Zane~
I barely heard the final words of my father's speech. The heavy echoes of his voice still thundered in my mind like an endless storm.
Natalie.
Darius.
The ball.
Why?
I needed answers. And I needed to see her.
The second the court was dismissed, I shot through the crowd like a man possessed, my boots slamming against the marble floor. Nobles and ministers tried to stop me, their perfumed hands grazing my arms as they whispered, trying to get me to tell them what was on the king's mind, but I shook them off like flies.
I stormed into the private wing of the palace, pushing open the grand oak doors to my father's chambers without knocking.
He was waiting for me. Standing by the window, his crown catching the last slivers of sunlight.
"Why?" I demanded, my voice rough with the rage burning in my chest. "Why do you want her at the ball? Why do you want Darius there too?"
