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She did not say much, but it made his heart flutter a little to see how her gaze softened when she met his. He felt the sweetness of his own smile, so unlike his fierce pride of only a few minutes earlier.

Too soon, the dance was over, and Lord Ralph was there, tall and handsome and politely infuriating. He shot Kaerius a dark look before turning back to Marin with a smile.

“Your Highness, might I have this dance?”

“I would like to rest a moment,” Marin said apologetically.

Kaerius turned away for a moment and accepted a flute of sparkling wine from a passing servant. He presented it to Marinwith a smile and raised an eyebrow at the foreign lord’s irritated sniff. He reached across to take the princess’s opposite hand and bowed over it, then gently tugged her toward one of the many couches lining the walls. This maneuver had the delightful benefit of allowing him to neatly shoulder his way between Marin and Lord Ralph, and the larger man nearly growled under his breath as he realized how deftly he had been put off.

Marin sank into the couch as if she really were tired, and Kaerius was reminded of how painful his own new feet were. Did everyone’s toes and heels feel like they had been rubbed raw? No one else seemed to be in pain, so he kept his expression serene.

“Thank you.” Marin smiled up at him, and he knelt beside her, having been informed by Brighton earlier that he was not to sit while the princess was present. After she departed for the evening, the guests were permitted to rest upon the couches.

I am delighted to serve as your protection from arrogant foreign lords. Kaerius beamed at her.How may I delight you, Your Highness?

“I think I will rest a few moments,” said Marin quietly. “Lord Ralph is coming.”

Kaerius remained kneeling as the Boravian lord approached and merely looked up at the taller man with a gleeful hostility in his eyes.

“Your pardon, Your Highness,” Ralph said, ignoring the strange, silent prince for the moment. “I did not mean to press you when you were fatigued.”

“Thank you for your thoughtfulness.” Marin smiled up at him. “I confess that I have heard some concerning rumors about Boravia. But you seem considerate and kind. Is that what I can expect from an alliance with Boravia? Kindness and consideration? I am sure you understand I must do what is right not only for my own heart, but for my people.” She said this inthe most hopeful, pleasant voice possible, as if she wanted to believe the best of Ralph and his country.

“You would be treated with the highest respect,” the lord said smoothly. “My own position is next to that of the king, and Boravia has long desired a closer relationship with Eleria.”

The princess said, “I know you have long desired Eleria’s ports.”

Lord Ralph’s jaw tightened. “Of course, there are benefits to Boravia from an alliance. Surely you are not so naive as to imagine someone of my status would pursue an Elerian bride on a personal whim.”

“Of course not,” Marin murmured.

“That is not to say I find no pleasure in the pursuit,” said Lord Ralph, with a tight smile. “I find your little palace rather charming, in its own roughhewn way, and as for Your Highness, well, I find I quite agree with your own people that you are the Jewel of the North. You are even more beautiful than I had hoped.”

Kaerius snarled to himself and clicked his teeth in disgust. The Boravian lord shot him a sharp look and raised his chin.

“Thank you,” the princess said quietly.

When the music shifted to another song, Lord Ralph said, “I do hope you are not indisposed, Your Highness. I was hoping to dance with you twice more before you retired for the evening.”

Kaerius stood at this.Give her time to think, you insolent guppy.

“Remove yourself,” growled the Boravian lord. “You are not part of this conversation.”

The prince’s nostrils flared with the effort of keeping his temper under control.Remove your worthless carcass from the princess’s sight before I throw you off the cliff to the sharks, he signed furiously. The specifics of this threat were lost on the humans, but the anger in his motions was not.

“Prince Kai,” said the princess. She stood and put a hand on his arm, and he stilled his hands. “Lord Ralph, I think we must continue our discussion tomorrow. Tonight is for dancing. I hope you enjoy the music.”

He put out a hand to her. “Will you honor me with this dance?”

“I really shouldn’t,” she said, as warmly as she could. “I would not want to give you a false impression of the state of our negotiations.”

“And if I promise not to presume too much?” He took her hand and began to draw her forward.

She tried to pull away, and he tightened his grip for a moment, then let her go.

“I would hate to give you a false impression of the same,” he said in a low voice. “I will not be put off by other suitors with far less to offer than the might of Boravia. I can make you happy, Your Highness.”

Marin looked up at him from under her dark lashes. “Thank you for your compliments, Lord Ralph. Good evening.”