Chapter 66
Chapter 66
Lila
The gardens had never looked more curated.
Even the air felt arranged—light, perfumed with blooming roses and honeysuckle, touched with just enough breeze to stir the silk banners strung between marble columns. Golden sunlight filtered through carefully trimmed topiaries and glittered against polished silver trays of sparkling juice.
The entire court had come out to watch us parade like trained animals. And they’d brought company.
Nobles I’d never seen before milled along the stone walkways. Familiar ones lounged under shaded pavilions with drinks in hand and expressions that said they were here to be entertained.
Behind them, farther back but ever–present, were the discreet scribes and public chroniclers, styluses tucked behind ears, waiting like hounds for a scandal to scent.
Casual showcase, they called it.
It felt more like public judgment.
I moved slowly toward the starting path of the promenade, my posture straight, spine aching with tension.
My gown was a pale slate–blue, simple by court standards but clean, elegant. I’d chosen it carefully–meant to evoke calm control. It didn’t feel like enough and it certainly didn’t help bring me more calm.
Vanessa was already laughing with a ring of nobles, one hand resting lightly on the wrist of some Lord I didn’t recognize. Her voice rang like bells, flirtatious and easy. Her dress was pale pink silk with embroidered thorns–fitting. Everything about her gleamed.
A few steps beyond, Nora stood beneath a trellis dripping with white wisteria. She wasn’t speaking much, but she didn’t need to. The way she stood- with one shoulder angled toward the sun and her chin lifted slightly–made her look like the goddess of diplomatic restraint. When she did speak, her words were soft but purposeful.
And me?
I felt like raw stone. Presentable, maybe. But unfinished. Unshaped.
I shifted my weight, adjusting my grip on my gloves, and tried not to stare too long at either of them. At least Emma wasn’t assigned to this portion. I couldn’t bear the thought of watching her feel uncomfortable for me.
A voice brushed close behind me. “Careful, Lucky. You’re standing like you’re about to be executed.”
I turned to find Asher standing entirely too close, his expression unreadable behind the easy smile. He was dressed in deep gray, nearly black, with a high–collared jacket that looked more suited for a rogue prince than a royal cousin.
“I didn’t realize I had a partner,” I said quietly, keeping my expression neutral.
“You do now,” he said, offering his arm. “No one fights over me at these things. I’m the wildcard. The scandal insurance. Damon’s too precious to be seen with anyone right now, and the other girls are all paired with safe, photogenic favorites.”
I hesitated for just a breath. Then I slid I my hand into the crook of his arm, spine stiff.
He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping. “Don’t worry, I’m excellent at pretending to be harmless.”
That, at least, I believed.
A steward with a scroll stepped forward and read the pairings for the promenade aloud. When he announced, “Lady Elena and Lord Asher, third pair,” I felt every head turn toward us. Even Vanessa’s gaze flicked over for a moment, brow arched.
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Chapter 66
Let them look.
The first two pairs set off at a measured pace, weaving down the polished garden path while the crowd murmured and sailed and mano no Laughter bubbled from one of the side pavilions–too loud, too rehearsed.
“I hate this part,” I muttered as the second pair began their walk.
Asher didn’t flinch. “Then don’t walk like you’re in a pageant. Walk like you own the path.”
I adjusted my grip on his arm. “Easy for you to
say.”
He glanced down at me, something darker flickering behind his smile. “You’re not the one pretending today, Elena. I am?
The steward nodded to us. It was our turn. And so I walked.
The media whispered as we passed, quills flicking against parchment. My heartbeat was a dull roar in my ears.
The performance had begun. Each step echoed louder in my mind than it did on the stone.
We walked slowly, gracefully, the way we’d been trained the last few days–arms linked, posture immaculate, faces serene. The sun filtered through the overhead vines, dappling Asher’s dark jacket in soft gold. His cologne was subtle, sharp like clove and crushed pine needles.
My breath came evenly, but it was effort. Every muscle in my body was working to maintain the illusion: calm, capable, composed.
Asher, of course, looked effortless.
“Smile,” he said softly. “You’re the highlight of my morning.”
I didn’t. “If you’re trying to distract me, it’s working.”
“That’s the idea.” His tone was light, but something beneath it pulsed with heat. “You’re too stiff. Loosen up, Lucky. You’re walking like your bones are made of borrowed glass.”
I clenched my jaw but eased my fingers slightly against his arm. “This isn’t a dance.”
“No,” he said. “But it is a game. And you’re acting like it’s already over.”
The path turned sharply around a marble bench. We passed another grouping of nobles–three older women in plum–colored gowns sipping from delicate flutes. One of them leaned toward the other, whispering behind her hand.
I didn’t catch the words, but I caught the tone.
I tilted my chin up slightly. Asher noticed.
“Let them whisper,” he murmured. “They’re starved for novelty. And you, my dear, are the only one left who hasn’t been packaged and sold.”
“Yet,” I said.
He gave a soft laugh. “Yet.”
Ahead, Nora stepped toward a conversation circle/accepting a glass of juice from a steward. Her smile was subtle and perfect. A noble lord beside her reached to brush something from her shoulder, and she inclined her head in acknowledgment.
Everything about her screamed Luna. I kept walking, letting the silence settle between Asher and me stretch until he broke it.
“You know,” he said, quieter now, “I notice when you leave.”
My steps faltered. Just a breath. Just enough for him to feel the tension in my arm.
Chapter 66
“When you vanish from the halls. When your scent fades from the corridor. Damon might brood by the window and pretend not to care, but see it. He angled his head, watching me out of the corner of his eye. “You’re very good at disappearing. But not from me.”
I focused ahead, heart pounding in my chest. “You don’t know me.”
“No,” he said, “but I’ve been watching. And I think you’re tired of becoming someone for other people’s comfort.”
His fingers brushed lightly against the back of my hand. It was subtle. Not a claim, but a whisper of something more.
“You don’t have to be Lady Elena with me.”
My throat tightened.
We turned the final bend. The exit pavilion loomed ahead where nobles waited with shallow applause and pleasant smiles. A few scribes glanced our way, taking final notes.
I could feel eyes on me–some curious, some calculating, some obviously disappointed.
“And what would I be with you?” I asked.
Asher’s smile curved like a blade. “Unedited.”
We stepped onto the platform, bowed to the crowd. Asher’s hand lingered an extra beat at my back, warm through the fabric.
When I straightened, I caught sight of Damon across the garden. Surrounded by advisors. Standing still. Watching everything and nothing. He didn’t look
at me.
And Asher, watching my face, smiled wider.
