17. Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen
Grace
Grace gently brushed the tangles from her long brown hair, staring into her mirror but paying no attention to her reflection.
Her mind was elsewhere. Mostly wishing she could simply skip the ball and spend an evening alone with Eli.
She wanted rest and peace and comfort. Eli provided all those things and more.
The dance, however, was going to test her patience and force her to socialize with people she did not care to entertain.
Not that she didn’t appreciate the civilians of Berland.
In fact, she put their needs before her own most of the time, though she rarely felt the sentiment returned.
These formal events only highlighted the way they perceived her as inhuman.
Either a pawn in their games—a brainless girl who needed a man to steer her—or a trophy on a pedestal, too perfect and pristine to have needs of her own.
The burden of their expectations weighed heavily on her, but none as much as her mother’s. Though she had taken a step back and had given Grace more free rein, Grace still felt the pressure to prove she was capable of everything her mother could do and more.
She sighed and opened a tin of rose-tinted powder, gently applying it to her cheeks to give her face a more flirtatious appeal.
Then she stepped into her long white gown and pulled the straps over her shoulders.
The luxurious fabric stretched over her curves and didn’t even require a zipper.
Of all the gowns she owned, this was the comfiest. It was also the most bride-like, with a flattering sweetheart neckline, an open back, and a long flowing skirt.
From her bedroom door, she heard a gasp and swiveled to find her mother with a hand to her mouth.
“What?” she asked, looking down and searching for a tear or a stain that would explain the look her mother was giving her. “What’s wrong with this one?”
Her mother dropped her hand and squinted. “Nothing is wrong, Grace. You look absolutely beautiful. I don’t know why you always think the worst of me.”
Probably because her mother always thought the worst of Grace.
“Thank you,” she said politely.
“Are you almost ready? We should leave if we don’t want to be late.”
“Just about. Why don’t you and Dad go ahead? I can meet you there.”
In reality, she didn’t have anything else to do.
She just wanted to be left alone. If she’d been given the choice, she would’ve attended the ball with Eli, but her mother had insisted that she make time for other suitors and go without a date.
Because of that, she didn’t feel like feigning excitement in her mother’s presence.
She wanted some time to herself to get in the proper mindset.
Her mother nodded. “Your father and I will head out then. But there’s someone here to escort you.”
Grace straightened. Had her mother reconsidered?
Her bedroom door opened a few inches farther and Theo slipped in. His lips curved into a bright smile upon seeing his sister, and Grace couldn’t contain her own.
“Theo!” She bolted forward and wrapped her arms around him for a hug.
“Hey, sis.”
“I thought you were going to be out of town this evening.” Theo was often on excursions to nearby towns for trading and to ensure peace with their allies.
While he did his best to stick around for all the festivities the Rite brought to town, it was inevitable that he’d have to miss some things. “You came back early?”
“I did. Our negotiations went smoother than expected. No reason to stay away from home another night.” He released his hold on her and spun her in a circle, then frowned. “You’re going to keep me busy tonight, aren’t you?”
“What do you mean?”
“If I see one man’s hand placed somewhere it doesn’t belong, I’m going to have to break all his fingers.”
Grace chuckled. Her brother was one of the least violent people she knew. His bark was far worse than his bite. More like a nibble, really. “I can handle myself.”
“Damn right, you can.”
Behind Theo, their mother cleared her throat, and Grace flinched. She’d completely forgotten she was still there. “I’ll be going now. Don’t take too much longer. You’re the main event of the evening, after all.”
As their mother turned to leave the room, Theo and Grace exchanged a look that said, Can you believe her?
When the two of them were left alone, Grace relaxed. She sat down at her vanity and ran her comb through her hair a few more times. Theo sat on the edge of her bed, and she peered at him through the mirror. “Is that what you’re wearing?”
Theo looked down at his dark jeans and gray henley shirt and shrugged.
“No,” she said, spinning in her chair. “You can’t wear that.”
“Why not?”
“Well, besides the fact that Mom would drag you by your ear out of the hall, you’re not going to impress anyone with that lazy look.”
Theo laughed. “I’m not trying to impress anyone.”
“Aren’t you?”
His eyes turned to slivers, but his mouth curled mischievously. “Do you have something to say to me, Grace?”
She forced her gaze back to the mirror and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “Did you know Sam’s favorite color is blue?”
Through the mirror, she watched Theo’s playful grin widen. Pride radiated from his big brown eyes as he said, “I did.”
The halls were empty except for a few stragglers running late for the ball.
Grace held onto Theo’s arm as he guided her toward the ballroom.
Smiling, she took in his dark gray slacks and the royal blue shirt he’d changed into.
He paired it with a confident smirk that would win every available heart in Berland, at least those that weren’t competing for Grace.
As they approached the double doors leading into the ballroom, Grace squeezed his arm. “Stay close by? I might need you to break some fingers for me.”
He chuckled. “Of course.”
Despite her mother’s warnings, she’d appeared late enough that she’d missed the welcome speech.
Couples were already on the dance floor, and trays of burgundy beverages floated through the crowd.
It took less than five minutes before suitors surrounded her like vultures, eagerly extending their hands for the first dance.
Grace took a deep breath and did her best to greet each of them sincerely, but her eyes were drawn to the left corner of the room, where Eli was surrounded by his friends.
By the time she found him, his eyes were already locked on her.
He gave her an encouraging smile and raised his glass before taking a small sip.
He hadn’t been thrilled about the idea of Grace attending the ball on her own, but he understood the necessity of it.
She’d love nothing more than to have Eli by her side and holding her hand all evening, but unfortunately, that wouldn’t gain her any favor with the other suitors.
She still had a duty to uphold and a Rite to respect.
The last thing she needed was another reason for the rebels to degrade her.
Eli’s reassurance gave her the confidence to accept the first dance from another man.
Zeke, the man she’d run into in the dining hall a few days prior, led her to the center of the ballroom and placed his hands on her waist. She flinched but did her best to relax and placed her hand on his shoulders.
They began to sway to the music, and Grace took deep and controlled breaths.
“You look amazing, in case no one has told you,” Zeke said with a friendly smile.
She peered up into his eyes, dark green like pine trees. His jet-black shoulder-length hair was pulled into a half bun and his beard was neatly trimmed. There was a kindness in his eyes that contrasted his chiseled jaw. Her shoulders relaxed a little. “You do, too.”
“Are you ready for tomorrow?” he asked.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?”
The second round of the Rite would take place the following afternoon.
Eight men would be narrowed down to four and Grace would be one step closer to an engagement.
She’d been watching Eli’s practices and felt pretty confident in his ability to advance.
But any time she thought too hard about the way it would play out, her mind played tricks and showed her an image of him with his back on the ground, tapping out.
So she tried not to think about it too much.
“I’m more than ready,” he said. Confident, not cocky. It was hard to find fault with Zeke, which made her feel even worse for forgetting his name earlier.
“Listen, I really am sorry for the other day.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“No, it was so incredibly rude of me—”
He suddenly stopped spinning in circles, and Grace came to a halt, too. “If you’d like to make it up to me, please…please say that you won’t get in too deep with that guy.” He nodded his chin over her shoulder. She didn’t have to look to know he was talking about Eli.
“I…” She didn’t know how to respond to his request. She couldn’t promise him that. She was already in too deep with Eli. “I’m sorry,” she finished lamely.
Zeke removed his smooth hands from her waist, but he didn’t berate her. He didn’t scold her like her mother would have. Instead, he looked defeated. “I wish the best for you, Grace.”
He took a few steps backward before turning and leaving Grace standing in the center of the floor, feeling like the smallest person in the room.
Tears welled in her eyes, and she wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t like she had feelings for Zeke, but knowing she’d let him down, just like her mother had said she would, was enough to make her feel like a heinous human being. Careless and reckless with the feelings of those around her.
Unfreezing her feet from the floor, she walked toward the exit. She needed a few moments to compose herself before the next dance, but before she could take five steps, Trevor was standing in front of her, blocking her path.
“My turn for a dance,” he said, extending his hand.
“Give me a minute.” She stepped to the right, but he caught her with a hand around her waist.
“It wasn’t a question.”
Chills ran down her spine, but with so many eyes on her, she felt trapped.
If she shoved him like she so badly wanted to do, a scene would follow.
One in which she would look like the bad guy.
The ungrateful one. The incompetent one.
There was nothing she could do. Any retaliation could only be played out in her mind while she gritted her teeth.
He pulled her body towards him, and she felt the hard planes of his chest and hips collide with hers.
Though she attempted to pull back and create space between them, his hold on her was too strong and he kept her glued to his body.
The friction between them as he moved to the music made her nauseous.
Then his breath was hot and heavy in her ear.
“Sometimes I think about you and me. Remember when we used to be friends? I often wonder what could’ve been if only things had gone a little differently.
” His voice was soft and soothing, but it had the opposite effect on her nerves.
Her skin crawled. There was no sincerity in his words.
While Zeke had made her feel selfish and entitled, Trevor made her feel used and objectified.
“You mean if you hadn’t treated me like a steppingstone to power and prestige? We’ll never know, Trevor. You’re still doing the same thing today.”
He chuckled, and she felt the rumble of his chest against hers.
She hated every second of this dance…this game she was forced to endure.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Grace.
” His words were like molasses, smothering her and making it impossible to breathe.
“I’m simply a man who’s head over heels for you. ”
He hit her with a crooked grin, and she could no longer contain her disgust. She pushed against his chest with more force, and this time he didn’t stop her. Taking a few steps back, his grin slowly began to fade. His eyes locked on something—someone—behind her.
She knew without looking who had come to her rescue. Her anger and tension eased as she turned to find Eli standing tall, only a foot behind her.
His eyes flicked to her for a brief moment, long enough for her to nod and give him a small smile. Once he was satisfied that she was okay, his hard glare returned to Trevor.
“Your turn is up.” His voice was low and threatening. It made the tiny hairs on Grace’s neck stand on end…and her thighs clench. The confidence he exuded made her feel safe and secure. She took a few steps to stand by his side, gripping his forearm.
Trevor raised his hands in surrender, but the cocky grin on his face said he wasn’t finished tormenting them.
Maybe he never would be. It was hard to imagine him giving up, even if he lost the Rite.
The words her mother had spoken once before echoed in her ear.
That Eli shouldn’t have entered the Rite.
The rebels wouldn’t stand for it; he wasn’t one of them.
Grace had thought she was overreacting, but maybe her mother had been right.
What road to destruction had she led them down?
What other choice did she have, though? Eli wasn’t just an option. He was her one and only.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly, wrapping his arms around her.
She sank into the warmth of his embrace and let out a heavy sigh. Then she pressed her cheek against his chest and listened to the rhythm of his heart, steady and strong. “I am now.”
There was a brief pause in the music before the next song began to play.
“I’ve been going out of my mind watching you dance with other men,” Eli confessed. He planted a soft kiss on her temple before letting his chin rest on the top of her head.
“I’ve only danced with two,” she said, smiling against his chest.
“And that was two too many.”
Leaning away, she tilted her head back so she could see his face. “My mother won’t be happy if I don’t dance with the rest of the suitors.”
His jaw tensed and his throat bobbed as he swallowed. “I’ll survive your mother’s wrath, because your next dance is mine. And the one after that. And the one after that. For the rest of our lives, every single song, every touch, every smile and laugh, every kiss is mine.”