Sal left, and Alex put one hand on my waist, took my hand in his, and led me into the next dance.
“Where have you been?” I hadn’t meant the words to sound accusatory, but they did.
Alex raised a dark brow, looking a little startled by my outburst. “Where I always am: keeping both eyes on you, and that seems to require a lot of energy these days.” His gaze trailed after Sal, who had already found another morsel to snack on in the form of one of Alex’s groupies.
“You said he’s a thane?” I asked.
Alex nodded, his gaze drifting back to mine. “He governs the land on the western shores. He is Mercedes’ nephew. He will be furious with me for cutting in like this, but I couldn’t help it. He looked like he was about to eat you alive.”
“How do you know I wasn’t about to eat him alive?” I teased. I tried pulling Alex closer, but he firmly held me back at an appropriate distance.
“Careful, your grace,” he said, eyes locked on mine.
He was setting the precedence for our conversation tonight. He was holding up barriers and urging me to stand behind them. He was reminding me that I was a princess and he was my guard, and that I had better act that way.
A new piece started, much slower than the others, and the melody had a kind of lilting and heartbreaking quality to it. I tried not to take it as any kind of symbolism. Still, the dancing slowed and couples moved closer. Even Alex pulled me close, sliding one arm around my waist, and I was distinctly aware of the warmth soaking through the fabric of his sleeve and onto my bare lower back.
“How are you feeling?” Alex asked. His expression was carefully stoic, but his eyes were layered in concern.
“Well, if you must know, I feel a little bit like a pinwheel. Much more twirling and I might just twirl myself right off the edge of this balcony.”
Alex grinned. “We don’t have to dance. I could escort you back to—”
“No.” I held him tighter, gazing defiantly into his eyes. “I missed my turn last time, and I’ve regretted it ever since. But I am a little surprised you’re allowing this…?”
“Allowing what, exactly, your grace?” Even behind his walls of formality, he made the words your grace sound like an expression of intimacy only lovers used.
“Us dancing together.”
“Ah.” He was so controlled and elegant. “I didn’t see any harm in it, considering I’m your Aegis and that you’ve already had your fair share of attention this evening.” There was a glint in his eyes that made me certain he’d heard Sal’s proposition.
“And I see that you’ve had yours.” I glanced askance at the group of girls watching us, clearly unhappy that I’d stolen their shiny new toy.
Alex followed my gaze then whispered, “It’s nice seeing you jealous.”
I let out something of a snort. “Well, I could just put an end to it by ordering you to dance with me the rest of the evening. I’m not so sure I want to share you.” I tried to move in a little closer, but Alex’s grip firmly held me back again.
“I’m sorry, your grace,” he said, his eyes glittering like emeralds, “but I would have to politely refuse those orders.”
“Allowing what, exactly, your grace?” Even behind his walls of formality, he made the words your grace sound like an expression of intimacy only lovers used.
“Us dancing together.”
“Ah.” He was so controlled and elegant. “I didn’t see any harm in it, considering I’m your Aegis and that you’ve already had your fair share of attention this evening.” There was a glint in his eyes that made me certain he’d heard Sal’s proposition.
“And I see that you’ve had yours.” I glanced askance at the group of girls watching us, clearly unhappy that I’d stolen their shiny new toy.
Alex followed my gaze then whispered, “It’s nice seeing you jealous.”
I let out something of a snort. “Well, I could just put an end to it by ordering you to dance with me the rest of the evening. I’m not so sure I want to share you.” I tried to move in a little closer, but Alex’s grip firmly held me back again.
“I’m sorry, your grace,” he said, his eyes glittering like emeralds, “but I would have to politely refuse those orders.”
“Us dancing together.”
“Ah.” He was so controlled and elegant. “I didn’t see any harm in it, considering I’m your Aegis and that you’ve already had your fair share of attention this evening.” There was a glint in his eyes that made me certain he’d heard Sal’s proposition.
“And I see that you’ve had yours.” I glanced askance at the group of girls watching us, clearly unhappy that I’d stolen their shiny new toy.
Alex followed my gaze then whispered, “It’s nice seeing you jealous.”
I let out something of a snort. “Well, I could just put an end to it by ordering you to dance with me the rest of the evening. I’m not so sure I want to share you.” I tried to move in a little closer, but Alex’s grip firmly held me back again.
“I’m sorry, your grace,” he said, his eyes glittering like emeralds, “but I would have to politely refuse those orders.”
“Ah.” He was so controlled and elegant. “I didn’t see any harm in it, considering I’m your Aegis and that you’ve already had your fair share of attention this evening.” There was a glint in his eyes that made me certain he’d heard Sal’s proposition.
“And I see that you’ve had yours.” I glanced askance at the group of girls watching us, clearly unhappy that I’d stolen their shiny new toy.
Alex followed my gaze then whispered, “It’s nice seeing you jealous.”
I let out something of a snort. “Well, I could just put an end to it by ordering you to dance with me the rest of the evening. I’m not so sure I want to share you.” I tried to move in a little closer, but Alex’s grip firmly held me back again.
“I’m sorry, your grace,” he said, his eyes glittering like emeralds, “but I would have to politely refuse those orders.”
“And I see that you’ve had yours.” I glanced askance at the group of girls watching us, clearly unhappy that I’d stolen their shiny new toy.
Alex followed my gaze then whispered, “It’s nice seeing you jealous.”
I let out something of a snort. “Well, I could just put an end to it by ordering you to dance with me the rest of the evening. I’m not so sure I want to share you.” I tried to move in a little closer, but Alex’s grip firmly held me back again.
“I’m sorry, your grace,” he said, his eyes glittering like emeralds, “but I would have to politely refuse those orders.”
Alex followed my gaze then whispered, “It’s nice seeing you jealous.”
I let out something of a snort. “Well, I could just put an end to it by ordering you to dance with me the rest of the evening. I’m not so sure I want to share you.” I tried to move in a little closer, but Alex’s grip firmly held me back again.
“I’m sorry, your grace,” he said, his eyes glittering like emeralds, “but I would have to politely refuse those orders.”
I let out something of a snort. “Well, I could just put an end to it by ordering you to dance with me the rest of the evening. I’m not so sure I want to share you.” I tried to move in a little closer, but Alex’s grip firmly held me back again.
“I’m sorry, your grace,” he said, his eyes glittering like emeralds, “but I would have to politely refuse those orders.”
“I’m sorry, your grace,” he said, his eyes glittering like emeralds, “but I would have to politely refuse those orders.”