"Lord Edward? Is that not the man promised to me, Mother? Why is Catherine dancing with him?" Meredith rushed to her mother across the ballroom, her brow knitting in confusion.
Queen Aleera sipped from her wine cup as she sat beside King Aleric on the elevated dais draped with rich curtains. "Go back and find someone else to dance with," she dismissed Meredith, waving her hand. "It's merely a dance."
"But Mother, you made an arrangement…" Worry flickered in Meredith's eyes. She turned to King Aleric. "Father, will you let Catherine steal him away from me?"
"Stop this instant!" he roared, causing nearby maidens and guards to glance over in surprise. "Return to the ball and enjoy the music. Tonight is for Catherine."
"Fath...."
"Go," her mother urged, squeezing her hand. "Go, Meredith."
Meredith stamped her foot in frustration before hurrying away, her gaze fixed on Catherine as she twirled gracefully with Lord Edward.
•••••••
The music hummed softly, and as they swayed gently, Catherine's gaze drifted through the crowd. Had he really left her?
"I must be mad to think of another man after George," she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Did you say something?" Lord Edward asked, his voice low. She turned to him quickly. "Of course not."
"It must be the chatter in the crowd," she added, forcing a smile.
Lord Edward flashed a crooked grin, his blue eyes glinting with interest. "You are beautiful. Forgive me for being blunt; I can't help but stare."
Catherine nodded, but her gaze darted away from him, unease creeping in.
"All that's left are memories of George," Lord Edward said gently. "He is gone, Catherine, which means you must move on."
Catherine stiffened, unsure if she was still moving in time with the music. "What do you mean?"
"The ball. This dance," he replied, smiling as he took her hand and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles.
Her breath caught, and whispers began to ripple through the crowd; all eyes turned their way.
"Does it not mean anything to you, Princess Catherine?"
"You must be mistaken," Catherine said, withdrawing her hands from his. Then she noticed everyone staring. "Please excuse me," she added, bowing slightly.
"I will call for you in the morning and bring flowers," he replied.
Catherine forced a smile for the crowd as she walked away. This was enough for one night; she had danced with two gentlemen, and that should be sufficient.
She exited the ballroom and made her way down the hallway. The music began to fade with every step she took, but only dread filled her heart.
"Perhaps I am not ready to move on," she whispered to herself.
As Catherine turned the corner, the light flickered. It was the path leading to her room, but she paused.
Someone had been there, and they were still watching her.
Catherine turned toward the rows of windows, their rectangular shapes pouring moonlight into the room. She stepped closer, gazing out into the night, but only silence responded, wrapping around her like a dark cloak.
Carriages lined up from the gate to the courtyard, which lay sprawled and empty under the soft glow of the moon. Even the trees in the garden swayed gently, whispering secrets to the night air.
With a sigh, she took a step back but suddenly bumped into someone.
"Goodness, watch where you...."
She paused, frowning at the intruder. "Meredith!"
"Find yourself another suitor," her sister said bluntly, crossing her arms.
"What?" Catherine blinked, confusion etched on her face.
"Lord Edward is promised to me."
Catherine rolled her eyes, weariness settling over her. "I'm tired, Meredith, and I don't want to deal with your drama right now. I need to sleep."
"Hmph," Meredith huffed. "Well, you better leave what's mine."
Catherine turned on her heel, determined to walk away.
"This isn't a warning, Catherine!"
Her sister continued to speak, but exhaustion tugged at Catherine. She headed straight for her room, eager to escape the conversation and find peace in solitude.
"Elias," she whispered, the name slipping from her lips like a forgotten vow.
The wind howled in reply, as though it, too, remembered.
She paused and glance back down the empty corridor. Only the flickering candles cast shadows on the walls, filling the space with an eerie stillness.
Shaking off her unease, she turned to head back to her room, but her mind was consumed by thoughts of the graveyard and everything that had followed.
The haunting images of that dream slipped through her mind—someone had embraced her, and then she had felt the sharp pain of a knife stabbing her.
"What does it mean?" she murmured absently.
It had felt all too real, those hands gripping her tightly.
And then there was George, the fury in his eyes and how he had grabbed her, and the moment she had woken up calling someone else's name.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry, George," she whispered, shutting her eyes and inhaling sharply.
She had danced with that man named Elias, betraying her love for George even by allowing him to linger in her thoughts and dreams.
"Perhaps it is my fault," her heart clenched with pain, regret twisting within her.
That man had stolen her letters and possibly read them. Instead of feeling rage, she had allowed herself to be drawn into his arms and dance with him? Wait. She halted in her steps. "He was the creature Father talked about, right?"
If he truly was one of those creatures, how had he received an invitation? It didn't make sense, especially since he had hurried away before the mask reveal. "Something was wrong," she whispered.
Exhaustion wrapped around her like a heavy blanket, and she longed for sleep instead. "Tomorrow, I will ask Father about those creatures." Perhaps they were real after all.
The guard stationed at her chambers bowed as she approached and opened the door for her. She walked in and leaned against the door, heaving a deep breath. Then she walked towards her bed but halted.
A trail of red petals led from her window to her bed—deep crimson, like spilled wine.
Someone had been here.
And he had left her roses.