Dark Prince & the Doe

Chapter 77: First Impressions

Chapter 77: First Impressions

Calden

Calden fretted with the letter in his jacket pocket. The edges were worn due to his constant worrying. It was just his rotten luck that Lydia would be in Cezanne's room when he intended to give her the letter. What had his cousin been doing in there? It had sounded like every woman in a ten-mile radius had converged upon Cezanne's room. Ridiculous.

He had spoken to Cezanne for a moment through her cracked door, but he didn't give her the letter. He wasn't stupid enough to hand Cezanne a private letter with Lydia leering over her shoulder. His wicked cousin's nimble fingers would snatch that letter right from Cezanne's grasps and she'd read it aloud to everyone...until she got to the part where he'd been shamed. Malicious as she may be, Lydia was not cruel. She'd never reveal the truth of his darkest secret, but embarrassing him was her favorite pastime, aside from embarrassing Gale and Kiren, that is.

Calden craned his head to watch another group file into the King's Hall, dressed in shimmering finery – one of the Abyss Lords and his entourage, either Zamel or Caule. Still no sign of the Overland ambassadors or Cezanne, but mother was heading his way with a woman in tow.

Assessing his surroundings, Calden sought an escape route or distraction. Where was Kiren when he needed him? His mother's storm cloud eyes brightened with flashes of blue lightning – reflections of the massive crystal decorations dangling overhead.

She smiled at him. He wanted to run and hide under a table, but he was too big for that now.

"Calden! There you are, we've been looking all over for you." She drew him into a tight embrace.

"I'm glad you came tonight, mother," Calden murmured as she released him. He kept his hands at his sides instead of sticking them into his pocket to worry the letter.

"I always come for the Day of Three Sparks, I'm not going to let a few Overlanders scare me," she said with an uncomfortable smile as she urged the woman beside her forward. "I wanted to introduce you to Alyssandra Norent. Remember her? You two played together as children when you visited the Ahn Mari cave."

He had no recollection of playing with this girl. She was nearly as tall as him with dull bluish-green eyes, blonde hair, and a series of freckles over her high cheekbones.

"It's nice to see you again, Calden," she said, fluttering her dark lashes at him. She lifted her royal blue velvet dress and curtsied.

"It has been so long," he said, hoping beyond hope that the Atrezins would enter the King's Hall and give him an excuse to back out of this conversation.

"You're so much taller now," Alyssandra said.

"Mmhm." Calden leaned to the side, staring around Alyssandra. No Overlanders were at the north entrance yet. "That tends to happen."

"Her father is Lord Dekard Norent, she is from a noble labyrinth family," Valeria supplied.

"I also have five older siblings, just like you," Alyssandra said. "Isn't that funny?"

"Mmhm," he grunted as he spotted Kiren, his bright crimson shirt was a beacon amongst all the ladies in blue.

"She is a highly talented enchanter, not only with the Blue Flame Aria but with Earth Aria and Moon Aria," Valeria said. "Isn't that impressive?"

"Yes," he said while subtly gesturing with one hand to Kiren, help me. Help.

"The queen told me you have a talent for the Night Aria. Is that true? I've tried but it has never worked for me."