Page 240 of A King's Oath

“Thank you,” her fingers tightened around the ribboned stalk.

“Thank you, Sam!” Brahmi quipped, remembering her manners from her mother’s cue.

“May I have the honour of escorting you two princesses to the ball?” He held out both hands. While Brahmi’s fell instantly into his, it took Ava a second longer to give her his. When she gave it though, he closed his fingers firmly around it.

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His driver rolled their car to a stop outside the old chateau he had chosen for this evening. Its windows were lit with hundreds of golden fairy lights and candles, creating that old-world glow.The iron gates swung open at their approach, and Brahmi gasped so loudly it made Ava and him chuckle.

“Why are there no cars except ours?” She asked.

“Because this is a private ball,” Samarth answered. “Arranged in your honour.”

“For me only?”

“You and Mama.”

Her broken-toothed smile was blinding.

“I don’t know how to ball dance,” she dropped.

“I can teach you, if you want.”

“How do you know ball dance? Did you go to Bal des Débutantes too?”

Samarth glanced at Ava over her head, then back at his daughter — “No. I was invited many years ago but I was playing polo on that day.”

Her dreamy face went thoughtful. “That’s a difficult choice.”

“Very,” he agreed.

“Mama was also invited but didn’t go.”

“Why?” Samarth asked.

“She was playing cricket.”

“Was she?” He glanced back up at her again and the truth was written stark on her face. She had chosen not to attend because she had promised her life to a fool in her head years ago.

“Anyway,” he stressed. “Now you are both invited for a private ball. Ready?”

“Ready!”

“Ready, Ava?”

She nodded.

His side of the door was opened and Samarth got down, then held a hand out for his daughter. She took it elegantly, slowly learning the etiquette of walking in her heels. He loved the lady-behaviour and her little poised nods. But she reached a little higher than his waist and he suddenly didn’t want her to grow up. Not so soon at least.

Samarth swallowed the feeling and reached one hand inside for Ava. With both his ladies on his arms, he led them inside the grand ballroom.

It had been transformed into something out of a child’s dream: Polished wooden floors. A velvet-draped dais where a string quartet tuned their instruments. Clusters of white roses and night-sky blue hydrangeas. Glass lanterns casting soft constellations across the ceiling.

A world where a girl like Brahmi could believe she could fly.

They stopped at the entrance and the maître d’ stood ready with two jewelled tiaras on a platter. Brahmi gasped. Samarth picked up the smaller tiara with diamonds studded in its rim and bent down to slide it into her temple. Her mouth opened in a long oval O, her eyes rolling upwards to see the sparkles. He couldn’t help it, he reached down and kissed her temple. Her eyes came to him and she kissed his cheek.

He chuckled, then rose up to pick the larger tiara.

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