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As the night went on, more women filled the dance floor. But each one left him more frustrated and annoyed. He found flaws in all of them. Some of them were deserving of his harsh judgments. Especially the ones who acted spoiled and entitled. But there were a few friendly ones who remembered their manners and danced with grace. But even the meek, quiet ones had Tristan wishing he could retreat back to his chambers alone.

He thought up all kinds of unreasonable objections. One was too short, another too tall. Some hair was too curly, others too smooth. A few had beautiful blonde braids, but they smelled of spice instead of flowers.

None of that should have mattered, but it did. And if he was being honest with himself, he knew who he was searching for.

Tristan stopped by the drinks table and gulped down an entire goblet of wine. Unsure of whether it had been the drink or not, he had a moment of clarity. None of those women would do because none of them wereher.

Gritting his teeth, he shook himself. To indulge in such thoughts was unproductive. Aurora was not at the ball. She was in the Dreamworld, and even if she had been there, she was still the daughter of his enemy.

His father’s face surfaced in his mind’s eye, accompanied by the all-too-familiar pang of grief. He wondered what his father would do in his position, and the answer came in an instant. He would do his duty. The purpose of that ball was to find a queen for his kingdom—for his people—so Tristan would dance with every single maiden in the room until he found her.

“What a fine piece of gold, Your Royal Highness,” a soft-spoken brunette said as he danced with her. She was extravagant in looks, but to Tristan, she had quickly become just another woman with no distinguishable qualities. “Did someone special gift that to you?”

Tristan followed her gaze to the small golden spinning wheel hanging around his neck. He was still wearing the necklace Aurora had given to him.

Memories of that day flooded his mind, along with a forbidden thought. If he were to use the locket to enter the Dreamworld in that very moment, he would wake up wherever Aurora was.Where would that be?he wondered.What was she up to?Soon, he found himself wondering if it would be possible to slip out of the ballroom and go to her.

But his father’s voice entered his mind, and his stomach knotted.

Your priority is to your kingdom. Nothing else matters.

Tristan forced a polite smile at the woman in his arms. “Yes, my lady. Someone very special indeed.” Then his smile fell.

“I’m sorry, my lord. I didn’t mean to pry…” the woman added, picking up on Tristan’s change in mood.

“No apology necessary,” he said, putting on his regal mask once more.

The intermingled fragrances of the various women dancing around him made the knot in his stomach twist even tighter. Still, they continued to dance, exchanging polite remarks on the music and each other’s footwork while Tristan’s mind spun.

Suddenly, a gut-wrenching realization consumed him. The only way Tristan would be able to find a wife and a queen for his kingdom, was by removing Aurora from his mind completely.

He needed to let her go once and for all.

AURORA

Aurora rode toward the golden tower, its majestic presence growing larger as she closed the distance. But as she crossed the beach, Midnight slowed to a canter. The sound of crashing waves against the shore filled her with a sense of calmness, then a memory rose from within her mind.

Tristan, waist-deep in the ocean, begging her to hear him out. She couldn’t resist the pull to revisit the place where she had once unleashed a lightning bolt to jolt him awake.

She smiled at the memory as the wind whipped through her hair. She looked up at the towering castle, remembering Tristan’s nightmare. His wedding to the sea creature. Thoughts of Tristan danced through her mind, and she wondered if he was enjoying the ball. If he’d already found the future queen.

The thought stirred a bittersweet longing within Aurora, but she pushed it away.

Lost in her thoughts, Aurora found herself guiding Midnight to the castle’s garden, peering through the window into the darkened ballroom. Her imagination ran wild, envisioning the grandeur and elegance of the scene that was most likely playing in the real world. A part of her, the princess she once was, yearned for the chance to dance at a ball, to feel the exhilaration of being swept away in the arms of a prince. But that life seemed like a distant memory, a fantasy she could no longer grasp.

Turning to leave, the tolling of a bell resonated through the air, capturing Aurora’s attention. She gazed around, her eyes searching for the source of the disturbance. A twig snapped behind her, and she spun around to find a figure standing by the garden.

Tristan.

“I thought I would find you at the golden tower, trying to solve the riddle,” he said, stepping out from the shadows, the embodiment of regal charm in his royal attire.

Aurora’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, her cheeks flushing with both surprise and embarrassment. “I... um... I was,” she stammered, struggling to find the right words to explain her unexpected detour. “But... I came here... to... well, it’s silly, really.”

Tristan’s eyes sparkled. “Try me,” he urged.

Aurora hesitated. “I've always wanted to attend a ball. So, I came here to see if I could... at least imagine one. But I guess it didn't work.”

Tristan’s warm smile melted her reservations. “Perhaps I can try,” he offered, stretching out his hand to her.