Gentle music played, dresses swayed to the movements of slow dances, and the general atmosphere was lighthearted. There were only a few guests that no one knew before, one of them was tall, with a clean-cut jawline but soft features, looking at them with crimson eyes.
There were more than a handful of young noble ladies who couldn't stop looking at him, even though some of them had brought their own companions. It wasn't just adoration, some people understood who they were all ogling and felt respect well up inside of them.
The young Grand Duke was handed an exquisite glass of champagne. "May I offer you a drink to thank you for helping me yesterday?"
It wasn't a voice he had expected, but he saw no reason to refuse a friendly approach as he took the glass. "Thank you, Ms. Epstein."
"You're welcome, young Duke," she said, tossing back her long red hair before taking the hand of the child beside her, "I don't see the young lady. Did she decide not to come after all?"
Alan, not wanting to talk much about his sister behind her back, especially to a stranger, just closed his eyes and sighed. Anya Epstein was no child of sorrow, she could take a rejection or two.
With a gallant smile, she waved briefly and shrugged. "Anyway, if she shows up, please give her my regards."
She still had to show her newfound golden child a little bit of high society, and while she was at it, she would flaunt the fact that lowborn people like herself and the boy could stand on the same level as them, title or no title, if they just had the right kind of money.
It magically brought a crooked smile to her lips, a sentiment the man she was talking to could hardly understand. Then again, he didn't want to pry.
"I will remember to do so," was all he said.
Suddenly, one of the guards at the door cleared his throat audibly, gaining their interest.
"Attention!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, louder than he had shouted for any of them before, making the guests' ears perk up and their dancing stop, "His Highness, Crown Prince Lucan Vantus de Belheim Lodden... and Rowena Dynari van Varnhagen, daughter of the Arlen Empire, are entering!"
His face was flushed from the effort, and sweat pooled on his forehead as he finally caught his breath. He had slipped in through a smaller side door, usually used to lead troops inside in an emergency, to do his duty today.
He couldn't have waited to write a list and then come in to announce them one by one when the first in line was the Crown Prince, as well as one of their guests of honor. And as the door opened, the two new arrivals walked over the partially carpeted white marble floor.
Rowena arrived holding the Lucan's arm as if they were actually there as a couple. It made her quite nervous. All eyes were on her, or rather on the man next to her, the second most important person in the room by Lodden's standards.
They proceeded to the center of the main hall, where a high balcony was raised and only one person of significance was seated there.
"We greet Your Majesty, the Emperor."
"I am pleased to have both of you present on this joyous occasion," his father replied benevolently.
There wasn't much to say, except that there would be something to talk about later, and Rowena was aware of what was to come. For that, she placed a hand on Lucan's arm, which was still intertwined with her other.
"Let's step aside for a moment," she said quietly, moving toward one of the walls lined with tall windows to leave the center of the crowd.
"So, I guess you don't want to-"
YOU ARE READING
The Crazy Daughter of the Duke's Family - Book One: Pandora
FantasyCelia, who had been a puppet playing to the tune of the government, had spent her life fighting creatures called "Visitors", who had been invading earth for centuries, for as long as she could remember. Together with Pan, her partner in crime and a...
