And then she saw him. He looked completely out of place. Not because he wasn’t a gentleman or finely dressed, but because he was too good looking. He had dark hair and striking eyes, and there was something about him that set him apart from the other men in the room.

They didn’t make men like him in London. He was too perfect, with his finely sculpted features, his strong jaw and cleft chin. He was like something out of a fairy tale. She wouldn’t be surprised if his name were Prince Dashing, that’s how perfect he was. She had never seen such a handsome man possessing such an unmistakable boyish charm. She could see it from across the room as he talked to Lady Hackle, the two of them laughing, her friend completely charmed by him.

She could almost swear they were talking about her. She wondered if she was blushing, then scolded herself for acting like a giddy schoolgirl. She quickly sorted out her fluttering feelings, set herself straight, and choked down her nervousness. She had never felt in less control of her feelings before, but she managed to gather herself just in time for Lady Hackle and this mysterious man to make their way across the room to where she was standing.

“Lady Tremaine,” Lady Hackle said, “I would like to introduce you to Sir Richard. He is visiting us from the Many Kingdoms.”

Lady Tremaine smiled and put out her hand. “So this is the much-talked-about Sir Richard. It is lovely to meet you,” she said as the gentleman kissed her hand.

“I’m honored to meet you, Lady Tremaine.” He looked her in the eye with such intensity that her heart started to flutter again.

“So, tell me about these Many Kingdoms, Sir Richard. I find it interesting that so many kingdoms could coexist without conflict. That so many kings and queens could reside in such close proximity peacefully.”

Sir Richard laughed. “Oh, the courts within the Many Kingdoms have their local conflicts but never with neighboring kingdoms. There always seems to be some wicked person causing trouble for one kingdom or another, but never in ours. Thankfully in our corner of the Many Kingdoms we are a peaceful court free of wickedness. I wish I could say the same for our neighboring kingdom; it is rumored there is a beast there that runs wild.”