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It has been seventeen years since the Asterian Revolution, and all eyes are on Princess Aria and the long expected royal wedding. Having grown up in a world of royalty and wealth, Aria has been unable to imagine anything less than perfect for her life. But when an indiscretion threatens to ruin her reputation, the princess finds herself cast into a world of scandal. As rumors and heartbreak threaten to destroy her, Aria journeys to a distant seaport and sets sail on a merchant ship, hoping the voyage will give her the freedom she craves. Though the ocean holds promises of adventure and intrigue, the world may be too small for a royal to truly disappear. With her family desperately searching the kingdoms for her, Aria finds herself surrounded by strangers and realizes that her brashness may have been a deadly mistake…
It has been seventeen years since the Asterian Revolution, and all eyes are on Princess Aria and the long expected royal wedding. Having grown up in a world of royalty and wealth, Aria has been unable to imagine anything less than perfect for her life. But when an indiscretion threatens to ruin her reputation, the princess finds herself cast into a world of scandal.
As rumors and heartbreak threaten to destroy her, Aria journeys to a distant seaport and sets sail on a merchant ship, hoping the voyage will give her the freedom she craves. Though the ocean holds promises of adventure and intrigue, the world may be too small for a royal to truly disappear. With her family desperately searching the kingdoms for her, Aria finds herself surrounded by strangers and realizes that her brashness may have been a deadly mistake…
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Juliette and I sat down at the table as Ethelyn filled our cups.<br />
"Thank you," I said.<br />
"You are most welcome, Milady," Ethelyn said. "Are you feeling better this<br />
morning?"<br />
I caught her concerned look and nodded. "I’m just fine, Ethelyn."<br />
"Well, enjoy your breakfast!" Lydia said as she and Ethelyn exited the<br />
room.<br />
"You were unwell?" Juliette asked as she cut into the ham topped with a<br />
fried egg.<br />
My mind wandered back to Thomas' insistence to find that it bothered me<br />
much more than it ever had in the past. I took some grapes and put them on<br />
my plate. "It was nothing; but getting back to what I was saying earlier . . . "<br />
"Please, Aria," Juliette begged. "Can we not talk about Mitchell?"<br />
"Why not?" I asked, laughing. I needed the momentary distraction, even<br />
if it was at Juliette’s expense. "I get the feeling he didn’t attend the feast<br />
because he’d rather be around you."<br />
"That is not true!" Juliette exclaimed. "He barely spoke to me. I was with<br />
Rosalie for most of the night, while he and Gabriel fooled around. If anything,<br />
Rosalie spoke to Gabriel more than Mitchell spoke to me."<br />
"Why does that not surprise me?"<br />
Rosalie was Mitchell’s younger sister. She was a year older than Juliette<br />
and far more outgoing. She fancied Gabriel, but the feeling—at least to my<br />
knowledge—was not mutual.<br />
"Anyway," Juliette said, rolling her eyes. "How was the feast—really?"<br />
"It was nice," I replied. "Not as extravagant as a ball, but still enjoyable."<br />
"Did anything interesting happen?"<br />
"No. As I said, I ate food and spoke to many different people."<br />
"How was Thomas?"<br />
"I believe he enjoyed himself very much."<br />
Juliette smiled. "He is going to be a good husband, right?"<br />
"Are you concerned?" I asked, attempting to keep the incident from the<br />
night before from giving me something to be concerned about. "I am certain<br />
he will be an excellent husband. I love him very much."<br />
She put her bread down and looked up at me. There was something<br />
strange about her eyes all of a sudden—as if she were older than her mere<br />
thirteen years. "I’m just worried."<br />
"About what?"<br />
15
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