Chapter Eight #2
Oh.
I peered at her, noting the blush that was spreading across her face. “Why don’t you go and speak to him if you like him so much?”
“Oh, I—I can’t.” Her fingers twitched against my arm. “I’m much too shy.”
“Does Lady Sasha know?”
“No! I don’t know how to tell her.”
“Tell me what?” Lady Sasha’s head appeared between ours like she was a meerkat.
“That you have a crush on her brother, Lady Georgina?” Vivi appeared at my side with Lady Blair.
“We all know,” the latter added.
Hee hee.
Lady Georgina gasped, jerking away from us. “How—how do you—”
“You’re not very discreet about it,” Lady Sasha said, tapping her fan against her lips. “Shall I put you out of your misery and go and suggest he ask you to dance?”
“You ca—can’t!”
“Excellent idea,” I chimed in. “As his sister, you can remind him this is a perfect place to make connections with eligible young ladies, and Lady Georgina is perhaps the most eligible of us all.”
Vivi nodded. “We have such limited time as noblewomen to make a love match that we must grab it wholeheartedly, Georgina!”
“With panache,” Lady Blair added. “Use me, if you must. Lord Varshil is quite handsome and talented with the sword. If I must wear this ridiculous dress and dance, I’d rather dance with a handsome man who can swing a blade correctly.”
My sentiments exactly.
Although I was beginning to see the charm in a pretty ballgown.
I’d been a very big princess fan when I was a child in my past life.
Now I could sort of act like one.
“Although,” Lady Blair said, peering over at the elevated area where the Imperial Royals were sitting. “I do like a bad boy.”
“I hope you’re not looking at the Crown Prince when you say that.” Vivi giggled. “Gosh, isn’t it strange when you look at them? The Grand Duke barely looks like a part of the family at all.”
“There you are.” My father’s voice interrupted me right as I was about to look over there. “Where have you been, Alicia? You must greet His Majesty.”
“Oh, sorry, Father. I needed some fresh air.” I took the hand he offered me and glanced at the ladies. “I’ll be back soon.”
Father swept me across the ballroom without looking back. “It’s good that you’ve made friends with those ladies. Did I see you speaking with Lord Ezra earlier?”
“I was on the terrace when he stepped out for some air,” I replied as we joined the line waiting to greet the Imperial Family.
“What do you think of him?”
Ah-ha. I was right—Father did consider him an option for me.
“He made quite the impression,” I said vaguely. “He said he will visit me later this week at the house.”
Father nodded slowly. “It would be an advantageous match to connect the Vermillion and Alansia families together by marriage. Your mother’s family would also approve such a match.”
I peered up at him. There were very few memories left behind from the original owner of this body of times where he’d spoken about his first wife and her…
er, my… mother. All I knew about her was that she was the first daughter of the late Duke Lovett, a house once famed for its ability to wield great divine power, something that had linked them closely to the temple for generations.
“Do you think so?” I asked. “Lord Leon Trelawney also asked me for a dance earlier.”
“Another good option. Very well. If you’re agreeable to it, I could seek an audience with both dukes and see if they would be amenable to discussing a possible engagement for you.”
I glanced forwards and once again found my gaze trapped in a vibrant purple sea of coolness that, when next to the rest of his family, seemed different.
Gold.
It was almost as if there was a ring of gold around Kalon’s irises, one that flecked dreamily into the purple.
Why were his eyes so different? Why was he so magnetising? What was it about him that enraptured me so?
Was it simply because I knew this man would be the reason for my death unless I did something about it?
People were inclined towards things that were bad for them.
I dragged my gaze away from him to focus on the rest of the Imperial Family.
Emperor Cassius III was the root of Kalon’s good looks, even if his were peppered with age like his silvery-grey hair. There was still no denying the similarities between them—almost as if the Emperor had copy-pasted himself onto his son.
The second Empress, Eudocia, sat next to him. Her blonde hair was pulled into an elaborate updo that held her small tiara in place, and her extravagant red dress adorned with gold showed that her status was heads and shoulders above everyone else.
Then there was Crown Prince Torin.
He was tall with the Imperial Family’s electric purple eyes like Kalon, but that was where their similarity as brothers ended.
Where Kalon’s hair was jet black, Torin’s was a deep blonde like the locks of the Empress.
His attire wasn’t too dissimilar to Kalon’s, except Torin wore white and gold, and his cape was a rich scarlet that matched the one the emperor wore.
Vivi was right.
Grand Duke Kalon Stein didn’t look like he belonged here at all.
I had no doubt that was intentional. The rift between Kalon and his family, especially his stepmother, was no secret.
After all, the title of Crown Prince was his from birth, until Empress Eudocia gained so much backing for Torin while Kalon was at war that the Emperor had no choice but to change his heir due to political pressure.
Even now, the situation was tense, with most of the nobles split into two opposing factions based on who they supported as the rightful heir to the throne.
“Perhaps we should discuss this further at home, Father,” I said as the nobles in front of us finished their conversation.
“You’re correct,” he said, stepping up. “Your Majesties, Your Highnesses. It’s an honour to greet you again with my daughter, Lady Alicia Vermillion.”
I pinched my skirt in my hand and matched my deep curtsey to Father’s bow. “Your Majesties, Your Highnesses. I apologise for being late in greeting you and seek your forgiveness for my rudeness.”
“Please, stand straight,” Emperor Cassius III said. “Marquess Vermillion said you were still recovering from your accident and taking a rest, so do not worry yourself.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. That’s very gracious of you.”
Empress Eudocia smiled at me with bright blue eyes. “How are you recovering, Lady Alicia? I understand you had quite the nasty fall.”
“I’m still quick to tire and suffer with headaches on occasion, but it’s getting easier every day. Thankfully, I have no lasting injuries and will fully recover with some time. I appreciate your concern, Your Majesty.” I smiled back at her.
She inclined her head. “Please, do let one of the servants know if you need to rest and they will take you to a private room.”
“That’s very kind of you.”
“Perhaps if you’re feeling up to it later, you might dance with my son.” She held her hand out towards Crown Prince Torin, who hadn’t taken his eyes off me since I’d stepped up.
He bowed to me. “It would be an honour, Lady Alicia.”
“The honour would be mine, Your Highness.”
The Emperor clapped his hands together. “Wonderful. We won’t keep you any longer, Marquess Vermillion. Please enjoy the ball, Lady Alicia, and make sure you rest well.”
I curtseyed again. “May the empire shine brightly under your wise rule, Your Majesty.”
Father bowed and repeated the same words before guiding me away. “Shall I add the Crown Prince to your list of suitors, Alicia?”
“Please don’t,” I replied quickly and quietly. “I have no aspirations of becoming Empress.”
He chuckled. “He seemed quite taken with you.”
“I’m sure he was just being polite. I will try to leave before he has a chance to ask me to dance.”
“You really should dance with him. The Empress herself brought it up.”
“No, thank you. I have no desire to give Mother something else to shout at me about.” I clapped my hand over my mouth. “Whoops.”
Father eyed me for a moment, then sighed.
“Do not think that I’m unaware of her aspirations for Sophia’s marriage.
” He leant in close to me. “However, between you and I, I’m familiar with the list of potential Crown Princesses that His Majesty is working on, and there is only one Vermillion daughter under consideration. ”
I swallowed. “If it’s me, tell him he’s spelt my name wrong.”
Father laughed in a way I’d never heard before—in either set of memories I possessed.
“If you’re truly uninterested in the position, I will do my best to steer him in another direction.
It’s not my first choice for you either, especially if you don’t desire it.
I can’t promise anything, though. Your bloodline is…
Well. Desirable to the Imperial Family, shall we say. ”
“I understand. Thank you, Father.”
He raised my hand and kissed it.
My glove was going to wear out at this rate.
“I believe Lord Leon is heading this way. Perhaps he wishes to have that dance he mentioned to you earlier.”
I looked up to see him approaching us through the crowd of people. “Do you approve of me getting closer to him?”
Father nodded. “I do.”
Lord Leon reached us and bowed his head. “Marquess Vermillion, I apologise if I’m interrupting your conversation.”
“Not at all,” Father said, raising his hand. “We just finished greeting Their Majesties and were about to part.”
He bobbed his head and turned to me. “In that case, Lady Alicia, may I—”
“Excuse me for interrupting, Marquess Vermillion.”
A new voice.
One I’d never heard before, yet one I seemed to know all the same.
“Your Highness,” Father said, bowing his head. “To what do we owe the honour?”
I turned at Father’s words as my heart did its stupid little thump thump thump again and my skin prickled.
Purple eyes.
Of course. Of course, it was him.
Perhaps there were parts of my fate that I couldn’t escape after all.