Five years ago…
'I really don't like balls,' Ezra thought with a quiet sigh as he downed his third glass of wine.
It did nothing to help.
By his rough count, at least twenty-one nobles had already cornered him. Barons and earls, all smiles stretched too thin, their words polished and polite while their eyes never quite hid their disdain. They spoke to him as if he were a stepping stone, a convenient bridge to Prince Helios.
And they never let him forget that he had no title.
Then there were the women.
Too close. Too sweet. Laughing a little too loudly, hands lingering just a second longer than necessary. Ezra knew better than to mistake it for genuine interest. It was the same game. Get close to him to get close to Helios.
Either way, none of it was enjoyable.
Ezra had no intention of dancing. No intention of smiling politely through another empty conversation.
