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Levana bristled "I don’t need to do anything He’s already in love with me And I love hi, Channary ducked her head closer and lowered her voice "If you truly believe that he loves you, then why manipulate him at all? Why not let him keep his own emotions, unmolested? In fact, why not show him what you truly look like?" She snorted "Or are you too afraid he’ll run screae burst inside Levana’s head She was suddenly treer It had been a long ti slowly, she forced herself to relax Her sister insulted others so that she could lift herself up in co

"He is still inher words "Because I love hi to make this transition as easy on hi, Channary listed her head to one side "Oh, yes We can all see how easy you’rethis transition for him"

Levana lifted her chin "I don’t care what you think I’ to marry him"

Channary raised a hand and patted Levana on the cheek Though it was a gentle touch, Levana still recoiled froer idiot than I realized, baby sister" Dropping her hand, she strategically lowered the straps of her dress and strolled past Levana toward the dance floor

Levana shut her eyes, trying to drown out the hter of the guests, her sister’s taunting words Channary didn’t understand Levana wasn’t only trying to replace Evret’s dead wife, she was going to show hiin with She would be et that he had ever had another lover at all

But her stolanced toward the dance floor At all the beautiful girls and beautiful boys in their beautiful clothes and their beautiful glala to be better than her in every way

She slinked backward, drawing away fro crowd, until her back collided with a wall A tapestry swayed against her shoulder A glowing orb over her head gave a faint halo to the few couples that were loitering on the raht of Solstice, the woman he had loved so very lossier, and added a hint of red on a whier, with more depth of color Her lashes thicker and her co and flawless Her bust would be a little fuller and her waist a little trimmer and her lips would be a little … no, not a little Her lips would be strikingly, vividly red

When Evret looked at her, he would see perfection

When any man looked at her, he would see perfection

Maybe her sister was right Maybe she truly was hideous But so long as she could deceive everyone, what did it matter? She would make even that constable want her if she chose to

She waited until the glaether These visions hat she was good at The ability to lamour so real that she had no use of her true skin anylided down to the base of the ra the dancers She did not head straight for Evret, but rather curtsied and s a slow but steady trail through the ballrooh to touch hiaze locked on to hers For a h her Then there was bewilder on to her face again

Then, a strange mixture Desire, she was sure of it--but also, perhaps, fear?

She did not knohat to make of that

"Sir Hayle," she said, and in thatchoice to even iht I will speak like whi "I would like to take a stroll by the lake Will you accompany me?"

He wrestled with the request for all of two heartbeats, before dropping his head in a silent nod

His station commanded that he follow at a respectful distance behind her as they traversed through the palace corridors and eed onto the stone portico that divided the palace frolinted in the darkness, reflecting the lights of the palace back up to the sky, along with an entire ocean’s worth of stars Levana had often iined that she could dive into the water and find herself floating in space

"When I was a child, I believed there would come a ti that Evret was listening although he walked sorow any less tiresouise of innocent amusement"

She smiled to herself, pleased with hoise and mature her words sounded She felt lamour than she had in months Maybe her whole life

"I would " She turned back Evret lingered a dozen paces away, his face cast in shadow "Wouldn’t you?"

"Princess" The word sent a shiver down her spine, for it was full of everything she’d seen in his eyes in the ballroom Bewilderment and desire and fear