She felt blessed, like the Stars themselves had granted her this. There was no limit, no rules or constraints. She was boundless; she was home, safe and secure in his unbreakable embrace.
~
Shackled in an abrupt and demanding upbringing, Althera is...
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Rhaye's encouraging smile was all she needed to feel more relaxed as the two of them flitted across the ballroom swiftly, his pace matching hers and her breaths of excitement matching his. She didn't know how long they had been dancing like this, spinning and leaping and spinning again, with all the sounds of the music and humming of voices waning.
It was Lisabette's birthday today, and it was clear to Althera that there had been celebrations like this for years. Rhaye had found the time to let her know that she was the princess of the Second Kingdom and had stayed at the castle for years, long before she had been chosen and sent here to be Valentine's bride, along with another woman, whom Althera had seen clothed in a periwinkle dress and making a disgruntled face as she waltzed around in the arms of a greasy nobleman a head taller than her and twice as wide.
It was a wonder why she had been even invited to attend the birthday ball in the first place, but Rhaye explained that everyone was, even the servants, though they had to stay in the shadows so that there would be no disruptions. At least that part was civil, Althera had thought.
Kartella had immersed her entirely in a faded coral gown lodged with dozens of stones far too precious and rare to even be sitting on the skirts of her outfit. She would have preferred something simpler and less flattering, chiefly because it hugged the few curves she had. At least she blended in with the other ladies at court, who were all dressed in rich fabrics of dark blues, pinks, reds, and purples, one looking much more splendid than the next. Rhaye had complimented her on her appearance when he went to fetch her for the ball, and she hadn't known what was going on until Kartella described the gist of it to her and Rhaye had explained everything on their walk over to the hall, which had turned into a page in a fairy tale.
When she'd first entered, everyone had stopped their chattering and sent looks her way, especially the ladies, who she knew were far more interested in the man at her side than herself. Rhaye had ignored them like always, his undivided attention focused solely on her. And she'd flushed just at his focused, heated gaze, feeling her insides burning. They'd grabbed refreshments before edging onto the ballroom floor and joining in on the dancing and laughing. She hadn't really kept track of time, so she didn't know how long they had been twirling across the room for. Not that she cared – she'd spend every minute dancing with Rhaye if she could, just for the sake of it.
"Are you tired yet?" She heard Rhaye yell over the whining of the violins and cellos singing on the stage. She shook her head, her laughter filtering around their heads. She wanted to stay here forever, to experience the joy of it all again and again. "Are you ever going to be tired?" The question was filled with amusement she didn't miss as she followed his steps, sliding and bounding from one spot to the other.
"Come now, Rhaye, it's a birthday celebration. Don't be so negative." He grinned at her unrelenting liveliness.
"Forgive me, but I'm already at my very limit." She rolled her eyes at his statement, pulling his arm around her as she spun into him, her back colliding with his hard chest. He propped his chin on her shoulder, his breath warm and sending tingles down into her palms.
