Passion is the Divide Between Hunger and Need: A Tears of Shame Novel

Chapter 17: Are You Trying to Get Me Thrown in the Dungeon

“So beautiful, are you calm now?” I asked after my lips left hers. I lightly kissed her bare shoulder and chuckled at her response to it. She shivered and nodded her head, unable to have spoken even one simple word.

“Good. Let’s go back to the party because you have gifts to open.” I led her back to the palace and into the ballroom where hundreds of guests awaited her.

Along the back wall, a long table was stationed that was piled with presents galore, one of the perks of being the only princess in the kingdom. The table was decorated with a bright purple cloth made of the finest silk. Layers of gossamer fell from the ceiling above the table, in a way that made a canopy-like shape. Candle light illuminated the room from the hundreds of sconces that adorned the walls and threw soft light from the lit purple candles. It was a breathtaking sight. But nothing in the room compared to the beauty of my love, Lianna.

She opened presents dutifully, even though she hated to be doted on, smiled politely and gave thanks to those who offered gifts. I brought her aside into a quiet corner and presented her with my gift last. It was a silver bracelet with dazzling teal stones that matched the earrings that I had gotten her for her birthday last year. She must have loved them, because she had never taken them off.

I had purchased the bracelet at the same gypsy magic store in town where I found the earrings. Again, the strange white haired old man offered it to me before I had said a word. He had been right last time, so I took the bracelet without question. She smiled brightly as she opened it and I affixed it to her wrist.

She placed a reserved kiss on my cheek and I led her to the center of the ballroom for her first dance, it always belonged to me. I placed one hand firmly on her slender waist and pulled her closer to me than was probably publicly acceptable. She held my shoulder with one hand, while I gripped her other hand in mine. She was nervous, but ecstatic at our closeness. We moved effortlessly to the music, as though we danced a well rehearsed and choreographed ballet.

“How was the talk with your fiancé?” I questioned with as much pleasantness I could muster. It was a subject that was in the forefront of my mind all evening. I had to admit that I was curious if not a bit apprehensive of her response. I wondered what she truly thought of him and what they had spoken about.

“You were right Ezra. Cyris isn’t that bad. He even seems… friendly.” She announced with a weary smile. My heart sank at her easy acceptance of him. This was what I was afraid of. I held my walls strong so my anxiety eluded her.

“That’s great beautiful. I’m glad you like him.” I mumbled a little less enthusiastically then what she had expected because as soon as the words fell from my mouth, she tensed in my arms and stared at me.

“Don’t be jealous. I don’t like him like that. All I’m saying is that he seems nice and he wants to help us come up with a plan.” She replied in a defensive voice, one that I was all too accustomed to hearing. What, he wanted to help us? Why the hell would he know what we had planned?

“You told him? Why would you tell him? You don’t know him. What if he ruins everything?” I was stunned and aggravated to have said the least. She compromised everything when she spilled our secret to him. It wasn’t as if he had proven that he was trustworthy.

“Calm down Ezra. You’re throwing off some high anxiety right now.” She commented with a frown. If she was unhappy with the fact that I was upset, maybe she shouldn’t have said anything. I stayed silent in an attempt to calm myself, but the frown never left my face. I twirled her around the dance floor until she broke the silence.

“I’m sorry if you’re angry. But I was trying to help. I told Cyris that I didn’t want to marry him and that I was in love with someone else, hoping that he would understand and come up with a way out of this mess.” She announced in a regretful tone. She had a sad smile on her face, as though she knew I was disappointed in her openness with her new fiancé.