Nocturna (A Forgery of Magic #1)(29)

After a silence stretched between them, Alfie couldn’t stop the apology rising within him. “I’m so sorry that everything that happened has led to . . . that now your life is not what you thought it would . . .” He couldn’t get the words right. “I’m just sorry that everything has happened as it did. And I’m sorry that everything is uncertain now.” The apology sounded clunky, but he hoped she would understand.

She gave him a small, knowing smile, as if she could read his thoughts. “It’s not your fault, Prince Alfehr. And I’m hardly the only one with an uncertain future now. I’m sorry for you and your family too.”

Alfie nodded, feeling the awkwardness trickle away. “Thank you, Aurora.” He smoothed his tunic and swallowed before posing his next question. “I never asked you this before, and I know I may be overstepping but . . . Did you and Dez . . . ,” Alfie began, his voice lowering. “I just want to say that if you and Dez loved each other and you would rather not be considered as my betrothed, I will do everything within my power to guide my parents against matching us. You and I, we don’t have to be anything that you’re not comfortable with.”

Aurora looked down for a moment, and Alfie couldn’t tell if he’d gravely disrespected her with such a question. But then she looked up at him, her eyes sympathetic. “I appreciate your concern, Prince Alfehr. Your brother and I were close, but only as friends. We both knew what this was. I was chosen to be a queen, not to be the love of his life,” she said lightly, but her eyes bore a sadness that Alfie recognized. “I still miss him though.”

“I know.” If they were not so obviously being watched by everyone in the ballroom he would’ve reached to touch her arm. “I do too. Every day.”

“And his memory, it’s everywhere in the palace, isn’t it?” she said, her eyes sweeping over the ballroom. “I’ve been avoiding coming to speak with you because I was afraid that it would be too . . .” She pressed her lips together in a thin line. “It must be hard.”

Alfie felt a lump in his throat. “It is.”

She gave him a watery smile. “We should talk about something else, shouldn’t we?”

Alfie nodded, his eyes burning. “How is your flame casting? Still as impressive as ever?”

Her smile turned into more of a smirk at that. She raised her hand and flexed her fingers. Alfie watched the beginnings of lightning crackling at her fingertips. It was the most difficult feat for a flame caster to learn and very few ever did. Not even Dezmin had been able to summon lightning. Yet Aurora had a handle on it before the age of twenty. Nobles seldom dabbled in elemental magic, but she was such a prodigy that her family sought to nurture her talent.

“Of course,” Aurora said triumphantly as she let the pinpricks of light at her fingertips fade. Then she leaned closer to whisper conspiratorially. “We both know that the king and queen chose me so that they could have a grandchild who would light the palace on fire before they could even walk.”

For a moment Alfie was stunned into silence at her bluntness, but then the two burst out laughing. She was right: his mother and father had certainly been keen on her as a future queen not only for her standing and her beauty but also for her talent in both elemental and spoken magic. It was nice to be around someone who knew the smoke and mirrors of his world.

“Well, if that comes to pass, I’m a skilled water charmer, so we won’t lose the palace entirely.”

“Yes.” She laughed before saying to him softly, “No matter what happens, betrothal or no, we’ll be just fine, you and I.”

Alfie found himself nodding. “I think you’re right.”

A comfortable silence wrapped around them, and for a moment, Alfie felt light.

Then he looked over Aurora’s shoulder and saw Tiago Vera approaching Luka. Though Alfie couldn’t see his face, he knew by the tightness of Luka’s shoulders that Luka was uncomfortable.

“Aurora,” Alfie said, “I’m sorry, but I must excuse myself.”

“It’s all right,” she said with a warm smile. She touched his arm, and he was happy for the comfort. “It was nice to speak with you, Prince Alfehr.”

“And you.” He bowed low to her again, holding it for an extra moment in respect to her. She curtsied before turning to walk to a group of other young noblewomen. As quickly as he could without calling the attention of the guests, Alfie began to dart across the room to Luka’s side.

“Luka,” Tiago crowed. “So nice to see you.”

Tiago and Luka had courted for months before Tiago had left Luka for one of his friends. Luka had spiraled into a sadness that Alfie had never seen on him. He’d only been sixteen, his first heartbreak. That pain was something Alfie never wanted to see marring his spirit again. To this day, Tiago was hell-bent on reminding Luka of how thoroughly he’d crushed him.

Even if Luka refused to speak to him, Alfie wasn’t going to let him handle this alone. He sped to Luka’s side and cleared his throat. Tiago’s triumphant smirk fell away.

“Your Highness,” he said, dropping into a low bow. Alfie had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. “Welcome home. It’s been so long since I saw you last.”

“Tiago,” Alfie said, tilting his chin up. “It truly has been too long. I’ve been far from home and yet, even at sea, I did hear of you squandering half your inheritance gambling over the summer.”