The Eternal Claim E-Book

Leigh Walker

• Herausgeber: 8th Note Press
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Serie: Kingdom of Eternal Night
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 258

Beschreibung

 I have given you my trust, my heart...I have never given it to anyone else, not in a thousand years.And yet, you could not trust me with the truth. In this breathtaking finale, Victoria finds herself at the center of a grand ceremony that will shake the very foundations of vampire rule. Trapped between the ties of kinship and a treacherous secret, she must confront hidden motives that jeopardize everything she cherishes.As the demands of the impending wedding consume her, Victoria must navigate the arrival of foreign dignitaries, including the enigmatic Emperor Lucas, whose presence threatens to unravel the mystery of her lineage.Amidst the gathering storm, her sister Isabel warns of a crumbling allegiance while the vampire queen manipulates Victoria into secrecy. Finally, Victoria's confidant, Anthony, pays a steep price for his knowledge, pushing Victoria closer to the edge.As Victoria and Dominic embark on their long-awaited honeymoon, their journey becomes a battle for control. Unbeknownst to them, Isabel and Anthony harbor their own plans that could reshape their world.Meanwhile, Dominic confronts troubles of his own as the queen schemes to exploit the prince and Victoria's union for the sake of human subjugation. But Dominic has sworn to protect his bride...even if it means standing against his own flesh and blood.Book 3 of 3 in the completed Kingdom of Eternal Night trilogy.

Leseprobe

THE ETERNAL CLAIM

KINGDOM OF ETERNAL NIGHT

BOOK THREE

LEIGH WALKER

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Published by 8th Note Press

Text Copyright © 2019 Leigh Walker

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from the publisher.

First Edition published by Leigh Walker in 2019 under the title “The Claim”

New Edition published by 8th Note Press in 2023

Cover Design by Ebook Launch

ISBN (Digital): 978-1-961795-07-5

ISBN (Paperback): 978-1-961795-08-2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Also by Leigh Walker

1. Face-To-Face

2. Fitting

3. Seeing Red

4. The Plunge

5. Face Off

6. Bald Language

7. After-Party

8. Pledge Of Allegiance

9. Family History

10. Trepidation

11. Tick Tock

12. Respite

13. Fortress Around Your Heart

14. Ready For It

15. For Better

16. Transported

17. Into The Woods

18. After

19. Exposed

20. The Mask

21. Frozen

22. Pale In Comparison

23. Family Matters

24. A Worthy Opponent

25. Still

26. Benched

27. Hair Of The Dog

28. Faith

29. The Usurper

30. Silver Lining

Author’s Note

About the Author

ALSO BY LEIGH WALKER

Kingdom of Eternal Night

The Eternal Trade (Book #1)

The Eternal Pact (Book #2)

The Eternal Claim (Book #3)

* * *

Vampire Royals Series

The Pageant (Book #1)

The Gala (Book #2)

The Finale (Book #3)

The North (Book #4)

The Siege (Book #5)

The Realm (Book #6)

The Uprising (Book #7)

The Crown (Book #8)

* * *

The Equinox Pact Series

Awakening (Book #1)

Promised (Book #2)

Faith (Book #3)

* * *

The Division Series

Premonition (Book #1)

Perception (Book #2)

Salvation (Book #3)

1

FACE-TO-FACE

“Victoria, now. We have to go before they come looking for us,” my mother said. It wasn’t just her tone that was urgent. She was also pointing a knife in my direction.

I shook my head. “I told you. I’m not leaving.”

But she stepped closer, the blade winking in the sunlight that was streaming through the castle windows.

“Mom, please. We need to talk for a minute.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. I can’t believe that my daughter—the daughter I hid so carefully all these years and that I’ve given my life to protect—is living here in the kingdom with a bunch of lunatics. And that she’s planning to marry one!”

It was true. I was planning to marry a vampire, Prince Dominic Allard. He was the love of my life. No one was more surprised than I was that, at eighteen, I was eagerly awaiting my wedding to an immortal vampire prince.

My mother wasn’t just surprised by the news—she was enraged by it. When she took another step toward me, I took another step back. She wasn’t the same as the last time I’d seen her. I’d thought that both she and my sister, Isabel, had died in a car accident, but they were alive. They’d traveled through time to the year 3130, which was where—when?—we’d been reunited, because I’d gone through the portal and come through time too.

My sister had put a curse on my mother and the spell had physical side effects. My mother always had honey-colored hair, but it had turned ash white. Her skin was also pale and chalky, a sickly patina I’d never seen before. But her eyes were the worst—instead of their usual blue, they were faded, her irises so pale that they were almost transparent, giving her eyes the overall appearance of being milky.

She came closer, but I refused to flinch. “Dominic’s not a lunatic,” I said.

My mother kept the knife pointed toward me. “He’s a vampire.”

“That doesn’t make him crazy or bad.”

“And what do you know about it?” She laughed, but it was hollow, desperate. “Have you ever been married to a vampire before?

“No, but I know that he’s a good person, Mother.”

“Therein lies the trouble,” she said. “The fact that you think that he’s a person at all.”

I took a deep breath. She was married to a notorious vampire emperor, and though we hadn’t had time to talk about it, it was clear that the union wasn’t a happy one. Keeping my voice gentle, I cocked my head toward her. “I want to explain everything to you.”

“It doesn’t matter what you want. Let’s go,” she said, motioning for me to follow her to the window.

“Mom, we can’t. We’ll never make it out of the grounds alive.”

We were in the seamstress’s chambers. Queen Danica, Dominic’s mother, had brought me there only moments before. I was supposed to have the final fitting for my wedding dress, and instead, my mother had ambushed me. I hoped the seamstress was intact, locked away somewhere. If my mother had done something worse to her, our fates were already sealed.

I eyed the knife again. “Even if we make it onto the grounds,” I said, “the guards will catch us. There’s no point. The queen will never let us go, and I don’t even want to imagine what she’ll do to punish us!”

My mother looked at me sharply. “I don’t care, Victoria. I’d rather die than watch you marry a vampire.”

“Well, I would rather not die, and I’m not interested in losing you again so soon. And I already told you—I want to marry him.” I tried to keep my tone scolding despite the hysteria bubbling inside me. “I know you can’t understand that, but give him a chance.”

“I’m not giving him a chance, Victoria. If we don’t leave now, if we don’t get out of here and away from them, everything I’ve done will have been in vain.” Her milky eyes got watery, and a few tears spilled over. “All those years of hiding. Being separated from you…” She shook her head. “I won’t do it. If you marry him, the queen and the emperor will win. They’ll have the prize they’ve been searching for for all eternity.”

“What prize?” I cried.

“You.” She stepped closer, the knife uncomfortably close to my neck. “You don’t understand your worth. You’ve been bewitched. Your sister thinks I’m deaf and blind, but I know the truth. You’re an intercross, and you’re talented. These creatures don’t love you,” she continued. “Remember that. They aren’t capable of it. They’ll only suck you dry, use you for all you’re worth, and leave your husk to rot.”

“Gee, Mom, tell me how you really feel.”

But my attempt at humor fell flat. She grabbed my hand and dragged me to the window. “It’s time for us to go.” She looked out at the sunny grounds and then up at the bright, cloudless sky. “May the gods keep us.”

She took a poker from next to the fireplace and smashed a wide pane of glass, sending shards spraying across the stone floor. Using the poker, she cleared the jagged edges from the window and shoved me toward it. “Go through,” she said, “then run.”

I crouched, but the door to the chamber opened and slammed shut. My mother swore under her breath.

“Oh please. I should be swearing at you,” Isabel said. She stalked in. “You behave just as badly when you’re cursed, Mother. Next time, I’m taking you straight to the greedles in the moat.”

“You’ve officially gotten too big for your britches, young lady!” My mother stepped toward her, but my sister only scoffed.

“Get up, Tor,” Isabel said. “You’re not going anywhere but to the closet to let the seamstress out.” She frowned at us, her hands on her hips. Though she looked lovely in the pale-yellow dress she’d changed into, her expression was anything but pleased. “Nice try, Mom. But did you really think I was going to let you run away like this? You’d never make it past the garden, and who knows what Queen Danica would do to you then. Let alone your wretch of a husband.”

Mother raised her chin, her crazy-looking eyes filling with hate. “I don’t care what they’d do to me, or to either of you, for that matter! We’d be better off dying with honor. We can’t let it end like this. So go on about your curses and your stupid ever-loving threats about the greedles. Let them have me! I’d rather be drowned than watch my beautiful daughter used as a weapon against my kind. I have values, Isabel. It’s high time you tried to remember yours!”

A knock came at the door, and all three of us stiffened. If it was Queen Danica, it was game over. The best I could hope for was the greedles if she caught us.

“I’m coming in,” someone with a familiar voice said. I almost fainted in relief as my friend Anthony entered the room. His bright-red hair, thick and wavy, contrasted starkly with his pale, pinched-looking face. “What the bloody hell is going on in here? I heard the window smash from outside. D’you all want to be put in the stocks?”

“I’ll take the stocks over having my head on a spike.” Isabel frowned at him. “Who’re you, anyway?”

“I’m Anthony.” He straightened his spine and held out a pale hand to shake. “I’m your sister’s best friend. We met before. Don’t you remember?”

She sniffed then stared at his hand as if it were infected. “You’re a vampire.”

“Um, yes, and you are…very pretty.” He smiled at her, but her expression remained hostile.

Iz flared her nostrils and turned back to Mom. “This vampire is going to take you back to tea while Tori and I clean up the mess you made. She’s going to try on her wedding gown, just as the queen ordered.”

My mother’s face crumpled. “You can’t let her go through with this.”

“Yes, I can, and I will. Nothing can be done. Victoria’s made her choice, and now we will make the best of it. We’ll lie in the bed she’s made for all of us. You’re lucky I’m being so lenient, Mother. This was a terrible risk. Cross me again, and it’s lights out for good.”

“Isabel Elise Edwards! Don’t talk to our mother like that!” I scowled at her, but she bent over and cleaned up the glass, completely ignoring me.

“Come with me, Empress. I’ve got you.” Anthony took my mother’s arm gently and then gave me a WTF look before he led her out, but I didn’t dare say anything in front of my sister, who’d apparently gone completely psycho.

I turned on her as soon as the door closed. “You’ve no right to treat her like that! Or Anthony—he was just trying to help!”

“I’ve only got one thing to say to you: you’re welcome. Now get the seamstress out here so she can do your gown, and do it quickly. I need to put a spell on her.”

I regarded my sister. She was younger than me, but she seemed much older, hardened. “What happened to you?” I asked.

She rolled her eyes. “You mean what hasn’t happened to me? Now stop being such a baby and help. If we don’t get this mess cleaned up and get you in that wedding dress, we’re dead meat. Quite literally.”

* * *

My sister expediently cleaned up the broken glass while I eyed the closet. “How did Mom get the seamstress in there?” I asked.

Isabel sighed. “You’d be surprised by how good she’s gotten at seeming old and pathetic. She’s a crafty one, our mother.”

I opened the door and the seamstress sprung out, looking quite indignant. “Where is the Empress? She locked me inside!”

Isabel frowned. “Never you mind about that. Stand still, please.”

The seamstress scowled, her glasses slipping halfway down her nose. “Pardon me?”

“Don’t say another word,” my sister ordered.

The seamstress, who typically gave her opinions freely, began to object. “The Queen will hear of this! No one speaks to a royal staff member like that without repercussion! I don’t care who your father is!”

But she stopped yelling and put her hands on her head, as if she had a sudden headache. “Gah! What are you doing to me?”

“Getting you to shut your mouth, and forget all about this little incident.” Isabel closed her eyes and reached out toward the vampire. “This won’t hurt a bit.”

I watched, mesmerized, as my sister kept her arm extended. She seemed to concentrate, a small “v” forming in between her eyes. A few moments passed in silence. “You aren’t going to remember anything about what just happened—my mother, the closet, or what I’m doing to you now. And you’ll be quite polite from now on, Vampire. Remember who you are serving: your new Princess.”

Isabel’s eyes snapped open. The seamstress stood there, blinking at us. She no longer seemed upset. Instead, she reached for her tape measure and smiled. “Time to get to work, Lady Victoria! I cannot wait to see you in your dress.”

“How did you do that?” I whispered to my sister.

“The same way you do it.” Isabel tossed her hair. “Although I expect I will never be quite as adept at magic as my big sister. Now then, try on your dress. You’ve got a vampire to marry.”

* * *

The seamstress smoothed my gown and made some final markings, humming to herself, blissfully unaware that she’d been briefly taken hostage and vanished. Isabel didn’t stay long, and she averted her eyes once I’d been zipped into the gown. She couldn’t bear to look at me in my wedding dress.

The seamstress secured the clasp of the beautiful diamond-and-sapphire necklace at the base of my neck. Dominic had given it to me as a wedding gift; it had been in his family for centuries.

She sucked in a deep breath as she positioned me in front of the full-length mirror. “Perfection,” she said as her glasses slipped halfway down her nose. “And you know I don’t say that easily.”

My reflection took my breath away. The necklace sparkled at my throat, and the wedding gown was gorgeous, unlike anything I’d ever seen. I almost didn’t recognize myself. Fit for a princess, it was strapless and had a tightly fitted bodice and a full skirt that was ruffled and flowing. It looked like I was floating on the most exquisite cloud. The train spread out behind me in white billows, reaching halfway across the room. “You did an amazing job. This is magical.”

“I agree,” the seamstress said. She seemed a bit nicer since my sister had vanished her.

Tears sprang to my eyes as I realized that my mother would rather see me dead than in that dress. Yet to me, it represented the possibility of so much happiness.

“We should get you back to your guests, my lady. I’m sure His Highness is missing you.”

I nodded at her, too overwhelmed to speak. My emotions were running from excitement to dread and everything in between. I’d been so focused on being reunited with my mother and sister, so elated at the news that they were alive. But now that they were here, my situation seemed even more impossible.

This weekend, I was to marry Dominic Allard, the vampire prince. I was in love with him, and being with him was what I wanted. But how can I overcome my mother’s hatred? She was married to a dangerous, notorious vampire, Emperor Lucas. I understood that he wanted to help my impending mother-in-law, Queen Danica, enslave the human race. I held perfectly still as the seamstress undid my dress. But inside, my heart was breaking. I had to choose between my past and my future. And the choice might very well break all of me.

2

FITTING

I stopped by my chambers before I went to the salon for tea with the royal family, Emperor Lucas, my mother, and my sister. Though I wasn’t even sure if the queen wanted me there. She wanted many things, but it was best to discern them clearly before taking action.

“You’re looking quite pale,” my friend and maid, Mistress Olivia, said. She frowned, her smooth, pale skin puckering as she brushed the hair back from my face. “What’s the matter?”

“I’m not sure where to start.” I sank onto my bed. “Do you think it’d be okay if I skipped tea? They must be almost done by now.” I checked the sun, which had traveled halfway across the sky.

“Of course it’s okay. Take a nap, my lady. If anyone comes calling, I’ll tell them you needed to lie down. The foreign dignitary reception is this evening, so you must rest.”

I nodded and lay back against my pillow, not bothering to change out of my gown. “I can hardly wait for tonight.” The lack of excitement was clear in my voice.

She tsked at me. “I know it’s a lot, but you’ll be with His Highness, and it will be okay. You just need to get through the next few days and stay under the queen’s radar. Then you can regroup.”

“I don’t dare take a step out of line.” The queen had me under strict instructions; I was supposed to be her puppet.

Mistress Olivia tucked the covers around me. “Try not to think about it, my lady,” she said gently. “Focus on the positive—your marriage to His Highness.”

“Thank you,” I said, but my eyes were closing. It was only lunchtime, but the day had already been too much.

* * *

“Well, come on then.” Someone nudged me. “We have to get you ready for the festivities!”

I opened my eyes and found my friend Constance the blood slave staring down at me. Her dark skin was gleaming with good health and excitement, and her ebony braids were spilling down over her shoulders.

“Seriously, Victoria! The other girls are waiting for you! The seamstress has so many dresses to choose from, but you have to pick yours first, Your Soon-To-Be Highness!”

She smiled at me good-naturedly as I pulled myself up. The light in the room had changed; it was nearly twilight. “I guess I slept too long,” I mumbled.

“No worries.” She chucked me under the chin. “I just want you to pick the most fabulous dress so that I can pick the next-most-fabulous dress, then Alexandra and Elise can pick the ones after that! I beat them when we chose sticks. I’m in line right after you. The seamstress brought gowns that are just to die for. Wait till you see them!”

I smiled at her. Her enthusiasm was infectious, even if I was dreading the evening. “Let me just get myself together. I’ll only be a minute.”

As I brushed my teeth and then splashed cold water on my face, I reminded myself to think about the positive things. My mother and sister were with me. They were not as I remembered, and our reunion had not gone as I’d expected, but we were together. That was something. That was everything.

And I would see Dominic soon enough. My skin flushed at the memory of my wedding gown—he would love it. And after we were married, we would be together forever. His crazy mother and my family’s objections aside, Dominic would be by my side. Till death, or whatever it was that happened to immortal beings, do us part. That happiness was something. It was everything.

* * *

The blood slaves were women chosen by the royal family to live on the castle grounds. The king and the queen fed from them whenever they desired; it was considered an honor to be kept as such a slave. Recently, the queen had decided that the slaves should be allowed to marry the vampire guardsmen, but she had an ulterior motive—she wanted the vampires and the human slaves to have babies and raise them at the royal compound. The queen wanted an army born loyal to her.

Children from the unions of vampires and humans were called intercrosses. I’d recently learned that I was an intercross. They—we—were very rare. Throughout history, vampires were forbidden from mating with humans. Historically, the reason for that was the desire to preserve pure vampire lineage. But after learning more about my kind, I knew about the more compelling reason: intercross blood was dangerous to vampires, often deadly. We looked the same as regular humans, but our blood didn’t nourish vampires; it destroyed them. The vampire council was dead set against allowing the blood slaves and the guardsmen to marry, but Queen Danica was hell-bent on supporting the move.

She would use the army of intercrosses to destroy first the council then any vampires who opposed her, and then position the army to enslave all of humankind. I had to stop her, but first, I had to deal with my crazy family and stay alive long enough to marry the prince. And oh yes, the foreign dignitary reception—I had to get through that.

The blood slaves were in an uproar by the time Constance and I reached the sanctuary. That night was only the second time in recent history they’d been invited to a royal event. Dress racks were spread across the room, and the blood slaves were inspecting them closely. Some of the women appeared to be guarding dresses, giving side-eye to anyone who got too close.

“Hands off that pink gown!”

“I saw it first!”

“The teal one’s mine. I don’t care what you say!”

“Now, now,” Constance said as we entered the fray.

The seamstress was standing at the front of the room, clutching a clipboard. She looked at us helplessly. “They’re a bit aggressive.”

“I’m going in there.” Constance squeezed my hand. “I have a dress to guard.” She didn’t give me a chance to respond before she disappeared into the racks.

A rather disheveled-appearing Alexandra appeared by my side. “Hey.” She fanned herself. My friend was normally immaculately pulled together, with her hair smoothed back in a sleek bun, her lithe ballerina-like body encased in flowing silk. But that afternoon, her hair had flyaways, one of her dress straps was hanging to the side, as though someone had yanked it, and her skin was glowing with a sheen of sweat. “Can you hurry up and pick your dress? You have to choose before the rest of us can,” she said. “It’s starting to get ugly.”

“Uh, okay.” I motioned to the seamstress. “Did you have something in mind for me? I don’t want to take someone’s first choice.” The blood slaves watched me warily. The occasion was important to them, and clearly, they wanted to look their best. I didn’t want to steal anyone’s prized dress.

I couldn’t blame them. Chosen as candidates from the Trade, they’d lived on the palace grounds their entire lives as blood slaves to the queen and king. The young women had no other role, no other duty, and no other connection. They lived together in their sanctuary on the grounds and had no families to speak of. But Queen Danica was about to change all that, for better or for worse…

“Lady Victoria, are you quite all right?” The seamstress peered at me. “I said, right this way. I set aside a special gown that I think will be to your liking. The queen herself approved it.”

Trying to push the swirl of thoughts in my head aside, I swallowed hard and followed her. I would be no good to anyone, least of all myself if I weakened before I even reached the reception.

“Here we are,” the seamstress said, keeping her voice low. She looked around then pulled an enormous garment bag out of a trunk she’d stashed near the back. After carefully unzipping the bag, she pulled out a flowing scarlet gown with a plunging beaded front. Its rich redness sparkled in the fading light.

I sucked in a deep breath—the dress, what there was of it, was sexy and sophisticated. Though I hated it automatically because the dress had the queen’s stamp of approval, even I had to admit it wasstunning. I also had a feeling the prince would love it. Still, I wasn’t certain it was fit for public viewing. “It’s a bit racy, isn’t it? What there is of it.”

“The queen was very clear that she wanted you to wear red and that she wanted your physical assets prominently on display.”

“But why? It’s a reception for the dignitaries—shouldn’t I be looking dignified?”

The seamstress smiled at me kindly, a first. “Our kind considers it a sign of accomplishment to have our human guests elaborately dressed, their bodies on show. Leaders from the foreign realms respond to such pageantry, and the queen is intent on showing you and the other women off. Does that make sense?”

“Yes.” It was in my best interests to keep the queen happy.

She beamed. “Then let’s try it on, shall we? I’m certain it will be becoming on you.” She really was a bit more pleasant since my sister had zapped her.

I stood to the side and let her fasten me into the dress. It fit snugly, accentuating my curves. The neckline plunged daringly, and a large slit up the front showed off my legs. The dress was a risk. I wasn’t sure I had the courage to wear it in public. Although I hadn’t realized it, the chatter in the room had died down. When I turned around, all eyes were on me. Several of the girls whistled. Then they began to clap, and their applause grew thunderous. “Long live the princess! Long live the prince!”

My friend Elise wolf-whistled, still staunchly guarding her gown. “You look amazing, Victoria!”

Embarrassed, I motioned for them all to quiet down. “I’m glad you like the gown,” I said. “But more importantly, I am honored that we will attend the reception tonight together. You are all so important to me.” My heart rose to my throat. Those human women felt like my responsibility. I was the only one standing between them and the queen. I might be the only half-human to know the truth about her plans. “Now choose your gowns. There are plenty to go around. And don’t fight with each other, please. Remember, we are all in this together.”

They might not all understand the full meaning of my words, but it didn’t matter. I had a duty to protect them. At that moment, as they laughed and chatted with each other while trying on their dresses, I felt my responsibility fully.

I looked down at my gown. It was fetching, daring, and bold. But I felt none of those things. I wanted to find the nearest closet to hide in. But more than ever, I had to be strong.

Putting on my game face, I turned to the seamstress. “Let’s see if we can find a lipstick to match this gown, shall we?”

3

SEEING RED

Mistress Olivia put a hand over her heart when she saw me in the red dress. “Good heavens, child, His Highness is in for quite a shock!”

“Er…” My insides twisted as I adjusted the gown’s thin straps. The front of the dress was practically nonexistent; it plunged almost to my navel. I frowned at my reflection in the full-length mirror. The push-up bra had my assets prominently displayed. Now that my ensemble was complete, I had even more reservations. The seamstress had forced me into mile-high open-toed high heels, and Mistress Olivia had blown my hair out stick-straight. “It’s a bit much, isn’t it?”

Mistress Olivia gaped at me. “No, it is not. There’s nothing to it!” She fussed around with the bodice, trying to cover my chest more and failing. “I daresay you’re vampire bait, my lady.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Is that a bad thing or a good thing?”

“That all depends, of course. Good if the vampire is your betrothed, whom I trust inherently. Bad if it’s some vile foreign dignitary who attempts to kidnap you.” She sighed. “But I am being overprotective, I suppose. His Highness won’t let you out of his sight—or keep his hands off of you, for that matter.”

Someone knocked on the door, and I grinned at her. It was the prince. “I hope you’re right, of course.”

The door swung open, and two guards stepped through, lining the entrance.

“His Royal Highness, Prince Dominic Allard,” one of them formally announced.

Then the prince strode through, all six-foot-three, square-shouldered, solid-muscled handsomeness of him. He was wearing a jet-black ceremonial tunic, his ebony boots polished to a gleaming luster. His closely cropped dark hair framed his handsome face and square jaw perfectly, the fine bones in his cheeks jutting prominently in the firelight. But my favorite part of the view was, by far, his eyes. They were a dark, depthless brown, a color I’d never seen before and sparkled with warmth, humor, and kindness.

He did a double-take when he saw me. “Lady Victoria. You look stunning.”

“H-Hello.” He made me stutter. “You’re looking very dashing.”

He smiled at me, and my heart stopped. When I smiled back, he held out his arms for me. “Come here.” Dominic’s voice was husky, and the guards and Mistress Olivia looked away as I went to him. The prince carefully pulled me against his broad chest. “I missed you this afternoon,” he whispered. “You were gone too long.”

I looked up at him, worried. “Did anyone else notice?” I asked, careful to keep my voice low.

“No.” He released me and took my hand. But I could tell from his expression that he knew exactly what had happened. Anthony. Our mutual best friend must’ve told him about my mother’s attempted escape. “We should go.” He held onto me firmly, as if he were worried I might disappear. The prince nodded to the guards as he led me from the room. “Please give Lady Victoria and me some privacy on our way. We haven’t had an opportunity to speak this afternoon.”

The sentinels kept their distance as we swept down the hall. My heels echoed against the stone floor, and my long train flowed behind me. It was quiet…too quiet. Dominic and I always had to be careful about our conversations inside the palace; the queen had spies everywhere. My nerves became more and more on edge as we headed down the corridor. I was thrilled to be reunited with the prince, but I feared what the night held for us with my mother and sister, not to mention the queen.