The Debutante (Season Series #2)

Chapter 8: The Inaugural Ball (Part 3)

"She certainly knows how to make an entrance."

I could have fainted with relief as Xavier landed a hand on my shoulder. It was only at his touch that I was able to bring myself to rise.

"A dance?" he asked, then added upon taking one look at my face, "Or perhaps some food?"

The music started for another waltz and I swallowed my groan.

"Food," I managed, keeping my back decidedly turned so I wouldn't be forced to watch Andrew waltz with the foreign princess.

Ardalone was a neighbour far to the south, a powerful ally made rich by their abundance of gemstone mines and agriculture. While I knew little about military matters, I knew enough from my two brothers to understand that when Ardalone became involved in a conflict, their side usually won.

In other words, it was a country whose princess I wanted to keep very, very far from my prince.

"By the looks of it, you're not the only debutante in shock," Xavier leaned down to whisper, nodding his head towards where Ashley was furiously whispering with Sarah Thornbury, the latter vigorously batting herself with her fan. The pair of them were following the princess with venomous eyes, a look of absolute loathing on Ashley's perfect face.

"Yes, but I am the only one here by the prince's invitation and he most certainly did not warn me," I muttered darkly. Xavier pressed a glass of punch into my hand which I threw back before serving myself another. Clearing his throat, his eyebrows once again sky high, he hastily filled me a plate and exchanged it for my second empty glass.

"There must be a reason," Xavier said, sipping his own punch much more respectably as he urged me to eat.

"Can you believe it? A real Ardalonian princess!" Annabelle gasped, coming up beside me to serve herself some punch. I was picking over the food, studiously staring down at my plate rather than towards the dancers.

"Indeed," I muttered bitterly, stuffing a biscuit into my mouth.

"I can't wait to meet her, she must be so exciting!" Annabelle gushed, "Ella would expire of jealousy if I became friends with a foreign princess!"

"How I envy your optimism," I said, setting down my empty plate and collecting another glass of punch. I took a hefty swallow, my traitorous eyes shifting towards the dance floor. Thankfully, I was able to force them upwards before I could seek out the red formal jacket and the ruby dress, focusing instead on counting the candles in the chandeliers.

"What's gotten into her?" Annabelle asked Xavier, shooting me a sidelong look.

"Someone stepped on her foot," Xavier said. I couldn't help it as the corner of my mouth twitched up into the ghost of a smile. I took another sip of punch to hide it.

"How dreadful! It wasn't that great oaf Pendleton, was it?" Annabelle said, horrified.

"Not in the least," I said, "And despite his dentition he is most certainly not an oaf."

"Indeed," Annabelle said skeptically, "Well you'd better hope your foot feels better soon. There's bound to be a clamour for the prince's next dance now that the competition has so suddenly escalated."

Xavier shot me a look, but I was already setting down my now empty glass.

"Then I'd best go test it out," I said, stalking away from the pair of them.

I couldn't stand more idle chatter, not when a million questions were crowding my thoughts. At the forefront was why Andrew hadn't warned me there would be another princess in our midst, this one much more daunting since she was in no way related to my prince as Anne was.