Undeterred by the missing guest of honor, the party inside continued on with boisterous delight. Pairs of stumbling guests could be seen passing by the balcony's entrance, but the private sitting rooms called to them more strongly than the sparsely furnished exterior alcove.

“Should we return to the party, dear sister?” William asked anxiously. “Everyone is here to celebrate your good health after all.”

“You know very well that is not the case. Some are here as an excuse to act foolishly, others in an attempt to rope me into political affairs. Still more are here to assess my potential in society whether that be as a rival or prospective marriage partner,” Selene did little to hide the exasperation in her voice from her brother who remained silent beside her.

“If there is one thing I can assure you, no one is here because they care about my health,” Selene's voice grew cold as she remembered all the smiling faces with empty eyes. “People are here because they want to see if I am a naive child trapped inside a beautiful shell.”

“Just this once, I can assure you that you're wrong,” William's voice was strong, but the crack when he cleared his throat gave hint to his emotions.

“You're right,” Selene let out a sigh, her eyes softening in his direction. “I was too hasty with my words. They do not apply to you. I apologize for my carelessness.”

“It has already been forgotten,” he grinned, leaning into the banister as his golden eyes wandered back to the excitement inside, reflecting the light that filtered through the curtains. When he glanced back at his sister, Selene was perched on the opposite side of the banister.

“Will you meet me in the garden?” She asked, not waiting for a response, before she leapt towards the ground below, holding her shoes as she let her feet meet the soft grass.

“Stars, Selene!” he called after her, muttering under his breathe as he rushed back through the throng of guests. “Father is going to have my head if he hears of this.”

Selene stared up at him with the first hint of true amusement in her eyes. It appeared that four months of her influence wasn't quite enough to convince him to act as brazenly as she dared, but she still felt confident he would shirk his responsibilities at the party to join her.

Perhaps if the current situation had been different, if it wasn't the middle of a celebration thrown more for political reasons than any other, he would have braved the expanse of air between him and the ground below. But clad in formal attire, he couldn't shake the fear of the potential consequences.

The balcony, now filled by a single occupant, felt oddly empty to the man who finally separated himself from the wall. He wore an amused grin and a black suit that appeared gray against his slicked back hair and black eyes that swallowed the light.

His piercing gaze followed Selene as she disappeared within the bushes and trees on the ground below.

“How unusual...” he whispered, excitement and intrigue dancing across his tongue. She was far from what anyone had predicted.