MARA’S POV
I kept my gaze fixed on my reflection in the mirror longer than necessary. My fingers were pressed into the wood of the vanity as I exhaled slowly. I looked different from usual, more exquisite and put together. My hair had been pinned up neatly, and the dress hugging my body was an elegant purple gown that flowed all the way to the ground. I looked beautiful, but my mind was at war.
I hadn’t wanted to come for the engagement banquet.
When the invitation arrived, it came as a brown envelope, stamped with wax that had the royal seal on it. I almost laughed when I saw the envelope in my mail. The princes were inviting me to the engagement banquet and it felt like an absurd, cruel joke. The first thing I wanted to do was refuse the invitation. I had been thrown it into my drawe
