I was very uncomfortable now.
I only wanted the music to end so I could escape this dance.
"You must forgive my curiosity," he said smoothly. "But when a lady captures the attention of an entire hall, a gentleman naturally wishes to know more about her."
My eyes flicked briefly across the hall.
And that was when they met the king's.
No… not exactly. His gaze was not on me.
It was on the man.
A terrifying and deadly look sat upon his face as he stared down at him, as though he might skin him alive where he stood.
A small chill ran through me as I felt blood rushed to my neck.
What was with that reaction? Did he notice the man's behavior?
Even if he had… why would he react so strongly?
It was not as though I were his wife. Or his sister.
The man dancing with me seemed entirely unaware of the danger that now loomed over him. For a moment, I almost felt pity for him.
I cleared my throat, pulling his attention back to me.
"I need to excuse myself," I said.
He nodded and released me. But not before leaning closer and placing a soft kiss against my neck. Right where the mark rested. "You can call me lord Edward."
I stiffened instantly.
I did not know why that single touch felt so deeply wrong.
Of course, it was improper for a man to behave this way with a maiden he barely knew.
But this… This felt far worse. As though he had touched something that did not belong to him.
Few moments later…
The door closed behind me with a soft click, shutting out the distant music and murmurs of the banquet hall. For the first time since entering that dreadful dance, the air around me felt still.
I moved quickly to the bed and tore a small strip from the edge of the bedsheet before hurrying into the bathing chamber. The pool like tub still held cool water, and I dipped the cloth into it, soaking it thoroughly. Water dripped from the fabric as I rushed back into the room.
I stopped in front of the tall mirror. My reflection stared back at me… my cheeks still flushed, my breathing uneven beneath the tight bodice of the gown.
Without hesitation, I reached up and pulled the collar of my dress aside, exposing the place just beneath my neck.
The mark. And the place where that man's lips had touched.
I pressed the damp cloth firmly against my skin and rubbed the spot as though I could wipe the memory of it his lips away.
The cool water soaked into my skin, but still I continued.
I did not understand why I was reacting this way.
It had been nothing more than a kiss. Improper, yes… but hardly the most scandalous thing that could happen in a ballroom.
Yet the moment his lips touched that place, something inside me had twisted uncomfortably. As though something sacred had been disturbed.
I rubbed the spot again, more firmly this time, until the skin began to redden beneath the cloth.
"Why am I acting like this…?" I whispered quietly to my reflection.
My fingers tightened around the damp cloth. Perhaps it was simply the strangeness of the night.
The overwhelming crowd. The king's terrifying gaze.
The memory of those red eyes from my dreams.
Or perhaps…
My gaze drifted once more to the faint mark resting against my skin. A strange unease settled in my chest.
Because deep down, it had not felt like a simple kiss.
It had felt wrong.
Wrong in a way I could not explain.
I walked slowly to the bed and lay onto it, the mattress dipping softly beneath my weight.
Even then, my fingers still moved over that spot on my neck, the damp cloth gliding again and again across the skin as though I feared the trace of him still lingered there.
I shut my eyes. "If you are him… please do not make me yearn for you more than I already do," I whispered softly, my voice trembling in the quiet chamber.
Tears slipped silently from the corners of my eyes and soaked into the pillow beneath my head.
"Please… my gentle heart cannot endure such torment, my terror." The words faded into the stillness of the room.
Slowly, exhaustion pulled at my limbs, wrapping around me like a warm fog. My breathing grew softer, steadier, until the world drifted away.
And then…
There he was. Standing inside my chamber as though he had always belonged there. Just as he always appeared in my dreams.
He leaned against the far wall with his arms crossed loosely over his chest. But tonight was different.
His eyes were blazing. Those crimson eyes burned with an intensity I had never seen before, like embers stirred by a sudden wind.
My heart lurched in my chest. Without thinking, I pushed myself from the bed and hurried toward him, my bare feet barely making a sound against the floor.
And then I did something I had never done before.
I threw myself into his arms.
My hands clutched the front of his shirt as my face pressed against his chest, and the sob that broke free from my throat surprised even me.
Tears came quickly, hot and unstoppable.
For a moment he did not move.
His body stiffened slightly, as though the sudden closeness had caught him off guard.
Then, slowly, almost hesitantly, his arms lifted.
One settled firmly around my back, pulling me closer, while the other rose to cradle the back of my head.
His touch was warm and gentle. Real. Too real for a dream.
"What happened?" he asked quietly. His voice was low and rough, carrying a dangerous softness beneath it.
I shook my head against his chest, my fingers tightening in the fabric of his clothes. "I do not know," I whispered brokenly. "Everything feels wrong tonight."
He stroked my hair with a surprisingly gentle touch, a stark contrast to the fierce aura that seemed to cling to him like smoke. "He has… already settled his debt," he said quietly, his voice low, almost a whisper.
I furrowed my brows, lifting my head slightly to meet his eyes. "What do you mean?" I asked cautiously, my voice trembling.
He allowed a small, enigmatic smile to tug at the corner of his lips. Although I could not see it,but the sudden thinness of his eyes gave him away.
He did not respond, Instead, he tilted his head, his crimson gaze locking on mine with an intensity that made my heart skip.
"You'll see… in due time," he finally murmured, his tone carrying a weight I could not quite place. "All will be revealed soon enough."
I swallowed hard, the words only deepening the knot of unease, and curiosity, that coiled in my chest.
I rested my head back on his chest as my hands played with his clothes. We stood there in silence for a while, and in that moment, I felt a fleeting sense of peace.
I raised my head as if I could see his face, even though his eyes were the only part of him I truly knew. "Can I see you?" I murmured, staring into those deep, burning eyes.
He remained silent for what felt like forever…
"You will, not just now," he said at last, burying his face in my neck. Heat rushed through me. Why did it feel like he was using this to distract me from wanting to see him? I did not care at that moment, because his tongue was doing unholy things to my neck, making my body grow wild with need.
I leaned into him, tilting my neck to give him better access. My hands tangled in his soft, silky hair, and a foreign sound escaped my lips before I could stop it.
He paused suddenly, breathing heavy. "You should sleep," he whispered with a husky voice before disappearing into thin air.
I stared at the empty space where he had just been, stunned and unsatisfied.
My eyes opened softly to the familiar scent of my chamber. I sat up on the bed and realized, with a start, that I had slept in my gown.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and a guard spoke from outside. "May I come in, my lady?"
"Yes… come in," I replied, my voice tight with unease.
The door creaked open, and he stepped inside, carrying a large, ominous-looking box.
My brows furrowed, eyes narrowing at the box, then at him.
"I was instructed to deliver this to you," the guard said, his tone cautious.
I slid off the bed, standing stiffly. "By whom?"
Who in this palace would send me something? I knew no one here… no one.
"I… have no knowledge, my lady," he admitted.
I frowned, but curiosity gnawed at me relentlessly. If someone sent this, I needed to see.
"Drop it," I said, my voice firmer than I felt.
The box thudded onto the floor with a weight that made my heart hitch. The guard bowed quickly and retreated, his footsteps echoing down the hall.
My hands shook as I bent down to lift the lid.
A pure horrific scream tore from my throat, involuntarily the moment my eyes fell on the horror inside.
Edward.
The man I had danced with at the ball. His head, severed, rested in a pool of dark, glistening blood.