Moonlight's Deception (Eclipse of Hiestora, Book 1)

Chapter 25 | Trouble at the Ball

"Eadric," she whispered in recognition of his name.

Falling weak at the mention of his name on her lips, the prince released a shaky breath as if all the tension he had felt earlier finally left him.

He reached for her hands and Clara jerked at the feeling of his cold touch. He was trembling. The black and gold in his eyes intensified as they roamed her face, memorizing each curve and line. Clara worried there might be something wrong, so she clasped his hands and cupped them in hers. She rubbed them to share her warmth.

"What could have been so important that you have to drag us here and away from everyone?" Clara said. Although in her head she was thankful she could get away from Flynn. Still, she was curious.

The prince's eyes lingered on their joined hands for a moment, lips slightly parted in disbelief.

"Are you fine?" he said at last. He shook himself free of the trance and then straightened himself to regain his composure.

Clara laughed. "I should be the one asking that."

He blinked then his mouth fell open. "No, I mean..." Eadric laughed nervously and licked his lower lip. A grin broke into his face. "I apologize for acting this way. You've never treated me like this before. How many words have you said to me tonight? You wouldn't even waste a single word for me."

Hope. She could see it in his eyes. And that was when it clicked. This man wasn't favored by Anneliese. For what reason, she didn't know. Did he, perhaps, like Anneliese?

He placed a hand on the small of her back and gently pushed her towards a lone bench under the lit lamps just a few steps away from the fountain. "We have a lot to talk about," he said.

Clara looked around them. "At this hour? Don't you think we have to be somewhere cozy?"

"Oh." A blush crept on his cheeks. "Where are my manners? In the sitting room, then, princess."

Clara found no reason to decline. The prince stood in front of her while she sat in the winged chair, one he offered moments ago. Eadric's nose perked up, as proud as the chin that was high in the air as he studied the room as if making sure everything was made to satisfy her comforts.

Candles aflame and two cups of coffee served, Eadric finally sat on his chair and smiled a fresh smile.

"You must badly want to escape the crowd for you to tag along with my whims," he said after taking one sip, eyes never leaving her once.

"Would that be so strange for a princess? There are times when I'm not a fan of a big crowd, but mostly, I enjoy celebrations and good food."

"Strange? Not at all but..." Eadric set the cup back on the saucer. He crossed his legs, interlacing his fingers above the knee. "I touched you, spoke to you, without you driving me away. You let me be alone with you. I want to think of this as an improvement to our relationship."

Clara was at loss for words. It took her seconds to work her mouth to speak. "Of course! Life's too short and hard enough to be harboring ill feelings for anyone." She drank a big gulp of coffee that she almost drowned herself in. She hissed as the hot liquid touched her tongue.

Eadric's forehead creased, but the princess acted just as normally as she did.

He leaned back in his chair. "How have you been, Anneliese? If we want to take a different course in our relationship, we might as well start sharing things about each other."

"I'm doing fine. Why do you ask?"

"Well..." he drawled.

Clara raised an eyebrow. "What are you asking in particular?" She knew what he meant. It was a question she was tired of answering.