Double-Edged Words

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Flashing in a thousand shimmering shades beneath its milky surface. The opal before my eyes took my breath away.

Nestled in the center of a delicate gold band. The oval-shaped stone was haloed by four diamond-sprinkled flower petals that brought an added shimmer to the already dazzling gem.

"It's beautiful." My voice sounded more like a breath than actual speech.

"I didn't know what kind of jewel you would like, and the jeweler said that this stone promotes good health, so I thought this would be adequate. It also signifies hope..." His mouth continued to move, but no other words came out, so he just finished his statement with a shrug.

"I love it. It's perfect."

"That's good." A shy smile broke across his face, and taking the ring out of the box, his hand moved to hand me the ring. I outstretched my hand, but suddenly, he pulled his hand back. "Wait."

"Oh," Heat rose to my cheeks, and I dropped my hand to my side.

"Wait, no, that's not what I-" Panic flashed in his eyes, and he outstretched his hand again, only to pull back again when my hand got close. "It's just,"

Our hands floundered about until-not able to withstand the awkwardness of the moment-we burst out in laughter.

Cold fingers wrapped around my left hand, sending a jolt of delightful electricity up my arm to my heart. "What I mean is," Zander carefully enounced every word as his eyes locked into mine. "It's only proper for me as the man to place the ring on your finger. It's the least I could do since we didn't even have an actual wedding."

"Oh, okay," I said between breaths and watched as he carefully slid the ring on my finger.

"There," He smiled.

My body felt as light as a feather. Waiting in the queue to go inside the grand ballroom. I wiggled my toes, trying to contain the euphoric impulse to burst out in dance. The ring on my left hand seemed to have a gravitational pull of its own, attracting my eyes, fingers, and thoughts toward its center.

My fingers pinched the fabric around Zander's arm and tugged to call his attention. He bent his head and torso slightly sideways, bringing his ear close to me. "How much longer do we have to wait?" I whispered, and he shrugged. "Is it too late to make our escape?" With a chuckle, he turned his face to look at me. "There are so many people here that I doubt they'll miss us." Throwing a conspiratorial look around me, I said, "We could tell them we have food poisoning." He smiled, and before he could respond, the royal chamberlain shouted the order to walk inside.

The Grand Ballroom was something I'd never seen in my life. It was huge. So huge that I could get lost for days. Made from white marble and gold. The ballroom seemed to glow under the light of the chandelier that hung in the middle of the room.

Walking through the floral garlands that hung from the indoor balcony balustrades. I saw The King standing at the top of the grand stairs.

"Welcome, everyone!" He grinned. "You already know why we're here, and I can't wait for the ball to start. So, let's just skip the speech and go straight to the party, alright? " The guests laughed and applauded. Music was played, and a swarm of people started to dance. Others crowded the tables full of food and pastries.

I linked my arm with Zander's, afraid of getting lost in the crowd, and almost like a reflex, he immediately went to the farthest corner of the room. There, where the walls meet. Where the light wasn't so bright, and the music wasn't so loud. A feeling of great comfort and safety washed over me.

My eyes darted around the room, looking for the closest exit. "We need to get out of here." Zander was as still as a statue.

"I knew I would find you here." A voice approached from behind a pillar. "You always hide. Oh. Good evening, Duchess." The king greeted with a stiff smile that didn't reach his eyes. Hmm, so what I thought about our first meeting was right. He doesn't seem to like me.