One Iridescent Night: A Cinderella Retelling by Brianne Wik

Author:Brianne Wik [Wik, Brianne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-06-28T16:00:00+00:00

26

Ryker

The last few days had left me utterly drained. First Father’s declining health and the looming threat of the throne, then Liam’s ragged emotions over reconnecting with his long lost Evelyn, and now the first girl I had ever truly fallen for had run away from me. It felt like a bad omen for how my kingship would go.

“The first estate is coming up, Your Highness.”

I looked up to find Rafe at my side, eyeing me with caution. I wondered what expression I’d been wearing on my face. “Excellent. Thank you, Rafe.”

I wished Liam was here with me. I knew he needed to check on his Evelyn, but with all the nerves swirling around inside me, I couldn’t help but feel that I had been demoted to second place today. Liam was my best friend, practically my brother, and I relied on him constantly. Probably too much. But still, it felt wrong that he wasn’t at my side for this.

“I’ll take the lead so we can keep you concealed as long as possible,” Rafe stated, then watched me, waiting for my confirmation. I nodded once, and he seemed satisfied by it, moving to the front of our group.

I suppose, if I thought about it, I was doing exactly what Liam was doing today, putting the search for my Iridescent in front of all other responsibilities. I chuckled softly to myself at my own hypocrisy, and our unavoidable sameness. The guardsman next to me flashed a quizzical look my way, and I just waved my hand, brushing away my strange behavior without explanation.

The Halleford Estate loomed in front of us, already bustling with activity this morning. Their carriage was parked in the front courtyard, making it look as though they were either just leaving or just returning from somewhere. As we entered the courtyard, Lord and Lady Halleford came out to greet us. They looked intrigued but concerned by our small cluster of royal guards. I didn’t blame them; this certainly was not a normal occurrence.

Rafe hopped off his horse and approached the couple. “Lord and Lady Halleford, I presume?” They nodded in confirmation. “We are the Royal Guard of his Royal Highness, Crown Prince Ryker, and by order of His Majesty the King, we have been tasked to find a maiden who attended the ball last night. Were you both in attendance?”

Lady Halleford clapped her hands together, bouncing on her heels. “Oh! Are you looking for that stunning girl the prince danced with last night? Oooh! Darling, do you remember her? Oh, she was a dream. The two of them together . . . it was so romantic.”

I couldn’t help but smile, listening to Lady Halleford gush over my mystery woman. Perhaps the whole kingdom would feel the same way about her that I did.

Lord Halleford shifted on his feet, grimacing at his wife’s high-pitched squeals. “Yes, dear, I remember.” He patted her hand placatingly. “But what does this have to do with us?”

I surveyed their estate while Rafe explained the situation, asking if they had any children or eligible young maidens in their stead.

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