Chapter 279: Mira Made A Move
Sometime during the revelry, as golden music spilled like honey from the ballroom doors and laughter floated beneath chandeliers, Prince Reuben arrived—late, and not by accident. He entered with the cool poise of a man who knew how to command a room without saying a word. But his expression darkened the moment he saw them: Prince Alaric and Lara, lost in their second dance, moving with a quiet intimacy that stoked something raw and unpleasant in his chest.
His eyes scanned the glittering crowd. There—Princess Ceres, sitting in the seat of honor on the elevated platform, her gaze locked on Lara with the precision of a blade thrown with deadly intent. And just beyond, Mira. At first glance, she was chatting lightly with Amelia, but Reuben saw through the performance. Her eyes, too, kept drifting toward the pair on the dance floor. Watching. Measuring.
Reuben recognized the look in her face. Hunger. Calculation. Familiar emotions.
He crossed the room like a stalking shadow. "May I have this dance?" he asked Mira, his voice low and smooth.
She was startled at first, then composed herself with a practiced curtsy. "Of course, Your Highness."
They joined the floor, moving in synchronized rhythm, their smiles polite, but their eyes alert. There was an undercurrent to their steps—an unspoken game already underway. When the music faded, Reuben offered her his arm again.
"Shall we take some air?"
Mira accepted.
They walked into the palace gardens, where the sunset had long been replaced by moonlight spilled like silver over the pond. Lanterns swayed gently from iron posts. The night had cooled, and the air held a whisper of roses and wet stone. For a while, their conversation stayed light—harmless jokes, half-smiles, a mention of politics or wine. But then the tide shifted.
Reuben’s voice lowered. "You’ve been watching her. And him."
Mira didn’t deny it. She looked him straight in the eye. "I can help you. And you can help me. We want the same thing."