Page 122 of Of Rime and Ruin
“I like it. Sparkly. Make sure to get it in His Majesty’s hair.” He winks.
“He’ll be brushing it out for days,” I say.
“I’ll walk with you when you’re ready.” Deirdre touches my elbow lightly.
A fresh wave of nerves hits me, and I take a deep breath. “Ready.”
As we descend the stairwell into the parlor, I trail my fingers along the darkwood banister, the train of my dress slithering behind me.
My heart races faster with each step I take. Anticipation twists my stomach into a knot. It’d be a complete waste to look this good and not dance at the ball. How bad could it be?
Deirdre hums happily beside me. “You look beautiful,” she assures me. “He’ll be pleased to see you.”
Light spills beneath the threshold of the throne room doors. Two guards are posted there, standing erect in their uniforms. Their eyes slide over me, then dart away.
“The king doesn’t think of me in that way,” I mutter.
Deirdre pauses, her hand resting on the door handle. She glances at me with a frown. “Is that what you really think? You mean more to him than you realize, Nahla. And if this dress doesn’t wring a confession out of him tonight, then you can dunk me in the Rime. Now. In you go.”
My knees wobble beneath me, suddenly unstable.Shit.
The door opens, revealing a transformed throne room. It glows with candlelight, illuminating a once characteristically dim space. From the center beam hangs a new chandelier with a thousand glittering ice crystals. Flower petals dust the floor. In the corner, a lone violinist positions at the ready.
And in the center of the room stands the devilish Frost King, dressed in a white tuxedo and grinning from ear to ear.
Chapter fifty
Aethan
She’smagnificent.Avisionin light blue glitter, Nahla resembles an ice goddess. Like she was made to be here, in the throne room of the Frost Kingdom. She enters with a bold glare, gaze darting about as if looking for a fight.
She won’t find one here. I know I fucked up, and I’m at her mercy.Mission grovel is a go.
Nahla has never struck me as a fan of royal antics. So it’s just me tonight, and judging by her earlier mood, this could either be fantastic or miserable for me.
Goddess, I hope I got this right.
I clear my throat, overcome with the urge to pull at my collar. “Good evening, Your Highness.”
She looks right at me, and all the air whooshes out of my lungs. Her glare softens to surprise. A smile spreads over her face.
“Hi,” she breathes.
My heart swells, pushing into my throat with an insatiable ache. “Sunfish.”
I offer her my hand. She blushes and places hers in mine, her fingers soft and smooth. Gently, I guide them to my mouth and kiss them, lingering for a moment.
“What are you up to?”
I watch her over the rim of her knuckles and raise my eyebrow. “Groveling,” I say. “Like a good boy.”
Her jaw drops.
Tugging on her fingers, I pull her close, slide my hand around her waist, and lift her hand into position. Her warm scent floods my senses as her hair brushes the underside of my chin.
“Dance with me,” I whisper into her curls.
The violinist strikes a sweet melody. Nahla gasps as I whisk her into a waltz, spinning us across the open floor. Her dress hisses over the wooden planks and leaves a trail of glitter in her wake. She clings to me, her short legs working quickly to keep up. But she knows the steps. When I send her twirling into a pirouette beneath my lifted hand, she smiles radiantly, keeping her gaze glued on my face.
