Chapter 6 The Woman on the Balcony

It was late in the evening, and the four sisters were in the princesses' drawing room, discussing the upcoming engagement that had been a shock to them all, not expecting it to take place until December.

The room glowed warmly from the dazzling chandeliers above. The balcony doors were open, allowing the cool breeze from outside to enter the room. The distant hum of the bustling palace life faded away slowly as time went by, and everyone began to retreat for the night.

Terania sighed softly. It was not often she let her emotions show.

"Is everything okay, Terania?" Layana asked as she completed another page. She still had so much to do, and her fingers were aching.

"Of course, it is. Lord Zephyr will be arriving in a few days, and soon we will be officially engaged. I have barely spoken to the man since our proposal was put forth," Terania replied. Her deep melodic voice sounded tired.

"You will be okay, it's your duty," Cordelia said, making Aurelia and Layana roll their eyes.

"It's okay to talk about it and feel this way, Tera," Layana said, gently placing her papers down. Aurelia took the chance to scoop them up and read them. Layana did not stop her and walked over to Terania. "Tell me, what do you know about this Lord?" Layana asked, batting her eyelashes for added effect.

"His age, status -" Terania replied, but Layana waved her hand

"No, tell me what you know. I, for one, do not remember his age," she said. Terania gave her a small smile knowing her sister was trying to make it seem like a lighter topic.

"He's old," Aurelia added, glancing up from the papers as Cordelia frowned at her, and Layana gave her a look.

"Well, Terania is twenty-one," Cordelia said as she glanced up from the large book she had picked up. It was one of the ones Layana had seen her with earlier.

"He's twenty-nine. He is relinquishing his title as future duke of House Masbole to become future prince consort," Terania said, taking a deep breath.

"And? What else? What does he look like?" Layana asked. Terania raised her perfect brows at her sister.

"Layana, you have seen him."

"I only saw him from afar," Layana replied, waving her hand as she slid her legs onto the sofa and placed her head comfortably in Terania's lap. Smiling faintly, her unique coloured iridescent eyes sparkled as she placed her arms across her slender waist, looking up at her sister. Terania chuckled lightly.

"Okay, well, he's tall, six-foot at least. He is muscular, quiet, serious, and has these bright blue eyes and dark brown hair. His hair is rather nice. He is handsome...." Terania admitted as Layana smiled

"Hmm, I actually remember his eyes now that you mention it. Was it just me, or did they barely leave you?" She teased, making her sister swat her hand.

"That's not true," she said. Layana smiled, happy her sister was talking a little less formally now that she had relaxed a little.

"It is true," Aurelia chimed in.

"Well, who else should he have been looking at?" Cordelia asked sceptically, raising an eyebrow. Layana looked at Terania, whose smile was fading slightly.

"Just think, he too is leaving all he knew. He was trained to be the future duke, but he will have to leave his home, his family. I am sure he must be nervous too," Layana said gently, and Terania became serious, getting lost in thought,

"I did not even consider that..." she admitted softly. Layana gave her a smile before standing up and walking to the open balcony, an ache in her heart. She was always somehow drawn to the beauty of the sky, no matter what time of day it was.

She walked to the door, stepping out into the night. Her chest filled with a surge of happiness as she gazed up at the moon, shining bright against a blanket of glittering stars. A soft smile crossed her lips as she admired the splendour of the night. Her heart raced in her chest as she gripped the cool marble of the balcony rail.

Oh, how she wished she could be out there, to sleep under an open sky, without a care for etiquette and expectations. She raised her slender hand towards the moon. How far away was it? It looked as if it was almost close enough to touch... almost. She sighed softly, lowering her hand.

A soft wind blew, and Layana closed her eyes, letting the breeze swirl around her, inhaling the soft scent that carried on the wind. Listening to the chirping of crickets and the occasional sound of the palace beneath, which she forced herself to ignore. Cherishing the way the night air kissed her skin, she opened her eyes, looking at those twinkling gems in the sky. That was true beauty. The soft smile stayed on her lips.

Not once did the princess look at the breathtaking palace gardens below her, scattered with lights, the gushing of the fountains or the chatter of those still awake. She did not look far out to the city of Odairo. Even at night, it was beautiful with the houses lit with lights, the night markets still in full swing, and the hustle and bustle of some stage show playing in the market square. Even that was a luxury she would never have.

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Declan rested in a tree in one of the orchards of the palace. He was not too far; the palace was in clear sight, yet he was not so close that he would be bothered.

It was getting late, and everyone was retreating for the night. He saw the odd maid running around to do some errand or other. A dog ran out of the kitchen with a scrap of meat, and a tubby man ran out after him, shouting, huffing, and puffing. Blissfully ignorant to the danger approaching, he thought.

The day had been long, mentally and physically. They had told the king everything they could think of, and then they had begun discussing potential strategies they could implement.

Much to Aren's barely hidden dismay, they had not gotten to see the princesses, not that Declan cared. In fact, he'd rather not be around some overly dressed twittering women.

Women. They were trouble. Sure Declan had been with a few over the last couple of years, but it was nothing special. Just to fulfil the needs any man had. He had self-control, and unlike Aren, who would jump any woman ready to spread her legs, Declan never associated himself with the women after that or too often. He didn't care for their names or who they were. He preferred it like that. No woman had caught his eye, and he had seen many women classed as 'beautiful'. There was nothing special about them.

He looked up at the starry sky, deciding he should head to bed. He swung his legs off the branch, about to drop to the ground twelve feet below when something caught his eyes.

There, on the second floor of the palace, on a balcony, stood a woman. Declan felt his breath hitch in his throat as he noticed the way the fabric clung to her figure, thanks to the wind blowing against her. Her ample breasts, slightly bigger than average, her slender waist, and her pert behind all looked as if she had been carved by the gods to perfection. Her head was tilted up towards the sky, her eyes closed as her long tumbling curls billowed around her.

Time seemed to still for Declan. Even at this distance, something about the vision before him looked ethereal. She was.... beautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful...