Arranged: An Array Series (Book #1)(74)
“How so?” Eve asked quickly, leaning forward, eyes wide.
“Well…the sleeves, for instance. We don’t have them normally, and if we do, they are slid down to the shoulders.”
Eve’s jaw dropped. “So, your shoulders are completely bare?”
Isabella chuckled lightly. “Yes, love, we are more of a carefree people. The temperature is warmer there, and women are treated like treasures, not a means for stability and power.”
“It sounds wonderful,” Eve chimed, smiling at me, and I grinned in response. It did sound marvelous. A means of adventure, and distance from my chaotic nature as of late.
“Hara is having a party here tonight, in her honor. I would love for you both to attend. Let your hair down, literally. Arunan ladies like to keep their hair flowing and free.”
Eve clapped her hands in delight and looked at me. “We don’t have anything planned tonight, do we?”
I really just wanted to read in my room tonight and continue to do so, until I was free to leave with no danger, but I didn’t want to let her down. Eve’s face exuded excitement, and I couldn’t wipe that away.
“We’d love to come,” I chimed in, trying to sound enthusiastic and motivated to attend.
“Wonderful!” Isabella beamed with a smile. “I’ll have some dresses brought in. We’ll have them fitted and—oh. That is, if you ladies want to dress up in Arunan clothes. You really don’t ha—”
“We’d love to!” Eve interrupted.
“Then let us finish our drinks, and we’ll get a seamstress to fit you ladies and dress your hair properly. You both are in for a delight.”
∞∞∞
Delight was an understatement. Streams of purple, blue, and green silk cascaded from the ceiling, matching the tablecloths covered with mountains of various fruits and cheeses. Hundreds of candles glinted in the space, making it romantic and whimsical. Music lofted through the air, the beat and sounds so different.
Standing in a corner of the ballroom, I soaked everything in. Running my hands down my light blue gown that flowed freely and casually around my body, I felt the air brush lightly off my plunging backline. Men’s eyes looked curiously at me as they passed by, studying the lines of pearls draped over my shoulders that held up my gown. Clenching the fabric, I kept my chin up, a little uncomfortable at all my exposed skin.
Eve hadn’t stopped asking questions since Isabella had asked us to join. She patiently answered all of them, from how women were courted to the kinds of foods and entertainment that were popular there. The courting of ladies was interesting, as a man would fight to keep his interests known to other men. It sounded barbaric, but I hadn’t been fought over before. It could be romantic.
“This is beyond words,” Eve murmured. “I never dreamed of something like this, have you, A?”
I never knew that anything like this even existed, which made my craving for traveling the world that much more enticing.
“No, I haven’t,” I replied, peering over at her. She was dressed in a strapless ruby gown, a sheer piece of fabric covering her bosom. “The people are so lighthearted and cheerful. Look at how much fun they are having just dancing. No steps, just moving to the rhythm.”
Couples moved effortlessly around the floor. Some held hands while others swayed casually in front of each other. The steps were uncalculated, graceful, and fascinating.
“Makes me wonder how different the men are.” She tugged at my arm. “Come, let us discover everything what Aruna has to offer. Deal?”
I didn’t even have to think about it. “Deal.”
∞∞∞
“You dance divinely, my Lady,” His Eminence, Kai Faure, said, as he twirled me around the dance floor.
“It is easy to be a good dancer when there aren’t any steps to follow.”
“Regardless,” he countered, “let me compliment my dancing partner. It’s rare for a woman to not know who I am. You took a shot to my pride.”
“I’ve lived a sheltered life,” I deadpan. Kai was the fourth son of the Emperor of Aruna and made sure I was aware of it within seconds of our meeting. He was pleasant to look at, with sandy brown hair and eyes, and olive skin that matched many of the guests here. My only issue was that he talked too much and was killing my fuzzy feeling from my intake of multiple drinks.
“So I’ve been told,” he replied in a low, husky voice. “You were stored away like an expensive jewel. Nothing so beautiful and extraordinary should be kept away. It should be shown off like a magnificent piece of art. You were born in the wrong country. We would have treated you like the goddess you are.”
“If I had a shilling for every time someone said that to me, Your Eminence, I would be richer than you,” I teased with a grin. That earned me a large smile.
His eyes glimmered. “Duly noted. It shall never be spoken about again.”
“Again?” I widened my eyes. “You mean I have to suffer through another conversation with you, Your Eminence?”
He chuckled. “Only if you want to, my darling.” He leaned in. “I don’t chase women, they chase me.”
The closeness didn’t affect me, for some reason. Maybe it was the liquor, or the fact that he didn’t intimidate me with his status, but he intrigued me.