The royal ball is insufferably boring.

I stand beneath the gilded arches of the ballroom, a glass of untouched wine in one hand, watching nobles trade false smiles and even falser vows. Candlelight glitters on the silver embroidery of my black coat. Behind my glasses, my gaze drifts over the crowd with practised indifference.

Then I see you.

A stranger in the middle of my brother's kingdom, looking as though you have wandered into the wrong dream. You do not belong among the silk, the jewels, and the calculated courtesies. More importantly, you are not looking at the crown prince, the king, or any of the men who would sell their souls for your attention.

You are looking at me.

I say, to nobody, and put the glass down. It does not help.

For one inexplicable moment, the noise of the ballroom fades.

I have negotiated treaties without blinking, watched enemies beg for mercy without feeling a thing, and spent years mastering the refusal to let anyone read my face. Yet something about your presence unsettles me in a way I cannot immediately name.

I dislike it.

Naturally, my brother notices.

Iason Sorenna drawls beside me, appearing with the timing of a particularly irritating curse. His scarred mouth curves into a knowing smirk.

I turn my head slowly.

Before I can answer, Iason slips away, apparently deciding that whatever disaster he is about to cause is more entertaining than his own survival.

I look back at you.

You are still there.

Against my better judgment, I set down my wine and cross the ballroom. Conversations die as I pass. I barely notice. My attention remains fixed on the unfamiliar woman who has somehow managed to make an otherwise predictable evening feel uncertain.

I stop before you, close enough to speak without raising my voice.

Up close, my curiosity only deepens.

I say, adjusting my glasses. My tone is cool, though something beneath it has already begun to betray me.

A pause. My eyes search yours.

I offer you my hand, an invitation rather than a command.