That day, Noa had only a few meetings and his correspondence had not been extensive, which was almost a gift from the gods. He would have the rest of the afternoon and early evening free, and he wanted to take a walk to clear his mind. He remembered that since returning to Shailaja he hadn't visited his favorite spot nearby: a hot spring that wasn't even 40 minutes away. With that fate in mind, he went down to the stables to saddle his horse.

He rode unhurriedly along the beach. The strong waves lapped the sand and raised a salty mist. He loved this overcast and cool weather. At this pace, it took well over an hour to reach the forest that led to the hot spring. Amandeep's faint rays that passed through the fog barely illuminated the region surrounded by low-lying trees. The Shadow Moon would soon rise in the sky, and he thought a hot bath in the fountain would be excellent at easing the burning in his scar.

Noa jumped when he heard the splash of water. A movement caught his attention, and he narrowed his eyes until he saw, in the distance, another horse. Someone else was there. Realizing that the animal had no saddle, he wondered if it might be a wild horse. But it was so well taken care of... On second thought, he knew that horse. It was black and strong, perhaps the largest among Shailaja's animals. No doubt it was Blake's horse.

But Joshua wouldn't be there. He had just spotted him in the game room before leaving the fortress. Noa tied his horse to one of the trees and, heading for the fountain, he saw her. Right in the center of the lake, Hannah Maël floated with her little feet up and slowly swung her arms. She looked peaceful and he could have sworn she was singing under her breath. She wasn't aware of his presence, so he cleared his throat and took a step forward.

That movement was enough for her to turn around, visibly surprised. Her face and hair were wet, and her mouth formed a small "o". She was speechless.

- This is not a proper or safe place for a lady to be alone - Noa observed, trying to sound calm.

What was she thinking? What was she doing alone there at this hour?!

She looked down and blinked a few times, before answering: - It's not safe for an heir either.

The voice was low but confident.

That's a good point.

Noa knew Shailaja's security would not approve of his taste for night riding.

- Apparently, you are lucky I found you.

She gave him a confused look.

- Your horse seems to have lost its saddle. How did you intend to return?

- I... - she hesitated, but continued: - I didn't realize...

It was no surprise to Noa that Hannah liked to ride. At night, without protection, yes, it was a surprise. But she was a palatial and, in fact, he already knew her. And he knew this scene. It wasn't new.

As children, they had spent a lot of time together. They rode together on the beaches of Palatials countless times. On warmer days, they frequented waterfalls and beaches near the Palace and, Noa remembered, Hannah loved hot water.

Her presence in Shailaja reminded him more and more of that childhood time. A few months ago, if someone had asked him to talk about that time, he would have described the walks on the beach, visits to Maria José's kitchen and other nonsense. But now, forgotten memories suddenly surfaced and confused him. He had dreamed a few days ago of a performance... It was a ball, he was sure about it, and Hannah had danced. Could it be possible? She was just seven years old when her parents died.

But now, she was looking directly at him and waiting for his next move.

- I insist on accompanying you back to the fortress.

- Did you come all this way to return without a dip, Mr. Rariff?

Is she inviting me in?, he thought, surprised.

- I don't want to spoil your plans...

- It's dangerous here at this hour - Noa reminded her.

- You seemed willing to take that risk before you found me.

Noa felt she was challenging him. He took off his boots, coat, and waistcoat and walked slowly until the hot water enveloped him. She gave a small smile and returned to her previous position, feet up, gently moving her arms. Noa watched the little ripples her movements made on the water and looked up at the sky. That place gave him peace. He never imagined it would be discovered by someone else. But it hadn't taken Hannah two months to invade his paradise.

- It's almost like we're kids again, isn't it?

He was thinking the same thing. He hadn't tried a conversation about their childhood with her yet, but he was pleased when she broached the subject.

- I've been thinking a lot about that time. Since you moved here.

He watched her and realized her eyes were closed.

- I try not to think about it too much, I'm sorry - her voice was soft, but Noa could hear a sad tone.

It must be one of the worst times in her life, Noa thought. She was a prisoner in her own home.

They were silent for a few minutes until Noa decided it was time to go back. He let the water warm his body for a few more seconds.

- We need to go back. I don't feel right with you out here at this hour.

- Of course... Mr. Rariff, I didn't want to blame you. Of course, I enjoyed your company when we were younger. You're not to blame for what happened, you were just a child anyway... - This outburst took him by surprise. Noa thought she was done, but waited a little longer. - It's just that it was a dark time in my life. - She opened her eyes and turned to him. She blinked a few times and then looked away, putting a hand to cover her lips as if she couldn't believe what she'd said.

- I understand - Noa said quickly. His parents were no longer alive either and he also missed them. However, Hannah had lost much more than her parents at that time.

They were silent for a moment longer until he began to swim to the edge of the lake. The air was cool, but Noa was used to it. He began to undo the knot that held the horse.

- Let's go? I'll take you with me, there's no way to ride this animal without a saddle.

She nodded and slowly swam to the shallow shore. That scene was familiar to him too, Noa thought, amused. She was stalling.

- Are you afraid of the cold, Miss Maël? - he asked casually. He felt a strange satisfaction at realizing this, and his amusement increased when he noticed her frown.

- Not at all - she replied, standing up. She wouldn't admit it, but her small body soon began to shake. Noa watched her as she ran her fingers through her hair, twisting the strands and letting a trickle of water fall. She was wearing that hideous beige dress, he noticed, still enjoying himself. But now the dress was glued to her body and Noa's gaze was lost... He realized he was out of breath. He turned his face quickly and walked to a bush where his coat lay. Trying to keep his gaze from dropping to her cleavage, he made an effort to face her.

- Allow me, Miss Maël – She turned around as he pulled the coat over her arms. That was better. Now she was covered, and he was able to reason. He finished untying the horse. – Tomorrow, I'll send a guard for the other horse, don't worry.

Noa mounted, still startled by the direction of his thoughts, and held out his hand for her to climb. The small, delicate hand found his and she settled easily in front of him. The contact had been brief, but Noa had been surprised by the feeling. It was such a fine skin... But any lady's hand would feel that way, wouldn't it?

The return was silent and uncomfortable. Noa kept his posture very straight to avoid any contact that might be disrespectful, and she seemed to do the same. So, they made their way slowly towards Shailaja. Sometimes the image of her coming out of the water would come back to him and add up to his discomfort. When they arrived at the fortress, night wore on. He led the horse to one of the entrances and dismounted to help her. But before he held out his hand, he made a warning.

- I don't want to know more about you walking around at this hour. If you need to, I insist that you bring a guard, at least. If I hadn't shown up, how did you intend to come back?

She didn't answer, but Noa offered his hand to let her down. The soft, cool skin contact surprised him again.

- Thank you, Mr. Rariff - she said looking down and then walked towards the entrance.

***

At the Mavi Hall, as was routine, Joshua and Serena played cards and, when the fourth round ended, they declared a draw. Satisfied with this result, Serena decided the night was over. So, she said goodbye and hurried up the marble staircase. She was at the end of the hall when she heard Blake's voice.

- Miss Hyancinthe.

- Mr. Blake - Her big blue eyes looked directly at Joshua, who smiled. He was a tall, strong man, but he had a sweet smile with dimples barely visible under his thick brown beard. His hair was slicked back and his eyes, slightly drooping, were a shade of grayish blue Serena had never seen before.

- I'd like to make an invitation - Blake announced, running his left hand over the beard on his chin, as he always did when he wasn't sure about a move.

- Oh! Do you already want to schedule a rematch? - Serena asked, returning the smile.

- No, but it's not a bad idea! In fact, I would like to know if you would do me the honor of being my date at the Ball of Flames - Joshua said. His calm, confident expression showed that he wasn't expecting a denial for an answer.

Serena tried to think fast. The Ball of Flames was in a few days, and of course she would be there, but she didn't expect to have an official date. At the End of Summer Ball, Joshua had shown her the trick to pick a pair at the last minute and they'd walked into the main hall together, but it had been different, just a joke of the moment... She had to admit to herself that maybe it was something else. She had spent most of the ball with Joshua and he had danced the first with her. She felt her face burn as she tried to articulate a response, but she didn't have an adequate excuse to deny the invitation.

- Serena? - Joshua was watching her closely. His slight smile gave way to an embarrassed expression, and he asked: - Someone already invited you, am I right? I arrived too late... - he said. Now his left hand ran through his hair, in the classic movement he made whenever he lost.

- No, no! It's not that... Uh... I'm sorry, Mr. Blake - she managed to reply, smiling awkwardly. - I was just caught by surprise... Of course, I'll be your company to the ball. Thanks for the invite.

- I appreciate it, Miss Hyancinthe – Confidence returned to Joshua's gaze, and he took Serena's hand in his, bringing her fingers to his lips. Serena shivered when she felt his beard brush against her hand. Thinking it would be impossible to blush anymore, she wished him a "good night" and hurried down the aisle.

She entered the room and let the whirlwind of thoughts flood her mind.

I'm going to the ball with Joshua Barret Blake.

Should I have refused? But how could I have refused? The only possible excuse was that I already had a date, but no one else has invited me... And if I lied, when the day of the ball came, he would know it was a lie... Damn! I didn't expect to be asked for anything. I had been so prepared for this mission... I would be in Shailaja to guide Hannah and protect the heir. Everyone would think I'm crazy, as my parents told the entire court. "Serena is crazy, dangerous, has outbreaks"... Doesn't Joshua believe in these reports? Doesn't he care? He wants to take me to the ball anyway...

The possibility that the invitation had been made out of pity hovered in her mind, but she had to be honest. There was no pity in his eyes. There was interest, there was admiration, there was desire.

For weeks, Serena had felt the weight of Joshua's gaze upon her. She felt him chasing her across the hall when he was far away. When they talked, she felt Joshua's gaze being drawn to her lips. While she thought about her next move, even though she was concentrating on the cards, she knew that his eyes took advantage of those moments to wander through her hair, her lap, her hands.

And she hadn't walked away. On the contrary, she enjoyed his company.

And now he wanted to take her to the ball, and this would not go unnoticed in Shailaja. In addition to his position as a close friend of Rariff's, Blake was heir to many lands in Palatials, came from a family with influence and possessions. He was targeted by the ladies of the court.

What should I do? Should I change his mind? What if I confess that I'm crazy? If I tell him that I can't afford to attend a ball?

I will do that, she decided. I will say I can't go to the ball, that crowds freak me out, that I might have a fit...

But that wouldn't work, she realized. After all, she'd already attended the End of Summer Ball and had fun... And Joshua had been there most of the time - long enough to realize she was at ease.

Serena went to the balcony for air. She felt the icy wind on her face and curled up in an armchair. Despite the conflict of emotions, she needed to admit to herself how she wanted to go to the ball. She wanted so much! A ball in Shailaja... And accompanied! She had dreamed of these events since she was little. Of course, on the Island they also had balls... In fact, in addition to balls, they had big parties on the sand, southern parties that were increasingly rare throughout the kingdoms.

But Serena was never accompanied. She almost never danced with anyone. No man would dare ask her to dance, since everyone knew her heart belonged to Damien. And Damien himself didn't dance with her. He allowed himself to touch her only in rare moments...

A tear trickled down her cheek, but it wasn't for Damien's sake. Not even for Joshua. The man in her mind was Luc. She remembered, suddenly, that countless times he was the one who asked her to dance. He did it to please her and mostly to annoy Damien. Through the tears, the memory made her smile, but the smile was soon gone.

Would they ever go back to the way they were? Would she ever see Luc again? Would he forgive her if he knew what she had predicted for his future? Would he forgive her if he knew she had doubted his faithfulness?

~*~

🌜 Are you enjoying the story? Please don't forget to vote and leave your comment. I would love to know what you are thinking! 🌛

Ps: I am a Brazilian author and a dear friend is helping me translate this book. Please feel free to point out any mistakes. Hope you like it!