“It’s dinner time,” Thomas said, reaching for my hand again.
I let him whisk me away to yet another set of double doors, but my mind was still on the prince. Always on the prince. There were name cards in front of each place setting. Thomas and I found ours and sat. I looked at the setting beside me and was glad to see Joslyn’s name scribbled on it and Princess Pilar’s on the one beside hers. I hadn’t seen either of them yet. I focused on the water being poured by the butler followed by the wine he poured into the other glass. The china looked as expensive as everything else did. As Thomas spoke to the man beside him, I took in the rest of the room. The walls were red and gold, matching the chairs we were sitting on. It was lavish upon lavish and I couldn’t for a second imagine living like this. I loved dressing up, but more than anything, I enjoyed lounging in sweat pants and maxi dresses and sandals and this palace made me feel like I wouldn’t be able to leave my room unless I was dressed to the nines. It was an absolutely unattainable lifestyle. My mother’s words came back to me and I reminded myself I was just here to serve as entertainment, as another mortal amongst gods, to remind them of their power.
“You made it,” Joss whispered as she took her seat beside me.
“Hey.” I smiled wide, relieved to see my friend. Pilar took the seat beside hers, and I smiled at her as well. “Good to see you again.”
“Thank you for coming. Sorry we kept you waiting,” Pilar whispered. “My zipper got stuck so I had to change my outfit.”
“You look beautiful, so I’d say this one works perfectly.” I looked at her black dress.
It was short, but not too short, with a frilly tulle skirt and a form-fitting bodice with lace over her shoulders and chest. It was sophisticated and chic. Joss wore a dark purple slip dress that tied on the side to accentuate her waistline. I was grateful she’d chosen a short black slip dress and gold strappy heels for me. I would’ve probably worn a ball gown on principle that I was dining at the palace with the queen. Everyone looked very much like they were at a cocktail party. There were no obnoxious hats, though I really wanted to wear one myself, or over-the-top gowns. It occurred to me for a second that maybe my mother was wrong about the royal family. Maybe they were normal people with extraordinary circumstances. Maybe they invited people like us to dine with them, not because they wanted to remember their place, but because they longed to be in ours. It wasn’t such a far-fetched idea. After all, the grass was always greener on the other side.
The rest of the table started filling in. The chairs across from us were still empty and my heart pounded a little harder at the possibility of Elias sitting there. I was starving, but I knew if he sat across from me, I wouldn’t be able to eat my meal. My stomach was already in knots as it was. My attention turned to the door as Elias walked in talking to his brother. The Princess of Austria followed. And lastly, the queen. I kept my eyes on her. She glanced at me and smiled wide, waving a hand at me. Despite my shock, I felt myself wave back. She sat at the seat beside the head of the table, leaving that one empty. Prince Aramis sat in the seat directly across from Joss. Prince Elias sat in the one across from me. The Princess of Austria took the one across from Thomas. I looked down at my plate, which still had an ivory napkin folded over it.
“Did you see Benjamin Drake?” Joss whispered, leaning over.
“How could I not?” My eyes widened in excitement. “Did you meet him?”
“Not yet. Pilar is going to introduce us.”
“I’ve only met him once,” Pilar whispered, leaning over to us.
“You’re the princess. Who cares?” Joss said.
“I care.” She blushed. “I’m a fan of his as well, you know?”
“Thomas got me his jersey signed last year and I almost died,” I said.
“I told my brothers to get me one when they went to watch Le Bleus play recently and neither of them remembered to,” Pilar whispered.
“Bastards,” I whispered back.
She and Joss laughed.
“He definitely has the greatest ass in football, doesn’t he,” Joss stated.
“I’d say.” I nodded.
“For sure,” Pilar added quickly.
“What are you gossiping about down there?” The queen asked. “I should have sat you nearby so I could join in on the fun.”
The three of us straightened in our seats.
“Just talking about shorts,” Pilar said, smiling wide.
Joss cough-laughed into her napkin. I bit my lip to keep from laughing, and then stopped when I caught Elias watching me with a small smile on his face. My heart stuttered. I tore my gaze away from him and looked at his brother, sitting beside him, who was talking to the man beside him. I’d never seen Prince Aramis in person, but he was gorgeous, with his golden skin and chiseled jaw. His eyes were green like Elias’s, but his were a couple of shades lighter. They matched his easygoing smile. A smile that I was sure had unzipped many dresses and unhooked many bras. I smiled when he caught me looking at him. His mouth tilted in a lazy smile as he looked over at me.