Chapter 178: Dance Lesson

Elara:

The welcoming party was a week away, but apparently, that didn’t mean I was allowed to enjoy even a single peaceful day before it arrived.

If anything, the moment Mrs. Valemont’s invitation entered my life, the Royal Palace transformed into a highly organized battlefield, and I was the unfortunate soldier being dragged from one disastrous mission to another.

The first day disappeared entirely into shopping. Gowns, shoes, jewelry, handbags, hair accessories, and enough other things to make me question whether attending a party required a royal wardrobe or an entire shopping mall. Sera and Mrs. Nettle seemed determined to ensure I had every possible item I might need, while I spent most of the day following them around with the enthusiasm of someone being marched toward execution.

The second day was devoted to surviving three-inch heels. Apparently, looking elegant required suffering, and walking normally was an unreasonable expectation for a princess. By the end of several hours of practice, my feet hurt, my patience had vanished, and I had developed a profound respect for every woman who could walk in those things without looking like she was negotiating with gravity.

The third day was somehow worse. A full-body waxing, facial, haircut, and massage had been arranged under the charming excuse of preparing me for the party. I had walked into the beauty salon believing I would emerge looking refreshed and beautiful. Instead, I discovered that becoming presentable according to noble standards involved a truly alarming number of procedures.

By the fourth evening, I was convinced the worst was over. I had a gown, accessories, shoes, and apparently a face that had survived professional scrutiny. I had even started imagining myself spending the remaining 3 days reading peacefully, perhaps catching up on my studies or simply enjoying the rare luxury of being left alone. Naturally, the universe found that amusing.

The announcement arrived the following afternoon while I was enjoying a perfectly peaceful cup of tea in the sitting room. Sera entered with a schedule in her hands and informed me that I had a dance lesson shortly.

I stared at her over the rim of my cup. "A what?"

She looked at me as though I had just asked what water was. "A ballroom dancing lesson, Princess. Anyone attending formal events involving Starfall’s elite families is expected to know the basic dances. As the Crown Princess, you will be expected to do considerably more than the basics."

I slowly lowered my cup. "You are telling me that I need to learn how to dance now?"

"Yes."

"In the middle of everything else?"

"Yes."

"And you couldn’t have mentioned this before I spent four days being tortured by shopping, heels, and beauty treatments?"

Sera’s expression remained maddeningly composed. "I assumed you were already aware that ballroom dancing was part of a royal education."

I pressed my lips together. Of course she had assumed that. Everyone in Starfall seemed to assume I had somehow absorbed an entire royal curriculum through osmosis while growing up in Florida. "Fine," I muttered, setting my cup down. "Who is teaching me?"

"Headmaster Moonveil."

I froze. For a moment, I genuinely wondered whether I had heard her correctly. "I’m sorry. Who?"

"Regent Lorien Moonveil," she repeated, apparently oblivious to the sudden disaster unfolding inside my head. "He offered to conduct your lessons personally."

I stared at her in disbelief, then leaned back against the sofa and closed my eyes. Of all the people in Starfall, of all the men who could possibly have been assigned to teach me how to dance, it had to be him. The universe wasn’t merely laughing at me anymore. It was actively plotting my downfall.

I hadn’t seen Lorien in nearly two weeks, not since arriving at the Royal Palace. In the aftermath of the accident, we had spent considerable time together, and for a little while, I had allowed myself to believe that perhaps the tension between us had finally settled into something manageable.

We had worked through the investigation, discussed security arrangements, and dealt with the immediate aftermath of everything that had happened.

For a brief moment, I had almost forgotten how complicated things between us really were. Almost. Because the instant I entered the palace’s private ballroom and saw Lorien waiting near the center of the polished floor, every unnamed memory I had carefully buried came rushing back.

He stood in a fitted black shirt and tailored trousers, his silver hair falling neatly around his face, looking infuriatingly calm and handsome beneath the warm chandeliers. His blue eyes found mine, and his lips curved into that familiar, polite smile. "Good afternoon, Your Highness."

I wanted to turn around and leave. Instead, I managed a stiff greeting before walking toward him, reminding myself that I was a Crown Princess and could surely survive one dance lesson without making a complete fool of myself.

Then he held out his hand, and I placed mine in it. The next moment, he drew me toward him, positioning one hand at my waist while his other held mine. My free hand settled against his shoulder, and suddenly, the distance between us felt criminally small.

The memories hit me so abruptly that I nearly missed his first instruction.

The night at Shadow Creek returned in fragments - the moon orchid, the heat spreading through my body, the confusion, and the moment in his car when every sensible thought had seemed to disappear beneath the effects of the substance I had consumed.

I remembered his lips against mine,his body against mine, the way I had clung to him, and the mortifying realization that had followed the next morning. My cheeks grew hot, and I immediately looked away.

"Something wrong?" Lorien asked, his voice quiet enough that it seemed meant only for me.

"Nothing," I answered too quickly.

His hand remained steady at my waist as he began guiding me through the first steps. "Then look at me, Starlight. Ballroom dancing becomes considerably more difficult when you attempt to escape your partner’s gaze."