Chapter 53: Always a Friend

ELRETH

They were all out there, dancing and having fun. And because she was Queen and she couldn't be seen to use her power to press others, and because no one had asked her, she was just sitting there.

Her stomach ached. And she wanted to bite something.

She'd sat there for nearly an hour, and not a single male had asked her to dance. Was this what it was going to be like, now? Was Dargyn the only one who'd had the courage to express interest, and since she'd told him no, now she would just be… alone?

Except, Aaryn.

There was still a chance.

She hadn't found him in the market and it was making her twitch. He must have been at the back, too far away to scent in the crowd. He probably left already. He was a good dancer, but he got bored quickly. And… and they were still fighting. She just prayed he'd stayed long enough to hear her speech. To know she had a plan.