Chapter 2 – Home, at Last

The sound of the palace faded at last, swallowed by the quiet hum of the city beyond its gilded gates. Amber leaned back against the velvet seat of her carriage, her fingers loosening from the fan she had clutched half the night. A long, weary sigh escaped her lips.

“Finally…” she murmured under her breath, watching the lamps outside blur past. “The longest night of my life is over. Thank the heavens.”

She let herself slump for a moment, rolling her shoulders as if shaking off the stares of a thousand jealous ladies. Her gown glittered faintly in the carriage light—the beige silk now creased from the stumble that had stolen every scrap of her anonymity. Her pale skin looked even fairer under the lantern’s glow, her long curls of black and crimson hair still burning like embers in the night.

*All I wanted was to blend in,* she thought. *But no—trip once and suddenly you’re the star of the ball. Perfect.*

---

**Earlier that Night – The Garden Escape**

Amber’s first attempt to escape the suffocating ballroom had been—miraculously—successful. She had slipped past a group of noblewomen gossiping about the prince’s future bride, ducked down a quiet corridor, and slipped through an open door into the gardens.

The air outside was crisp, carrying the faint scent of roses and trimmed hedges. She inhaled deeply, letting the coolness wash over her flushed cheeks.

“At last,” she whispered dramatically to the moon. “Freedom. Sweet, sweet freedom.”

She swished the skirts of her gown as if bowing to the stars, reveling in the quiet. But her peace lasted only moments.

“Well, well,” came a smooth voice from the shadows of a nearby hedge. “A lady escaping her own ball? How very rebellious.”

Amber stiffened, then turned sharply. A tall man stepped forward, his silhouette cutting a striking figure against the garden’s lanterns. His hair was dark, streaked with midnight blue that caught the light when he moved. His jawline was sharp, his eyes piercing and faintly amused. His lips curved into a smile that was both mischievous and—frustratingly—tempting.

Amber crossed her arms, unimpressed. “And who might you be? Another bored noble looking for amusement?”

The man chuckled, bowing slightly with theatrical grace. “Perhaps. Or perhaps I enjoy seeing who dares to slip away from the Queen’s watchful eye.”

Amber rolled her eyes. “Well, congratulations, you’ve found me. Now what? Planning to report me to Her Majesty? Or will you simply stand there smirking like a cat who’s found a lost mouse?”

“Smirking?” His grin widened. “I prefer to think of it as… intrigued.”

“Of course you do,” Amber muttered, brushing past him to sit on a stone bench beneath a vine-wrapped arch. “You nobles really must have too much free time if pestering strangers in gardens counts as entertainment.”

He followed, leaning casually against a pillar, clearly enjoying her sharp tongue. “And yet, here you are, conversing with me instead of returning inside. Curious, isn’t it?”

Amber shot him a flat look. “Don’t flatter yourself. You just happen to be in my way. If I ignore you, maybe you’ll vanish.”

The man laughed softly, his eyes glinting with mischief. “Oh, I’m not so easy to ignore, Lady…?”

“None of your business,” Amber cut in smoothly. “And do stop hovering. You’re blocking my moonlight.”

He tilted his head, studying her with a strange intensity that made her skin prickle. But before she could demand he leave, a voice from the ballroom carried faintly into the garden—calling for the gathering to return. Amber seized the moment, rising quickly.

“Well, this has been… charming,” she said dryly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave before someone mistakes us for having a scandalous tryst.”

She swept past him with a swish of her gown, never once realizing she had been sparring words with Prince Vlad himself.

He watched her retreat, his smirk softening into something more thoughtful. *Sharp wit, fiery hair, and no fear of snapping back… interesting.*

---

**Prince Vlad’s POV**

Later, from one of the upper balconies of the palace, Prince Vlad stood in the shadows, his sharp eyes following the departing carriages. Tall, cloaked in dark attire, his features half-hidden in the torchlight, he watched with an unreadable expression. His gaze lingered on one particular carriage, the crest on its door catching his attention in the brief flicker of the torches.

“Sebastian,” Vlad murmured, his voice low and steady.

The older man stepped forward from the shadows, his ever-loyal butler. “Yes, my lord?”

“That carriage,” Vlad said, nodding ever so slightly toward the disappearing light of Amber’s retreat. “The emblem upon its door—it is not one I recognize among the noble houses often parading in court. Quietly, I want you to learn whose sigil it bears. No whispers, no trails.”

Sebastian inclined his head with a faint smile. “Consider it done, my lord. By dawn, you shall have your answer.”

Vlad’s lips curved faintly, though his eyes remained sharp. “Good. Something about that girl… I’d rather not ignore it.”

---

**Amber’s POV**

The carriage slowed. Outside, the familiar silhouette of her manor greeted her, a stark contrast to the blinding grandeur of the palace. The moment the coachman opened the door, cool night air rushed in, carrying the earthy scent of the gardens. Amber stepped down with palpable relief.

Waiting at the entrance was Sylphy, her elf attendant, whose silver hair shimmered under the moonlight. Her pointed ears twitched as she hurried forward, graceful even in her worry.

“Lady Amber!” Sylphy said, her green eyes scanning her quickly. “You’re back late—I was beginning to worry. Did the ball go… well?”

Amber raised a brow and let out a sharp laugh. “If by ‘well’ you mean I managed to fall flat on my face in front of the Crown Prince and half the court, then yes, it was an absolute triumph.”

Sylphy gasped, covering her mouth. “You didn’t—”

“Oh, but I did,” Amber said, sweeping past her toward her chambers with theatrical flair. “Graceful as a swan on ice… if the swan was drunk and the ice was on fire.”

Despite her witty retort, Amber felt her cheeks warm again at the memory. She tugged at her gloves, eager to shed every reminder of the night.

Inside her chamber, Sylphy immediately set to work, helping Amber out of her glittering gown. The gems on the fabric winked mockingly as they slipped free, pooling at Amber’s feet. Sylphy fetched her nightdress, soft and plain, blessedly free of sharp corset stays and layers of chiffon.

As Sylphy unpinned the last curl from her hair, Amber exhaled, finally feeling herself again. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror—a tall figure, pale skin framed by hair like fire and shadow, eyes sharp despite her fatigue. For all her wit and complaints, there was something fierce lurking under the gentleness of her face.

She tapped the mirror lightly with one finger. “Well done, Amber. Day one of ‘avoid attention’ is a complete disaster. What’s next? Getting mistaken for the Queen herself?”

Sylphy chuckled softly, though her concern never fully faded. “You always make light of it, my lady… but perhaps it wasn’t so bad. If the prince noticed you—”

Amber cut her off with a groan, throwing herself onto the bed. “Exactly the problem. The prince noticed me. And so did every dagger-eyed maiden in that ballroom. I could feel them sharpening their fans into blades.” She pulled a pillow over her face dramatically. “This is why I should’ve just pretended to faint at the entrance and gone home early.”

For a while, the room filled only with the quiet rustle of Sylphy tidying the gown and the steady crackle of the fireplace. Amber closed her eyes, willing her thoughts to slow.

Yet somewhere in the back of her mind, she could still feel the weight of the Crown Prince’s hand pulling her up, the intensity of his gaze when she dared not meet it. And stranger still—the shadow of another gaze, watchful, sharp, hidden behind the crowd.

Amber shivered slightly. “Trouble’s coming, Sylphy. I can feel it.”

But before Sylphy could ask what she meant, Amber rolled to her side, pulling the blanket around her shoulders. “For now, though… I’m going to sleep and forget this nightmare of a ball. Wake me if the palace catches fire.”

Sylphy sighed, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Yes, my lady.”

Amber drifted off, blissfully unaware that the night was only the beginning of something far greater than palace gossip.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***