EVERMORE (COLBY BROCK)

7. THE SAVIOR

Attending a ball now fell useless. What was the point now that the prince's interest has waned? Word spreads quickly in Liberdon. Surely, now everybody in the kingdom knew that the prince had moved onto Lady Serena Wharton. And, it was evident enough when only the slimiest of men approached you when you made your entrance. Oh, where was Elias when you truly needed him to scare away men?

You moved to a far corner of the ballroom, nursing your drink. You hadn't wanted to come, but Amber had insisted. She said that you needed to show the prince what he was missing out on, and to show Lady Serena that you were not a lady to be messed with. So, you allowed Eliza to pull out your best dress and doll you up to absolute perfection. If you weren't so distraught, you would've been carrying yourself with the same sort of confidence you had after your debut. But now? It was hard to tap into that same energy.

"Excuse me, miss?" a voice came from in front of you, pulling you from your thoughts.

You looked up. "Yes?"

"Are you Y/N Covington?" he asked.

"I am. And may I ask who you are?"

He gave you a charming smile, his dark eyes twinkling. "I'm Kevin Langue, Duke of Eastmoor."

You knew the name. When Elias was criticizing the men of Liberdon, he had mentioned the Duke of Eastmoor as being one of the few good men in all the land. Elias said he was a loud man, sure, but he was also the kind of man who looked out for everyone's best interests. He rarely found himself in trouble. Elias once said that, if you had to marry, the Duke of Eastmoor was one of only a handful of men worthy of you.

"It's nice to meet you, Your Grace," you said, smiling at him. "How can I help you?"

"My friend told me of your predicament," he began.

"Your friend? And who might that be?"

"Lord Aryia. He learned from your friend, Lady Amber, that Lady Serena was giving you trouble."

You took a shuddering breath. "That's one way to put it."

Kevin laughed. "Well, I have choice words for someone as...degenerate as her, but a lady such as yourself should never have to hear that sort of language."

"You forget who my brother is, Your Grace. I've heard more than a lady ever should with someone as short a temper as Elias."

"Fair enough," Kevin chuckled. "Regardless, I come to you with a proposition."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a whisper. Well, as much of a whisper as he could manage. "The quickest way for you to win your prince back is to show him what he's missing. And what better way than to show him you've moved on?"

"I'm afraid I can't move on so quickly, Your Grace."

"You don't have to, but you can certainly pretend," Kevin said. "And, even if that doesn't work, the attention of a duke is still something to elevate your status. Men you are interested in will slowly but surely come crawling back."

You chewed on your bottom lip. The gears of your brain turned. The offer wasn't a horrible one. What did you have to lose? You already had lost the attention of the prince and most good men in the ton. You looked away from the Duke of Eastmoor, looking around the ballroom. You weren't sure what you were searching for. Some sort of cosmic sign that you should follow through with this proposition. And, as luck would have it, you would see the sign you were looking for. Lady Serena, dazzling the ballroom with the sort of confidence that came from the attention of royalty, walked up to Prince Cole, who had just arrived. And, as you watched him smile down at her, you knew you had no other choice.

Perhaps this alliance wouldn't be so bad in the end.

"Very well. What did you have in mind, Your Grace?"

"I do believe the first dance is going to start soon." Kevin gestured at your dance card dangling from your wrist. "May I?"

You smiled, handing him the card and allowing him to fill in his name on the first slot. He waited with you until the waltz began. You made sure to put on a show, smiling and laughing. And Kevin did just as well with his performance, earning curious glances from the other attendees of the ball.

And when the waltz began? Oh, you had nearly as much fun as you did when Cole was the one spinning you around the ballroom.

"Look," Kevin said as he spun you.

You turned your head, trying to look subtle, as you followed his gaze. And what you saw made you positively giddy. As Cole danced with Lady Serena, he couldn't take his eyes off the pair of you, his face a bright shade of red. And when he met your eyes, he grit his teeth and looked away.

The waltz ended, and Kevin led you away from dance floor. However, he didn't make it very far, for Cole was quick to approach the two of you.

"Excuse me, Your Grace," Cole said, "but would you mind if I stole Miss Covington away for a moment?"

Kevin smiled a kilowatt smile, and nodded. "I don't mind at all, Your Royal Highness."

You bid Kevin goodbye, and followed Cole to a less crowded part of the ballroom. "What is it that you want, Your Royal Highness?" you asked.

Cole frowned. "I've told you that you can call me Cole."

"I no longer wish to call you by your name," you said.

His face fell, and he asked, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Well, when a man's interest wanes, I have to go find another," you said. You tried to keep your composure, to show him that you no longer cared for him, just as he no longer cared for you. It was the only way you could escape this unscathed. "I have to marry, Your Highness. I don't have the luxury of putting it off until it's convenient for me."

"And you'd marry the Duke of Eastmoor?" Cole asked.

"He's kind and respectful. He's one of the few men my brother has had no qualms with," you explained. But that didn't feel like enough. So you added, "And he doesn't run off with another woman after seeming so sure he was going to marry another."

"Is this about Lady Serena? She's a friend."

You couldn't help but scoff. "A friend who wishes to marry you, and a friend who will stop at nothing to do so."

Cole avoided your gaze, looking away. Then, he slowly looked back at you, his eyes settling on your neck and the accessory you lacked. "You're not wearing the necklace I gave you."

"Why would I ever want to wear something given to me by a man who clearly doesn't care about me?" you questioned, crossing your arms. "I'd sooner throw it away than wear it again. Or better yet, I'll regift it to Lady Serena, since she seems to be the only lady you care for."

"You know I care about you, Y/N."

"I'm afraid I don't, Your Royal Highness. You didn't even have the courtesy to tell me you were no longer interested." You eyed him, not bothering to hide your distaste. "And to think you call yourself a gentleman."

Cole began to respond, when your brother intervened. He stepped in front of you, eyeing Cole with the sort of disapproval he had for the other men who tried to court you. But now, there was a sort of dangerous look in his eyes, a sort of rage directed at the man who cast you aside.

"Is everything alright here?" Elias asked, squaring his shoulders and glaring at the prince.

Cole ground his teeth together. "Everything's quite alright, Covington. Your intervention is not—"

"Actually," you said, causing Elias to turn to you. Cole stiffened, as though he expected you to rip him apart, like you all knew Elias was craving to do. "I'm not feeling quite well, brother. I would like to go home."

Elias nodded, and you took his arm as he led you out of the ballroom.

But, Cole grabbed at your wrist, forcing the two of you to stay in place.

"What?" you asked, turning.

"Y/N, if you go now, you'll be taking my heart with you."

You mustered your harshest of glares. "Keep it. I don't want it anymore."