“No, they’re bats!” a nobleman exclaimed, and there was a gasp of surprise from the crowd. A few women squeaked in horror.

After the second bat flew away, an entire swarm of them—at least twenty—clambered out of the pie, all flapping to be free. Several were covered in treacle, making it harder for them to fly. The wretched creatures rolled onto the table covered in the sticky golden syrup, sending howls of laughter up among the nobles. Most of the ladies screamed and ran from the table, and suddenly wineglasses were tumbling left and right.

Ceren stayed perfectly still, his arms on either side of me, trapping me in my chair.

The king had somehow managed to sleep through the commotion. The servants did their best to clear plates and spilled glasses while dodging and dipping to avoid the bats. A maid appeared behind us and whispered something inaudible in Ceren’s ear.

“I must attend to something. I’ll return as soon as possible,” he said. “I hope you enjoy your dessert.”

I slumped back in my chair the moment he left the room, finally releasing some of the tension I’d been feeling all evening.

“Are you all right?” Talin asked, gently flicking a sticky bat away from his wine.

I sighed. “I think so. What was that all about? Is bat pie a traditional Ilarean food?”

He snickered. “No. We may seem strange to you, but I assure you, we’re not that strange. I imagine my brother was trying to get a reaction from you.”

“Why?”

“He likes to push people, to test their loyalty.”

I stared at the collapsed crust of the pie. “My loyalty? I don’t exactly have a choice in the matter. I belong to him now.”

Talin drained his wine, but I didn’t get the sense it was because he relished the taste. “Yes, well. My advice is that the next time he shows you something vile or repulsive, you pretend to be impressed. That’s the fastest way to win his affection.”

I had no interest in Ceren’s affection, but I couldn’t tell Talin that. Still, it was probably safer to avoid making my betrothed into an enemy.

At the far end of the room, a man began to play a stringed instrument that made a sound I could only compare to whale song. Talin leaned toward me, and I had to resist the urge to move closer to him. “It’s called a viol,” he explained. “It was my mother’s favorite instrument.”

“We have some stringed instruments back home, but they sound very different.”

I noticed that his eyes lit up whenever I mentioned Varenia. “It’s nice to hear more about where my mother came from,” he said. “I miss her stories about Varenia. They made me feel connected to it, even though I’d never been there.”

“I enjoy talking about it. It makes everything feel more real, like this isn’t just a dream.” Or a nightmare, I added silently.

The music from the viol was faster now, and many of the lords and ladies joined together to dance. Talin smiled at me. “I’d ask you to dance, but I’m afraid you wouldn’t feel comfortable.”

“Thank you,” I said, both pleased that he wanted to dance with me and grateful he understood why I couldn’t. “I think I’ll just watch for a few minutes.”

Talin took my arm, and we walked to the end of the hall closer to the musician. A few of the ladies watched me and whispered behind their fans, no doubt gossiping. Spending time with Talin was dangerous in more ways than one, apparently.

“He uses a bow to strum the viol,” Talin said. “Of course, if I tried it would sound like a dying cat, but a skilled musician can make the most beautiful music you’ve ever heard.”

The dancers had picked up their pace in time with the music. They moved in a circle, hands clasped. We’d had dances in the meetinghouse in Varenia sometimes, though Zadie and I hadn’t been allowed to dance with the boys since we were children.

Talin glanced down at me. “Would you like to try, now that you have a better sense of the steps?”

I caught the eye of a woman standing across the room. There was something about her that was both familiar and foreign at the same time. Despite her rich clothing and intricate hairstyle, she seemed as out of place here as I felt. She observed me for a moment, then let her eyes rest on Talin’s arm, still entwined with mine, and gave the tiniest shake of her head.

“I’m not sure it’s appropriate,” I said finally.

“For some reason you don’t strike me as the kind of girl who worries about propriety.”

My stomach twisted. Now I was sure he’d heard Sami and me that night in the governor’s house; that he recognized me despite my fancy clothes and rehearsed manners. But he was right. I wanted to dance with him.

Without waiting for my answer, Talin led me to the center of the room. Another noble took my free hand, and as the viol continued to play, we moved in a slow circle to the right. I tried to copy what the other dancers did, but I couldn’t seem to catch the rhythm. Fortunately, the men supported my weight so that it hardly mattered what my feet did.

As the beat quickened, we began to move faster and faster. The bats looped down from wherever they’d roosted, illuminated by the massive chandelier filled with lunar moss. Tonight would be the full moon, I realized. That explained why everything was so bright.

The wine I’d consumed with dinner was beginning to take hold. I looked over at Talin. He was watching me with a smile on his face, the kind of smile that could make a girl forget about being ladylike. I felt warm all over, my heart pounding beneath the diamond cutout in my bodice.

Perhaps this was why Mother hadn’t wanted us to dance.

The music was playing faster than ever now, and somehow my feet seemed to know the steps on their own. I tipped my head back and laughed, so dizzy that I was sure the room would keep spinning long after I stopped. We whirled and whirled until suddenly, the music stopped, and I found myself clinging to Talin’s doublet to keep from falling.

“I’m sorry,” I said as his face came into focus.

“Don’t be.”

The muscles of his chest strained under my palms as he caught his breath, and I became very aware of his hands at my waist as I struggled for air against the stays of my bodice. He felt so solid and safe that I momentarily forgot my surroundings. Slowly, I leaned closer to him, like a tide pulled by the moon.

“See, my lady? This isn’t just a dream.”

My cheeks flamed under his gaze. “Isn’t it?”

Ceren’s voice over my shoulder cleared my head instantly. “There you are, my pearl.”

I whirled around and dropped into a curtsy. “Your Highness.”