Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 88050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Seyn suppressed a wince. “Mother, I told you both that I’m glad Ksar did it—that’s what I wanted, too. I’m not angry.”
“I am,” she said, her voice like steel despite her smile. “I’m allowed to be angry on behalf of my son. I swear when I see Ksar’ngh’chaali, I’ll tell him what I think of his ungrateful, selfish, undeserving—”
Seyn was only distantly aware that his mother was still ranting, but his attention zeroed in on the woman at the other end of the ballroom.
Leylen.
She looked radiant, her smile blinding as she laughed with her friend about something. Her smile froze a little when she caught sight of him. Something flickered in her eyes—something that looked a lot like pity.
A white-hot rage filled Seyn’s chest. He didn’t want her pity. She was the one who should be pitied, not him. He was fine. He was free. He was happy. He was—
“Darling,” his mother said softly. “You’re hurting me.”
“Sorry,” Seyn said, loosening his grip on his mother’s arm and putting on another smile. He ignored the looks people shot between him and Leylen, and tried to ignore the whispers, which was harder to do because of his heightened senses.
“…Have you heard? What a delightful scandal!”
“They say Ksar’ngh’chaali wants to get rid of him in order to marry her.”
“His own brother’s bondmate!”
“She’s beautiful.”
“So is Seyn’ngh’veighli, to be fair.”
“He’s too pale. And it’s hardly a secret that Ksar detests him.”
“She and Ksar will make a striking couple.”
“I feel sorry for Prince Seyn, though.”
“It’s his own fault. I wouldn’t tolerate his scandalous behavior if I were in the Lord Chancellor’s shoes, either.”
“There must be something seriously wrong with him. I know Ksar. He would have honored the contract if there weren’t some serious flaw in his bondmate.”
“I agree, there must be something wrong with Prince Seyn.”
His mother murmured, “Don’t listen to them, Seyn.”
“I’m not listening,” Seyn lied, smiling wider.
Suddenly, he felt his mother tense up. “The nerve of that man,” she hissed under his breath. “How dare he show his face in public after dragging your name through the mud.”
Seyn swallowed. He hadn’t expected that Ksar would be at this ball: he’d barely attended any social gatherings in months.
“Don’t look at him, dear,” his mother murmured.
“Where is he?” Seyn said, making an effort not to look around.
“Over there, talking to Councilor Gfyion and Ambassador Fehtur,” his mother said, her lips curling into a sneer. “Apparently he isn’t a social pariah. Don’t look at him, sweetheart,” she added when he turned his head. “He’s beneath your notice.”
Seyn tried not to look. He did.
But it was impossible. His gaze followed his mother’s glare.
Ksar was in the middle of a group of politicians, looking his haughty, cold self.
As if feeling his gaze, Ksar looked right at him.
Licking his lips, Seyn dragged his eyes away.
He glanced back a few moments later.
Ksar was still looking at him.
“Why are you clinging to your mother’s skirts?”a familiar scathing voice said in his head.
Seyn wasn’t even surprised anymore. Ksar seemed to think he had a right to get into his head whenever he wanted.
“Get out of my head,” he snapped. “And I’m not clinging to my mother’s skirts. I’m escorting her.”
“You usually have an entourage of eager puppies following you around.”
“I guess they now think there must be a fundamental flaw in me,” Seyn said with sarcasm that came out all wrong.
There was silence in response and Seyn started thinking Ksar had gotten out of his head when he spoke again, his mental voice terse and annoyed. “Are you waiting for me to reassure you that there’s nothing wrong with you?”
Seyn glowered at him across the room. “Fuck you. I know there’s nothing wrong with me.”
The haughty, superior look in Ksar’s eyes made his hackles rise.
“Then prove it,” Ksar told him.
Seyn set his jaw.
“Excuse me, Mother,” he said, tearing his gaze away from Ksar. “I see Ambassador Denev over there. I’ll go talk to him.”
His mother looked unsure but nodded.
Seyn strode determinedly toward Ambassador Denev, ignoring the stares and the whispers. He would be damned if he let himself be shunned and ostracized in front of Ksar’s eyes.
Denev seemed partly pleasantly surprised, partly uncomfortable when Seyn approached him.
“Your Highness,” he said after a moment of hesitation, bowing to him slightly. “I didn’t expect to see you here, after…” He trailed off, rubbing his shoulder in discomfort, a faint blue flush appearing on his cheeks. He was a dear, really, one of Seyn’s favorites.
“After what?” Seyn said, raising his eyebrows and smiling kindly, pretending to be oblivious to the fact that everyone around them was listening to their conversation with avid curiosity. “After I finally got myself free of an unwanted bond?”
Denev’s face cleared up. “Of course, Your Highness. Please forgive me for the presumption. I swear I didn’t believe those rumors—I simply…”
“I didn’t doubt it for a moment,” Seyn said with a smile. “Only people who don’t know me would believe that it wasn’t my decision to break the bond. Unfortunately, I’m not of age yet, so I discussed the matter with Ksar’ngh’chaali, and he agreed to file the paperwork.”