—Kaelen—"
The chandelier's light caught the red of Aurelia's dress, the silver on Kaelen's cape, and the glint of his hair, casting them both as if the world itself had framed them.
When his hand settled lightly on her waist, guiding her effortlessly into the rhythm, she froze for a fraction—he was not rough, only insistent, commanding—but gentle enough that she felt herself lost in the motion.
Their eyes locked, his stormy gaze dark and intent, hers wide and violet, shimmering like dusk bleeding into a storm. Every flicker of the light on her irises made him ache, made his control slip.
"Relax," he murmured, leaning close, the sound brushing against her ear like a secret. "I won't bite."
Her pulse stumbled. "I'm not afraid."
A small, almost inaudible laugh escaped him—half amusement, half something far more potent, something tethered to obsession.
"Good."
The world around them faded. The music slowed, rose again, but it was distant, inconsequential.
He moved with fluid precision, his steps certain, his grip light but commanding. She followed instinctively, her body reading him as if it had always belonged in this space.
Aurelia didn't even when realized she started smiling and Kaelen's chest tightened painfully at the sight.
He drew her a fraction closer, close enough that warmth radiated between them, enough that she could feel it anchoring her in a way she had never experienced, in a palace that had always seemed like a trap.
Tenebrarum remained across the room, dancing with Camilla,still masked but his eyes couldn't leave her. He had promised suffering, vengeance, but right now, she moved with Kaelen, with his brother, under his gaze, and the thought made something stir deep in Kaelen—a dark, protective obsession, marking her as his— in a way that went beyond reason.
Aurelia's violet eyes caught Kaelen's briefly, and a silent promise passed between them—words unspoken but understood.
The music faded, leaving only the hum of the crowd, the distant murmur of conversations, and the soft brush of fabric against polished marble. Maybe too soon—the moment was too brief, too fragile—but it held enough electricity to make every nerve in her body ignite.
Kaelen's hand lingered on her waist, guiding her with a precision that made her pulse stutter.
He bowed slightly, a calculated gesture of formality, yet the fire in his gaze betrayed the restraint behind it.
Aurelia, meeting his movement with poise, squared her shoulders, lifting the edge of her gown just enough to reveal the curve of her ankle, the delicate movement sending a ripple of awareness through him.
Every inch between them felt charged, every subtle breath shared in tandem. His thumb brushed lightly along her spine, a spark that ran straight to her chest, and she didn't recoil. She let it happen, letting the heat coil inside her, letting the rhythm of their closeness seep into her bones.
She turned, heart hammering in her chest, wanting to leave, wanting to escape the magnetic pull between them before it became something she'd regret.
Every instinct screamed caution, yet curiosity, and something darker, rooted her to the spot.
"May I know your name?" His voice was low, almost velvet, as his fingers brushed gently against her wrist—not tight, just enough to anchor her attention to him.
Aurelia's mind raced. Should she reveal her real name, the one that carried her past, her grief, and her humanity? Or should she respond with Flavia, the name that Tenebrarum had imposed upon her, a name she now bore like a chain?
The seconds stretched out, taut as a bowstring. She inhaled sharply, feeling the warmth of his hand linger against her skin and the steady weight of his gaze pressing down like sunlight on bare earth.
"Aurelia," she whispered, the name tasting like truth and defiance on her tongue—a small act of rebellion against the life that had been forced upon her.
Kaelen's eyes softened, a flicker of something unreadable passing through them—acknowledgment, fascination, desire, or perhaps all three. His thumb traced a subtle path along the back of her hand, almost absent-minded, almost tender, yet it ignited a shiver that ran straight to her core.
"Beautiful," he murmured, almost to himself, a half-smile ghosting his lips. Aurelia felt the pull again, that intoxicating gravity of his presence, as if every thought and every heartbeat were now shared in that fleeting, electric moment.
And then he left.
"My lady!" Sorana's voice snapped through the hall as she hurried from the back, grasping Aurelia's arm and pulling her away.
Aurelia stumbled slightly, caught off guard by the force. "What—what are you doing?" she demanded, jerking her arm free as much as she could without appearing rude.
Sorana's eyes darted nervously around the ballroom, her grip firm but urgent. "You danced with another," she hissed, dragging her toward a quieter corridor. "Everyone now believes you are a hallot… what have you done?"
Aurelia's lips pressed into a thin line, her heart still pounding from the lingering heat of Kaelen's gaze. "I… I did nothing wrong," she whispered, voice sharp despite her racing pulse, struggling to maintain composure.
Sorana shot her a look that mingled fear and exasperation. "Nothing wrong? You've drawn attention—dangerous attention. Lord Tenebrarum will notice. You must be careful!"
Aurelia's mind couldn't stop.
Tenebrarum must be noticing. His gaze might be on me, burning with something I didn't want to see, something I wanted to provoke. I wanted him jealous. I wanted him to realize what he could lose. And yet… Kaelen had been kind. So calm, so deliberate, so grounding. He hadn't pushed me or threatened me. He had made me feel… safe, even for a moment.
"Lady Flavia?" Sorana pressed, but Aurelia barely heard her, her thoughts still looping on the touch of Kaelen's hand, the music that had wrapped us, the heat of his gaze, the way the world faded around them.
And I hadn't even asked his name...
This thoughts burned in her heart, she actually wanted to know more about Kaelen.
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To be continued...