Her Secret Royal Dilemma by Chantelle Shaw

Author:Chantelle Shaw [Shaw, Chantelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mills & Boon Modern
Published: 2022-05-31T23:00:00+00:00

The ballroom was vast and even more opulent than the other rooms Arielle had glimpsed when Gustav had escorted her through the palace. The polished parquet floor gleamed beneath the lights blazing from many chandeliers. Elegant marble columns rose up to meet the frescoed ceiling, and the vibrant blue silk wall panels were edged with gilded mouldings.

She was directed to join the line of female guests standing on one side of the ballroom opposite the men who had formed another line. The young woman next to Arielle looked towards the doorway and said excitedly, ‘They’ll be here any minute.’

‘Who?’

‘The royal family. They will make an entrance when all the guests are assembled. Is this your first ball?’ Without waiting for Arielle to reply, the woman explained, ‘Prince Otto has been ill, and he is not here tonight, so Prince Eirik will escort his mother. As they walk down the room, the women will curtsey to the Prince and the men will bow to Princess Hulda. Then Prince Eirik will choose a partner for the first dance. It’s rumoured that he will dance with the woman he intends to marry. Naturally, everyone will try to guess her identity behind her mask. Although his most likely choice of bride is Baron Lundberg’s daughter. Ida is easy to spot with her pale blonde hair, and she is wearing a white dress and mask. Perhaps a hint that she will soon be wearing a wedding dress,’ the woman said with a heavy sigh.

Arielle’s gaze was drawn to the set of doors as they were flung open by footmen and Prince Eirik, with Princess Hulda on his arm, entered the ballroom to a fanfare of trumpets. They walked slowly between the two lines of guests and each woman in turn bobbed a curtsey as Eirik passed by.

He looked breathtaking in a superbly tailored tuxedo that emphasised the broadness of his shoulders. His dark blond hair was swept back from his brow, and a black and gold mask drew attention to his sculpted cheekbones, but of course it could not disguise his identity. He possessed an aura of power and pre-eminence that set him apart from other men.

Arielle’s heart thumped as Eirik drew nearer to where she was standing in the line. Her eyes met his intense gaze and she saw something flare in those blue depths that heated her blood. She was conscious of his smouldering scrutiny as he roved his eyes over her velvet gown and sleek hairstyle before lingering on the emeralds and diamonds at her throat. Her breath was trapped in her lungs, and she felt as though only she and Eirik existed.

The strange sense that they belonged to each other body and soul lasted mere seconds before she became aware that Princess Hulda had turned her head and was looking at her. Eirik’s mother’s coldly assessing stare sent a shiver through Arielle, and she released a shaky breath when the Prince and Princess walked on.

When they reached the far end of the room, Eirik led his mother to a chair and waited for her to be seated.

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