The sharp clang of a ceremonial bell silenced the hum of conversation. Nobles froze mid-sentence, their heads turning toward the grand staircase at the far end of the ballroom. The announcement came moments later, the herald’s voice carrying over the now-still crowd:

  “His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Theodoric Vonbern, and Lady Esther Veltran.”

  Cassie stiffened, her hands tightening imperceptibly on the tray she carried. A ripple of tension passed through the room like a storm front, quiet but unmistakable.

  Theodoric had been here for some time, standing at the heart of the noble cliques, his presence a silent force that dictated the flow of conversation. Yet, now the room truly acknowledged him. It wasn’t his mere presence that commanded attention, but rather what this announcement meant.

  All eyes turned to him as he moved with quiet authority, stepping forward from the cluster of nobles who had unconsciously arranged themselves around him. At his side, Lady Esther was a vision of poise and brilliance, her golden gown shimmering under the chandelier’s glow. She smiled, offering a gracious nod to the gathered court, while Theodoric remained cold and unreadable, his gaze sweeping across the room.

  For a moment, the ballroom seemed to hold its breath.

  Cassie stood at the periphery, her gaze fixed on them. The nobles straightened their spines, expressions shifting into masks of admiration and deference. Conversations from earlier—political alliances, whispered rivalries—fell away in favor of a singular focus.

  The herald’s voice rang out again, breaking the silence. “Their Royal Highnesses welcome you all to this evening’s festivities.”

  The murmurs resumed, softer now, as the nobles returned to their conversations with renewed purpose. Theodoric and Esther stepped further into the room, their presence rippling outward.

  Cassie’s tray grew heavier as she stood in place, her gaze following the couple. Theodoric moved with an unhurried confidence, his cold expression betraying no hint of emotion as he acknowledged the shallow bows and murmured greetings from the nobles.

  Esther, in contrast, was all warmth and charm. She smiled effortlessly, her laughter soft and calculated as she responded to flattery from the gathered courtiers. But even in her radiance, there was an edge to her, something sharp that Cassie couldn’t quite name.

  The future queen.

  Cassie’s eyes flicked to Esther again as the woman scanned the room, her gaze sweeping across the crowd with the precision of someone cataloging potential threats and allies. When her eyes landed on Cassie, they lingered just a second too long.

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  A flicker of disdain crossed Esther’s face before she turned away, her attention shifting back to the nobles clustered around her.

  Cassie exhaled softly, keeping her expression neutral. She adjusted her tray and moved along the edge of the room, ensuring the glasses of champagne remained perfectly aligned.

  Esther basked in the attention of the crowd as they flocked around her, offering compliments and thinly veiled attempts to curry favor. She played her role flawlessly, her smile unwavering as she charmed those nearest to her.

  But Cassie caught something else beneath the surface. Theodoric stood slightly behind her, his posture rigid, his face an unchanging mask. He didn’t interrupt or interject, simply letting Esther take center stage. And yet, his presence was impossible to ignore—a silent reminder that he controlled this space, even without speaking.

  As Cassie passed near a cluster of nobles, their hushed conversation caught her attention.

  “Have you seen the Crown Prince tonight?” one woman murmured, her jeweled fan fluttering as she leaned closer to her companion.

  “He’s colder than ever,” the other replied, her tone laced with intrigue. “Do you think he even likes her?”

  The first woman smirked. “Does it matter? It’s a political match. She knows her role, and he knows his. Love has nothing to do with it.”

  Cassie paused briefly, pretending to adjust the balance of her tray as she listened.

  “Still,” the second woman continued, her voice quieter now, “there’s tension between them, don’t you think? The way he looks at her—it’s almost... detached.”

  Cassie’s gaze flicked toward the couple again. Theodoric stood at Esther’s side, his eyes scanning the room rather than focusing on her. His expression remained unreadable, but there was a rigidity to his posture, a subtle tension in the set of his jaw.

  The whispers continued, but Cassie moved on, the weight of the tray steadying her focus.

  As the evening progressed, Theodoric and Esther made their way toward the center of the ballroom, where the first dance was to take place. The crowd parted for them, forming a wide circle as the musicians prepared to play.

  Cassie stepped back further into the shadows, her tray empty now but her mind still turning. She couldn’t shake the unease that had settled over her since their arrival.

  Theodoric reminded her too much of Haides. That same calculated silence, the same ability to control a room without raising his voice. But unlike Haides, there was no curiosity in Theodoric’s gaze, no sense of intrigue. He was a wall, cold and unyielding, and she couldn’t help but wonder what lay behind it—if anything at all.

  And then there was Esther. The disdainful flicker in her gaze, the way she commanded attention so effortlessly, as though she were born for this role. She was everything a queen was supposed to be—beautiful, charismatic, untouchable.

  But even queens had enemies.

  Cassie’s thoughts were interrupted by the first notes of the orchestra. The crowd clapped politely as Theodoric and Esther took their places in the center of the room, their movements synchronized and deliberate.

  The dance began, their steps precise and controlled. The nobles watched with thinly veiled awe, their faces a mix of admiration and envy.

  Cassie observed from the edge of the room, her unease growing. Whatever game was being played here, she had no intention of becoming a pawn in it.

  But she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was already caught in its web.