Page 14 of The Last Guardian

This banquet was going to be pure torture.

THIS KIND OF event could stretch on all night, perhaps even until sunrise, given the sheer number of guests.

To my right, Romy chatted with Aleksi, who was far more polite than his brother. Rune sat in front of me, snarling at every waitress who passed by and grumbling that the meat was too tough to chew. Next time, we should serve him the animal alive on a platter, so he could eat it raw.

On my left, Dorian looked as uninterested as I was, bored with this dinner. Aurora sat at the center of the long table with the Salonor family. Father and Grandmother were on either side of her; meanwhile, Arthur sat at the far end, opposite us, in conversation with the two mysterious men I saw earlier in the crowd.

I leaned toward Dorian, pointing my gaze near them and asked, “Do you know who those men are? The ones with Arthur?”

Dorian glared in their direction, drinking his glass of red wine and shaking his head. “Nope, no clue,” he replied with a shrug. “I’ve seen him a few times with them over the last few days, though.”

“Don’t you find that intriguing?” I asked him, my brow furrowed.

Dorian grinned, and replied, “Not in the least; Arthur is always surrounded by people. All I care about right now is more booze.”

His comment made me roll my eyes as the waiters brought the main dishes. Large platters were spread out in the middle of the table: roasted pheasant with rosemary and garlic, braised lamb, and freshwater trout, accompanied by honeyed carrots and beans.

“May I pour you more wine, Your Highnesses?” the waiter asked.

Dorian gulped his glass and said, “The Hells yes! You can even leave the bottle here. Thank you.”

The waiter did his best to hide his smile as he set the bottle down on the table. A warm tickle spread through my arm, near the wrist, and I tried to ignore the slow pain—the strange mark again. It had stopped burning all day. Why had it come back? I rolled my shoulders, trying to let go of the sensation.

Dorian refilled my glass of red wine before pouring some into his own, a playful smile forming on his lips as he raised his glass. Yet, I couldn’t help noticing that the smile never reached his brown eyes lately. It was the same smile he’d worn since he was a boy—capable of making anyone in the room smile back.

Dorian always kept this lightness inside of him, as if he fed on others’ joy. He thrived on it, losing himself in laughter, in fleeting conquests, in an excess of wine. To most, he was a charming, unattainable man, the kind of man women would fight just to be looked at—the perfect prince. But I knew the truth: beneath that facade, there was a restlessness he could never soothe.

Dorian was unhappy in the capital, like all of us. The cold stone walls, the endless diplomatic issues, and the expectations weighed on him more than he ever admitted. Dorian had always been made for discovery and adventure, for sailing in unknown waters. The sea flowed in his veins, even when duty tried to stifle him. When we were younger, before the weight of expectations had fallen on our shoulders, we liked to slip out of the palace through a back door to reach the river port, to observe the sailors preparing their ships. In his twenty-two years, I’d never seen his face shine as brightly as it had in those stolen moments.

My gaze drifted to Rune, who placed a hand on the maid’s ass while licking her neck. I let out a sigh and rose from my seat. I didn’t need to witness that.

“I need some fresh air,” I whispered to Dorian, taking my glass with me.

Dorian looked up. “Alright, I’ll be waiting here. Drinking my ass off!”

I rolled my eyes, left the table, and made my way to one of the small balconies reserved for our family.

Some guests had already left the dining table to mingle after the endless courses. The rest of the dining hall was packed, and a buzz of conversation drifted out as the gentle night air brushed against my skin.

Putting my glass on the balcony rail, I leaned in with my back to the room and watched the night sky. No one would come to disturb me here. A moment of peace and quiet, away from all that noise and chatter.

I took a deep breath and let the gentle breeze caress my skin, freeing me for a moment from what awaited me.

The stars twinkled like silver points in the darkness, the thin crescent moon hidden in its shadow.

“Escaping already?” asked a velvety voice behind me, pulling me from my thoughts.

MY HEART JUMPED as the voice startled me from behind.

“My God!” I gasped, putting a hand to my chest.

My heart pounded so hard I was sure it could burst out. I glanced at the person who had almost given me a heart attack, and I found myself face-to-face with the green-eyed stranger.

One of Arthur’s friends.

The man sat on the balcony, his back against the wall, his long legs stretched on the railing, his fingers playing with a black dagger on the stone.

“God?” A low chuckle rumbled in his chest, and his green eyes twinkled with amusement. “No one has ever called me that before.”