Page 8 of Kingdom of Dance

“Cassia,” scolded Lilac. “You were supposed to let Basil tell her.”

“It’s all right,” laughed Basil. He looked at Zinnia. “What do you think? It’s been ages since we had a ball. And it’s been a year and half since we lost Father, so we’re not in mourning anymore. It’s high time we had some celebration.” He smiled hopefully at her. “Well? I remember how much you used to love balls when we were younger.” His smile stretched into a grin. “Back when I thought they were unbearably tedious.”

“You don’t think that now?” Briar asked, sounding intrigued.

“Of course not,” teased Violet. “Now he can dance with his beautiful wife.”

“Precisely,” said Basil, without a hint of embarrassment. He looked to Zinnia, and she realized he was still waiting for her reaction.

“So, Zinnia?” Violet prompted, a sparkle in her eye. “What do you think? It’s beensolong since we had a ball, hasn’t it? Aren’t you just spoiling for one?”

Titters passed around the room, and Zinnia saw Basil’s forehead crease in confusion. Clearly he knew there was some joke he was missing. His eyes met Zinnia’s, a question in their hazel depths, and her heart ached a little more at the deception she was forced to practice.

Once, they’d made a habit of covering for each other, filling the other in on anything they didn’t understand. Now Basil was the only one on the outside, and Zinnia couldn’t change that any more than he could.

She plastered on the best smile she could muster, although she knew it wouldn’t fool him. “A ball sounds wonderful. Ithasbeen a long time.”

Giggles once again passed around the room, but Zinnia felt no desire to laugh. She, at least, hadn’t attended a ball since before her father’s death, with the exception of Basil and Wren’s wedding festivities. Not that her sisters had any clue of that.

“Thanks for the thought,” she added, and Basil gave her a tight smile.

“Of course. I’d best get back to it, rescue Wren from the guild.” He glanced around the group. “And leave you girls to catch up.”

Zinnia winced. Basil was no fool, and he’d clearly picked up that they were wishing him elsewhere. The familiar guilt passed over her as she watched him walk to the doorway, such weight on his shoulders that he looked much older than his nineteen years.

The young king turned right before leaving the room. “Oh, I almost forgot. The steward caught me earlier, and asked me to tell you that the shoemaker will have new slippers ready for each of you in time for the older ones to wear them to tonight’s ball. Apparently,” his gaze flicked to Zinnia, “the ones you all sent for repair were beyond the cobbler’s ability to salvage.”

Everyone fell silent, in an unnatural hush that only magic could bring on such a rowdy group. No one said a word—Zinnia knew that her sisters’ lips were sealed as surely as her own.

“Thank you,” she managed at last.

Basil’s eyes had been passing thoughtfully over the group, but at her words, his gaze returned to her, piercing and unwavering. She held it as best she could, and after a moment, he gave a curt nod and left.

As soon as the door closed behind him, the rest of the princesses erupted into peals of laughter.

“Did you see his face?”

“Poor Basil,” said Lilac repentantly, even as she chuckled. “It really is such a shame we can’t tell him all about it. He must wonder what in Solstice we could be doing to our slippers to leave them in such a state.”

Zinnia gave a tight smile. “Yes, he must.” Her eyes flicked to the blank space of floor in the center of the nursery, and Violet answered her unspoken question.

“The trapdoor hasn’t appeared while you were gone.”

Zinnia let out a relieved breath, and Daisy grinned. “Don’t worry, you didn’t miss any. I hope there’s one soon, though!”

Zinnia felt her heart break a little at the excited look on the face of her thirteen-year-old sister. The thought that Daisy was hoping for the very event that filled Zinnia with unutterable dread was awful. Had she made the wrong choice? Should she have exposed them all to the truth of their situation? But surely they were happier not knowing. Surely their delusion was better than her reality.

You didn’t want the delusion, no matter how pleasant, pointed out an uncomfortably honest voice in her mind. She brushed it aside, determined not to let doubt plague her.

“So what’s the story with this ball tonight?” she asked Violet. “Who’s coming?”

“Everyone,” said her sister enthusiastically. “Basil’s planned a whole grand affair. Or rather,” she amended, “I think Wren and Mother did most of the planning.”

“But Basil said that I can go, now that I’m old enough to have my own suite!” Daisy announced, bouncing in place where she sat on the edge of Briar’s bed.

Zinnia smiled at the thirteen-year-old’s palpable excitement. “Your first ball, Daisy! That’s quite an event.”

Daisy rolled her eyes. “My first ball?” she repeated incredulously. “It’s not my first ball. More like my tenth.”

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