"You're late" Alvaryn says as I take my seat beside him.

"Looking this flawless takes time." I reply looking down at the room of tables set out, Lords and Ladies taking their seats and talking.

Another court event before we have to make our selection. My eyes start searching for Daella, I had missed that fiery spark in her and her sharp tongue.

I find her seated at a table and she looks up and smiles, only she isn't smiling at me, she is smiling at my brother. I turn to him, finding a return smile on his face.

"Why is Daella smiling at you, and why are you smiling back at her the same way?" I ask trying to understand when that changed.

He looks at me and shrugs innocently sipping from his wine glass.

"Dae and I are friends now."

Dae? He was calling her Dae? When did that happen?

"What do you mean friends?" I ask, struggling to keep my irritation to myself, I school my face into it's usual mask.

"I know it may seem difficult for you to understand because you would rather spend your time with quick lays, but a friend is someone you talk to and have things in common with." He replies smugly.

Usually his snipe would just roll off my shoulders and I would come back with something equally as snarky but this time felt different.

"Are you fucking her then?" I ask and he looks at me like I just asked if he was fucking our mother.

"What? No! Of course you would automatically assume that! We are friends, that's it. Why are you so upset about it?" He replies. I know he isn't lying and I don't want to think about his question but it bothers me as well. I don't bother trying to deny I am upset about it, he would be able to tell I was lying before I manage to finish the sentence.

"Welcome honoured guests," Our father begins and I drink from my cup, gulping the wine down.

I find Daella again and see her watching the King as he speaks, welcoming everyone to yet another High Court event. The audience claps and then the meal begins as servants start setting down plates of food at our table.

Daella turns then, and I catch her eye, staring at her as I grip the cup in my hands. She doesn't smile like she had with Alvaryn, she just stares back unblinking.

"Stop glaring at her like that, she hasn't done anything wrong." Alvaryn says, nudging me in the shoulder. I pull away from him, setting my empty cup down and planting a smile on my face.

"Of course not, I wasn't glaring, I can't help it if she's mesmerised by me." I reply holding up my empty glass to get a refill.

Dinner ensues with it's usual rigmarole of dull conversation. I don't bother paying attention to my brother's. My eyes linger on Daella as she sits in her pretty dress with her pretty smiles. I couldn't stop thinking of her and Alvaryn spending time alone together because obviously they must have. How else would they become so called friends?

I could be her friend. Was that my original intention? No. She had been a pretty thing with a fiery spark in her that had caught my attention. So different from all the other females that always hovered around.

Was that it? Was that what it would take? Making her my friend. Then she would want to spend time with me. And then what? Would I just get bored of her like all the others? I suppose only time would tell.

Alvaryn laughs at something beside me and it only pushes my plan further into place.

I wait until the dancing has started then make my way down to the floor, weaving my way around the throng of fae until I find her.

"Saevel, how good to see you." I say interrupting in their conversation.

"Prince Aeris," He bows as Daella curtsies. "You as well."

"Well I am just here to ask Miss Daella here to dance, shall we?" I ask, holding my hand out.

"Of course Your Highness." She smiles and curtsies.

"Fancy meeting you again like this." I say taking her waist and hand.

"Yes, who would have thought." She smiles sweetly but something lingers in her eyes, that spark wanting to be let out.

"Still, dancing with me must give you quite the reprieve from Saevel and all the other wankers out there."

"They're not so bad." She replies.

I laugh. "Good to see you still have your sense of humour."

She only smiles and continues dancing, her feet moving more confidently as time passes.

"We should go for a walk, get away from all this stuffy court nonsense." I suggest.

"I don't think that would be a good idea."

"And why is that?"

"Well, because previously when we were alone you pushed me up against a wall and suggested several things that shouldn't be mentioned in public." She replies, looking around like someone might be listening.

"I may have had a few drinks too many on that occasion, but this time is different, besides you spend time alone with my brother, how would this be any different?" I reply.

She looks at me like I've just discovered her secret.

"You and Alvy are friends now, there is no reason why we couldn't be friends as well. I'm not as big a reader as he is though so maybe somewhere different from the library. You could always come to my rooms, we would be able to spend as much time alone as we like." I grin.

"I doubt yours and my idea of friendship are the same."

The music begins to slow and the dance coming to an end, she moves to take a step back but I hold onto her.

"No, no, we are going to dance again, we haven't finished our discussion." I tell her as everyone moves around us readying for the next dance.

"So, you don't want to be friends with me, is that what you are saying?" I ask, pulling her closer, so close I can almost feel her breath as she looks up at me, her scent wraps around me, making me want to pull her closer still. We step apart in time, continuing with the dance.

"As I said, our ideas of friendship are not the same."

"How do you know that?"

"You just invited me to your rooms."

"That was a joke, there are plenty of places we could go, the gardens if you fancy a walk, I could show you around the stables if you like horses, or the kennels if you like dogs." I offer quickly trying to think of places she might like.

"Why?"

"Well some people like horses and dogs, not always both, I myself prefer dogs, much more affectionate and loyal." I reply.

"No, I mean why do you want to be my friend?"

"There's something about that spark in you, that little fire that shows itself occasionally that has captured my interest." I answer honestly.

"You want to be friends because I have a temper that I try to hide from everyone else but you."

"You call it a temper, I call it a spark, either way it's something we both have in common. You can't deny you enjoy snapping back at me and attempting to put me in my place with that sharp tongue of yours." I insist.

She doesn't try and deny me and I smile spinning her slowly.

"How about tomorrow afternoon I take you to the kennels?" I suggest bringing her in close again, she doesn't take her eyes off mine as we step apart.

"I feel like I am going to regret this." She sighs softly.

"I could always order you to come with me." I tease.

"Yes and I could always lock you in one of the kennel cages." She replies and I laugh.

"That's actually already happened to me once before, but I'll save the story for tomorrow." I tell her as the song slows and the dance comes to an end.

She only smiles shaking her head subtly as she curtsies in place. I bow and take a step back. I want to ask her for another dance but then I see Alvaryn coming up behind her.

"Brother, just in time to dance with our new friend." I say, stepping around Daella as she turns to find Alvaryn.

"Well done me" Alvaryn smiles at both of us before holding out his hand to Daella. "Can I have this dance?" He asks with a bow.

"Of course." She answers with a smile before looking at me.

"I'll be waiting with baited breath for tomorrow." I tell her before weaving my way through the other dances.

Yes, if Alvaryn could be friends with her then so could I. Demwyn had said he wasn't playing our game, and Alvaryn had said he wasn't playing a game either but now I sincerely doubted that. Unless he was truly interested in her for the selection. Gods the bloody selection. I didn't want to think about it but with every event and dance and fucking ball I am reminded over and over that soon I would be forced to pick someone.

I find Daella in the crowd, smiling up at my brother.

Just pick someone to bind yourself with and produce heirs until they die. Easy. Simple.

I need another drink.