Zoya Trivedi pulled up the formal gown irritably, resenting the need for such attire. It was absurd for her to be present here, let alone dressed up for some arrogant, self-centred individual.

She had clearly expressed her disinterest this weekend to her parents, yet here she was.

Regrettably, she couldn't simply disregard the invitation. After all, he was the crown prince of Jaipur.

But why was she here? As Zoya surveyed her surroundings, she noticed numerous eager and enthusiastic women, most of whom were more beautiful and composed than she was. Of course, she had intentionally played down her looks by wearing minimal makeup and an unflattering dress from her wardrobe.

She couldn't comprehend why so many women had been invited to a grand ball at the palace.

If the rumours were true, the prince was in search of a wife.

However, he was already thirty years old and had remained unmarried until now. Why would he conform to tradition and marry at this point? It made no sense. Similarly, it made little sense for her and her parents to be present either.

Her father was prosperous and well-regarded in the government, but he held no high-ranking position or leadership role.Then what the hell was he doing here, dragging her along.

But that was irrelevant to Zoya. The rumours about the prince needing a wife must be true. Since she had no aspirations for that role, she wished she could turn around, return home, and curl up on her comfortable chair with a good book. Her heaven.

While waiting in line to be announced, she glanced around, attempting to devise an escape plan from this absurd charade. She desired to go unnoticed, to blend into the background.

"Dad, I need to freshen up," she informed her father and slipped her hand from his arm before he could argue and disappeared into the crowd.

Ten minutes later, she emerged from the ladies' room and surveyed the hallway.

There was still a procession of people heading towards the ballroom, but at least her parents were already inside. This meant she could avoid the formal introduction with the prince...

Grinning, she lifted her skirts and swiftly made her way down the hallway where the waiters were bustling back and forth. It would be much easier to remain invisible if she entered through the servants' entrance instead of the main door.

Yes! That's what she would do!

With a delighted smile, she peered down the hallway, relishing in having snubbed the prince in such a manner.

It might be a petty act, but with such a powerful man, openly snubbing him would not be wise. These small rebellions were the safest form of defiance she could contrive. And she was thoroughly enjoying it.

Eknath Suryavanshi, the Crown Prince of Jaipur, caught a glimpse of silver from the corner of his eye. As he raised his hand, his aide walking beside him fell silent immediately.

If there hadn't been several attempts on his life recently, he would never have agreed to this futile weekend. However, Eknath understood that the best way to thwart the assassination attempts was to marry quickly and produce an heir.

The flash of silver disappeared into the servants' hallway, and Eknath hastened in that direction, determined to apprehend whoever was sneaking into the ballroom. There was no way he was letting the assassin into his palace ballroom.

However, what he encountered upon turning the corner was more captivating than any criminal intent. The alluring curve of a woman's backside pointed in his direction, provoking an unexpected interest within him.

Why would someone send a woman to kill him?

The enchanting side view of a woman captured his attention. He could only see her profile, but it was enough to pique his interest. More than enough!

Thus, the evening might not be entirely tedious after all, he mused, a smirk making its way to his lips.

Eknath discreetly moved down the hallway, signalling his guards to position themselves ahead of the woman through a parallel hallway but not to approach her. They were to stand down while he figured out her intentions.

As he observed, the silver-clad beauty tiptoed down the hallway. It was a mystery why she was trying to be so quiet, but she looked so damn adorable as she peeked down each perpendicular hallway.

Continuing her progress down the hallway, he started to suspect that the woman was not of criminal intent. She was too conspicuous and lacked stealth. Furthermore, there was something about her expression that didn't align with someone set on murder.

She appeared too gleeful, too mischievous.

When she reached the end of the hallway, he approached closer, intent on seeing her face. After studying her profile for several minutes, he admitted to being more than a little intrigued.

"Spellbound" would be a more accurate description.

Drawing nearer, he observed with interest as she crossed her fingers behind her back and cautiously peered around the entrance to the ballroom.

Now was the moment of truth, he thought. There was no way he would allow this captivating beauty to get lost in the crowd, which he now suspected was her intention.

An assassin wouldn't be crossing her fingers behind her back.

She truly was a stunning beauty, he realised as the ballroom's light illuminated her features. Her eyes were a deep, chocolate brown, and her complexion had a creamy hue with peach undertones that seemed natural rather than due to makeup.

She possessed long, thick eyelashes that framed her doe shaped eyes, lending her a sensuous appearance without excessive makeup. Even the fact that she wore significantly less makeup than the other women made her stand out.

Not to mention the excitement in her lovely, expressive eyes when she bit her full lower lip.

Suddenly, the prospect of marriage seemed far from dull, unlike just five minutes ago.

Who is she?

A/n

Hello everyone,

I am back with a short story. It is only a three shots story.

Please leave feedbacks, darlings..

Love,

SF ❤️