Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
I scanned his whole body. “What weapon? Where?”
“Daggers. Two of them.” He patted his chest and his left boot.
What could he possibly need three weapons for during a ball? “What are they for? To throw at your enemies to surprise them?”
“Correct.” He tilted his head to the side. “I think I may have corrupted you over the past few weeks.”
“I think you might be right,” I murmured, looking out of the window.
How was it that I didn’t even bat an eyelid at it? Was Alicia like this in the book? Was I always like this?
If I was, it explained my colour blindness where questionable fictional heroes were concerned.
Look at that.
It seemed like I, too, was a bit of a red flag.
“Ah, I have something for you before we go in.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small jewellery box. “It occurred to me when I saw Lady Trelawney that you don’t have an engagement ring, so I asked my father to retrieve this for me before we left the palace.”
I glanced at the box. “You don’t need to give me one.”
“I do. People will think it’s strange otherwise, given how they believe I’m madly in love with you.”
“I’m definitely getting accused of black magic at some point in my future.” I shook my head. “I thought the agreement you signed with my father stated only wedding rings would be necessary.”
“Yes, but that was when I was under the assumption that we would marry sooner rather than later. I was under the impression we would already be wed by this point. You decided otherwise, so consider this your compromise. Give me your hand.”
It wasn’t exactly the proposal of my dreams.
Then again, it wasn’t as though I’d had any say in the engagement to begin with, so what did it matter at this point?
Maybe if I did a good job as Alicia Vermillion in this life, I’d be able to negotiate a sweet gig for my next one. Complete with hopelessly romantic future husband who wouldn’t give me an engagement ring in a moving carriage after ignoring me for most of the day.
A simple ask, really.
Still, I held out my hand as he’d asked, and Kalon pulled the ring out and gently slipped it onto my finger. It was too big, and just when I was about to ask if this was a good idea, the ring glowed and shrunk down to a perfect fit.
I blinked at my hand. “Whoa.”
He raised my hand to his lips, smiling at me over the top of my fingers. “You act as if you’ve never seen magic before.”
Yeah.
No.
I hadn’t.
But I couldn’t say that, could I?
“I was surprised, that’s all.” I drew my hand from his grasp and studied the ring. There was a large pink stone in a pear cut in the middle, and three smaller, white diamonds sat on either side. “What stone is that?”
“A pink diamond.”
I choked on my own tongue. “Beg your pardon?”
His lips tugged into a smile. “A pink diamond. From the southern mines of the Nantis Kingdom, to be precise.”
Wait.
The Nantis Kingdom.
I knew that.
“Isn’t that where your mother was born?”
He nodded. “She was a princess of Nantis.”
“Oh! Is that why you have gold in your eyes?”
Kalon scratched his chin. “Yes. The Nantis Royal Family all have gold eyes. I’m not technically a prince of the kingdom despite being in the line of succession, but I’m treated as such whenever I visit because they consider me to have inherited the symbol of the family.”
“Interesting. Why aren’t you a prince?”
“You must have golden eyes to inherit a princely title. Children of blood princesses traditionally don’t, so when I was born with the eyes of both Sada and Nantis, it was decided that I would receive the treatment of a Prince of Nantis since I was born a prince of the empire anyway.”
“That makes sense.” I wanted to ask more about the maternal side of his family, but now wasn’t the time. Besides, my curiosity about his gorgeous eyes had been satiated. “Tell me about the ring.”
“I thought you’d ask more about Nantis.”
“Mm. I will later. I’d like to hear more about your mother.”
“Wait until we return to Stein. Some things are better left unsaid in the empire.” He smiled.
Damn it.
What was it I said about my curiosity being satiated?
“I’ll tell you about the ring instead. This ring was given to her by my grandfather, King Agnellus, when she turned sixteen. It was technically a part of her dowry when she married my father and became property of the Imperial Family, but Father put it for safekeeping to give to me when I was ready to use it.”
“I think I’m a little afraid to wear it,” I said, looking at it. “It’s obviously very important to you.”
“Yes. That’s why I’ve given it to you.”