The tremor throughout my body was so strong I could hear the metal of my outfit shudder. My breathe came out as beautiful white puffs into the midnight air.

Out of all the nights to throw a ball. They decide to have it in the middle of winter?!

My teeth were chattering uncontrollably.

Worse yet, I had been assigned to a random exit on the far edge of the castle where not even the servants would exit.

A forgotten corner.

In front of me, was a giant hedge more than twice my height. Beyond that, I could hear the sound of rushing water that seemed as if it were flowing from a fountain or small pond.

It was most likely a garden.

I could imagine the beautiful floating lights as those mysterious creatures (that looked very similar to fireflies) would float around peacefully. I could imagine the roses and the flowers with their petals almost iced over, reflecting the light and appearing to glow in the moonlight. I could imagine the sound of the stillness, as the water trickled in the background and the wind tickled my cheeks. It was so clear in my mind, that everything was like a glistening crystal display of perfect beauty.

I let out a sigh, expelling more white puffs that swirled in front of me.

And I don't even get to see it.

My disappointment made this experience truly dismal.

The only entertainment I got was from a balcony far above me where the lights of the ballroom poured out. I could see the shadows of people pass by as the music drifted out of the walls. It must have been truly enchanting in there.

My stomach growled, making me instantly regret not eating breakfast this morning. I had been too excited to eat.

Now I realised how foolish I was.

After standing out here for more than two hours already and having seen the sun set, I leaned back against the brick wall of the castle.

These types of scenarios always appeared more interesting in the pages of a book.

Now, standing out here in the cold with fingers that had become numb, lips blue and feet damp from the midnight air—it was a lot less exciting than I'd imagined.

Nyx chimed as she floated towards the hedge.

Because me standing on a pile of dead bodies is clearly the perfect plan to ensure survival. I might as well be signing my own death warrant.

She floated upwards, doing a little twirl in the air as she went.

It was a well established fact that human life was of no consequence to her—or life in general—at all.

Your pearls of wisdom never cease to amaze me.

She rose to the top of the hedge. Clearly the cold didn't bother her, as her metaphysical body seemed perfectly happy in the scant layers of clothes she had on.

She clapped her hands together as her eyes lit up in excitement. She then turned to me and her expression became dull.

I turned away from her. Yeah well, murder isn't really high up on my 'to do' list.

She lounged lazily over the hedge and let out a delicate sigh while I tried my best to glare at her.

As I leaned against the frigid wall, I noticed movement out the corner of my eye. Looking upward, I saw the lights move as someone opened the door to the balcony. For a moment, the beautiful music that I could only hear through the walls—now poured out of the open door. There were voices, instruments, laughter and footsteps and every other noise I could imagine that a party would have. Then the music was abruptly cut off as the door closed shut behind the figure.

I had no idea why one would choose to be out in this freezing cold when there was a perfectly warm option inside.

As the figure walked to the edge of the balcony, I caught a glimpse of golden hair in the moonlight.

My eyes widened. Surely not.

They were too far away for me to properly identify their features, but the startling golden hair made me think of one person.

My heart beat quickened.

Get over yourself. This is literally a party for the crown prince, why would he choose to be out here on his own?

Still, the very thought that he might be the crown prince brought heat to my cheeks. This was nothing like the DeVillanova household.

This was pure, unadulterated hotness we were talking about. Especially his–

Nyx interjected, completely uninterested.

If only. I continued, trying to ignore her. If only I could see those eyes for myself.

After a few moments of blissful fantasies filling my head, I finally realised how distracted I was becoming.

I was on duty. I couldn't afford to be distracted like this. Plus, there was no way to confirm this person was who I thought they were.

They could have been a random noble that I would never meet again.

Well, if it is him, I'll never be able to see the crown prince this close again.

My plans involved me never meeting the royals in my life. In fact, the heroine could do as she pleased, because I wouldn't be around here to change things.

I would be off. In the war. Changing my fate. Away from the royals, away from everything.

Smiling, I turned my eyes and thoughts away from the figure above.

Whoever it was, didn't notice my presence—who would? I was a mere guard.

And that was how it would stay.

After my decision to turn away, I heard the door open again as a beautiful girl in a gorgeous dress walked out onto the balcony. After a few seconds I noticed her clutching her arms in the cold. Even from here, I could see her jewels glistening, catching the light from inside.

It was in moments like this that my mind liked to wander. Just who was she? A noble? Was she mentioned in the novel? Was she an only child? Did her caste bring her conflict? Was she currently desperate? Or was she lost in the fantasy of tonight? For some reason, although I could not see her face, her body language was expecting. It was as if she was there to get a reaction from the figure.

It was only when she moved very close to him, placing her hand softly on his arm, that I turned away, my face burning.

Oh. I felt foolish. She wants that.

I took that as my cue to look away. Although I had been a hopeless romantic, I didn't fancy watching other's love escapades tonight. The idea of having to suffer out here in the cold while others frolicked in the moonlight didn't do much to elevate my mood.

Instead, I listened to the music. After a few moments, I found myself humming to the tune.

I recognise this.

But why? I couldn't remember where I had heard it before. Was it a dance?

I stepped forward, concentrating on the ground and my feet. Slowly, I put one foot forward. The metal plates around my legs looked anything but elegant.

As I continued to hum to the tune, I tried to match my footsteps to the beat, hoping to reignite the memory held within the symphony. The fact that I couldn't remember was frustrating.

Clumsily, I even tried twirling—anything to remember. But although I was trained to fight and move with grace, for some reason, this didn't seem to apply to dancing.

I stopped and felt my expression fall flat. Oh please, do tell.

I felt my face flush. Yeah, well, I don't happen to have thousands of years of experience in this area.

Nyx gave a devilish smile.

I bit back my retort, and instead pushed off with my toes—my body rejecting the movement. On the field, you dug in your heels for speed and movement. My muscles weren't used to this kind of coordination.

She gave a mocking clap as my movements became more fluid and I moved to the beat with grace.

1...2...3...1...2...3...

I was getting the hang of this. The music flowed around me as I twirled around, my pony tail flying out as I spun. After I finally began to trust my own movements, I closed my eyes as I continued to hum, my footsteps leaving marks in the dirt.

I even imagined myself wearing a dress that flowed out around me like water.

I think I would enjoy dancing. If I hadn't chosen the path of a knight, I know I would have enjoyed balls. Not for the people, but for the music and the dancing.

Too bad the balls here require partners to dance.

I didn't have anyone that I knew in my social circle. Although I hadn't had my social debut yet, it was not strange for younger children to be introduced to each other early on. This way they could secure attachments in the political world by the time they became of age.

But Kael had refused to open his gates to anyone.

When the beat changed, I shifted my posture to accomodate. As my humming became one with the music, I could feel myself smiling.

Suddenly, guard duty didn't feel so bad.

The dancing was making me warm as well. I could feel the heat making my muscles relax in this frigid cold.

A low howl in the night made me stop.

It was faint, but I had heard it nonetheless.

They're here.

I could feel it.

That was my signal to move from my stationed spot. I had to warn Tirack and the others. We had to make plans.

After I made the decision, I was about to walk forward when I felt a tingle rush through my whole body.

I froze. My neck was burning.

Slowly, I turned—raising my eyes until they locked onto the figure above me, standing on the balcony.

The woman was gone.

Instead, the lone figure of the man stood there.

And he was staring directly at me.