The crowd roared its approval at the pronouncement. The king stepped toward his son, clapping him on the shoulder. They looked at each other not as father and son, but as enemy combatants, waiting for the fight.

“Let the past be the past and old transgressions forgotten,” the king said to his only son. “Let’s welcome him back properly.”

Fordham inclined his head at his father and raised his hand to the adoring crowd.

“That’s our cue,” Prescott said.

Kerrigan followed Prescott across the room to where Fordham and Wynter stood with their father and his new bride. Upon closer inspection, Queen Viviana couldn’t have been much older than Kerrigan. And she was the first to notice Kerrigan.

“What’s this?” Viviana asked. “Your pet?”

Fordham brought her close to him. “Kerrigan, this is Queen Viviana.”

Kerrigan curtsied deeply.

“And my father, King Samael.”

“Your Majesty,” she breathed, sinking even lower.

“You trained her up, I see,” Viviana said. “Enchanting.”

“Well, what do you think of the ball?” Samael asked Fordham.

“Unexpected,” he said carefully. “I have been trying to reach you for two days, and you have been busy.”

“Save politics for after the party,” the king said.

Viviana stepped up to Kerrigan, inspecting her like a prized horse, as the other women had. She leaned in close and pinched her arm, hard. “You’ll never have him, leatha.”

Kerrigan stilled at the comment. Benton had said that the queen was the worst sort of Fae. That she had come from a family of half-Fae haters. That she could handle. But she hadn’t mentioned that the queen was apparently smitten with Fordham.

“Viviana, dear, let’s dance.”

“Yes, darling,” she said, winking at Fordham as she passed onto the dance floor.

“Fordham, give that girl a proper twirl.”

“Shall we?” Fordham asked, gritting his teeth.

Kerrigan took his proffered hand. As they moved onto the dance floor, she breathed to him, “Viviana?”

He made a small sound of disgust. “I’ll tell you about it later.”

“Ah,” she whispered.

And then the music began, and all thoughts fled her mind. She had taken many dance lessons at the House of Dragons, mostly to satisfy Darby’s love of it. But it had never been Kerrigan’s love. Not because she was not good at it, but because it reminded her too much of home. Today, she would have to lean into that.

“Follow my lead,” Fordham said as they drew close together for the intro.

“I know how to dance, princeling,” she teased.

His eyes narrowed. “The way that you knew how to fight?”

“No,” she breathed. “The way that you do.”

He arched an eyebrow at her as the music began, and all the dancers stepped into place.