Chapter 7
Penny looked back at the silent crowd and immediately blushed.
Then the spell broke.
The ballroom surged toward her.
Unknown words flew from every direction.
Hands reached for hers.
Nobles bowed.
Several flowers stared openly.
One vampire seized her hand and kissed her knuckles so enthusiastically that she was fairly certain he got more saliva on them than affection.
Another fell to his knees and launched into what sounded suspiciously like a love poem by the cadence.
Penny understood none of it.
She smiled nervously and wished very badly for a magic petal.
Or a ride away on the back of the sea dragon to get away from all the attention.
The vampire on his knees jumped back as couples quickly withdrew, making a path to her.
Because the king was coming.
The conversation died immediately.
He stepped in front of her, and the attention of the room shifted with him as naturally as flowers turning toward the sun.
He gently slid his hand along her cheek to her lips.
The tender touch was so soft it sent a shiver down her spine.
She looked up into his dark, ancient eyes, smiling shyly.
The smile he gave her was so warm it almost made her forget where she was.
His fingers drifted briefly to the crimson ribbon at her throat.
Something she still did not understand, but his fingertips brushed it as if it were special.
Like she was special.
The king spoke.
Immediately, her soldier appeared beside her.
A few words passed between them.
The king glanced pointedly toward Penny's untouched plate.
The soldier followed his gaze.
Understanding flickered across his face.
The king touched her lips one final time with a soft, satisfied smile.
Then, with a small nod to the soldier, he returned to the throne.
Penny watched him go.
The moment he reached the dais, the crowd descended again.
Apparently, surviving one king did not save her from the rest of the kingdom.
By the time the soldier guided her back to the table, chairs were already being dragged toward them.
A table meant for two quickly became a table for many.
Everyone seemed determined to speak to her.
Penny smiled helplessly and shook her head over and over.
The words washed over her like ocean waves.
Meaningless.
The soldier eventually waved several of them away and picked up one of the strange fruits from her overflowing plate.
With exaggerated patience, he showed her how to peel it.
The crowd watched as though witnessing some grand lesson.
Penny bit into it.
Sweetness exploded across her tongue.
Several people cheered.
She nearly choked.
The next fruit proved tart enough to make her eyes water.
That earned laughter.
Another tasted pleasant at first before a bitter aftertaste hit.
Penny's face scrunched immediately.
The table erupted.
Even the young officer laughed into his wine.
Soon people began arriving with offerings.
A noblewoman deposited a plate of tiny cakes beside her elbow.
Another vampire brought roasted vegetables glazed in herbs and butter.
Someone appeared with slices of cheese tucked into a warm roll.
The sight nearly broke her heart.
For one fleeting moment, it looked like something that might have been served at home.
Penny lowered her eyes quickly.
The sudden sting behind them caught her by surprise.
More food arrived.
Honey-soaked pastries filled with nuts.
Sweet berries.
Warm bread.
Candied fruit.
The table filled faster than she could eat.
Then someone arrived carrying a platter of roasted meat.
The soldier's hand landed on the edge of the plate.
The offering never reached the table.
A few quiet words passed between them.
The platter disappeared.
Later, another admirer attempted the same thing.
Again, the soldier stopped it.
By the third attempt, no explanation was needed.
Word spread quickly through the gathering.
No meat for the king's little songbird.
The realization seemed to delight everyone.
When one vampire knelt and offered her a small piece of cake, Penny was so full she could only shake her head.
She had no words to explain that one more bite would likely make her ill.
Thankfully, the soldier intervened.
A few quiet words sent the disappointed admirer away.
Then he stood and offered her his hand.
With a tilt of his head, he pointed toward the dance floor where couples moved beneath crystal chandeliers to the music and the distant sound of the sea.
Relief washed through her.
The entire evening had been overwhelming.
Too many strangers. Too much attention.
Being in the soldier's arms again sounded like heaven.
She placed her hand in his.
The crowd followed as they crossed the ballroom.
Like curious birds trailing after a crumb.
But one by one, they drifted away toward their own partners.
By the time they reached the dance floor, only the soldier remained.
He lifted her effortlessly and settled her back onto the tops of his polished boots.
The familiar position made her smile.
His mouth lowered as he tucked a strand of sunshine-colored hair behind her ear.
Then he whispered something she didn't understand.
Penny shook her head apologetically.
The soldier laughed softly.
Then gently turned her face toward the thrones.
The king was watching.
Smiling.
Watching her stand on his commander's boots as though it were the most wonderful thing he had seen all evening.
Heat flooded Penny's cheeks.
Immediately, she hid her face against the soldier's chest.
The laughter in his eyes deepened.
Then the music began.
The soldier guided them into the flowing patterns of the dance.
Around them, couples drifted across the ballroom beneath crystal chandeliers and candlelight.
Penny should have watched the room.
Instead, she found herself watching him.
The way he guided her around other dancers without ever looking at his feet.
The way he quietly moved between her and anyone who crowded too close.
The way he always seemed to know when she was frightened.
The music carried them through another turn.
Penny laughed softly as the movement sent her skirts spinning.
The soldier smiled down at her.
The expression warmed his entire face.
For one reckless moment, she forgot she was standing in a ballroom full of vampires.
Forgot the ribbon. Forgot the cages. Forgot the queen.
Forgot the king watching from his throne.
She only remembered it when the dance carried them through another turn.
And she caught sight of him.
The king had not moved.
Not once.
He sat exactly where she had left him.
As though simply seeing her happy was enough.
Guilt twisted unexpectedly inside her chest.
Penny looked away.
Back to the soldier.
Back to safety.
And without realizing it, she stepped a little closer to him.
The music carried them through another turn.
Penny laughed softly as her skirts spun around her.
For a moment, she forgot herself.
Then movement near the dais caught her eye.
The queen was leaving.
She simply rose from her throne and walked from the ballroom.
One pale hand rested lightly on the shoulder of a beautifully crafted, young male flower.
He followed obediently.
At first Penny thought nothing of it.
Flowers had left the ballroom all evening.
Vampires left with them.
The velvet curtains swallowed couples constantly.
Yet something made her look twice.
Perhaps it was the way the boy's shoulders were held.
Perhaps it was the way the queen never once looked back.
Or perhaps it was because she remembered the blood on the queen's lips.
The dance carried Penny around again.
This time, the boy glanced over his shoulder.
Their eyes met.
And Penny's breath caught.
Not shyness.
Not uncertainty.
Raw and unmistakable.
Fear.
The expression vanished almost immediately.
The boy lowered his gaze.
The queen's fingers tightened lightly against the back of his neck.
Guiding him forward.
The soldier saw it too.
Penny felt his hand tighten slightly at her waist.
The sort of reaction a man made when there was absolutely nothing he could do.
The queen disappeared through the ballroom doors.
The flower followed.
No one stopped them.
Across the room, the king still watched Penny dance.
Smiling.
Unaware.