Riiva is to be Queen one day and she has finally reached the age where she can begin courting and choose a worthy King to be by her side. However, it seems her twin sister is intent on stealing away the man she loves. Will her twin sister betray her? Or is Riiva’s envy blinding her?
Riiva watched as her younger sister swirled around the ball room, scoring dance after dance with nearly every handsome young prince in all the kingdoms. From the happy smile and easy laughter, it was clear her sister, Aviira, was enjoying the ball much more than she was. She scowled. This ball was supposed to be in her honour. She was the one for whom the Betrothal Ceremony was being held for. She was the one who had reached the age where she could begin courting and find a suitable future King.
Not her sister. Not even when her sister was her twin sister. Aviira was still the younger sister and not the heir to the throne. She didn’t get to have a Betrothal Ceremony. That was Riiva’s right.
“Riiva. Smile, sweetheart.” Her mother leaned towards her slightly from where she sat on Riiva’s left-hand side. “The Princes won’t want to dance with someone who frowns so fiercely. You will frighten them all away!”
“Well, Aviira seems to be charming them all quite nicely,” Riiva retorted. “Perhaps we should give her the honour of the Betrothal Ceremony instead.”
“Riiva! Don’t be ridiculous. Aviira is allowed to enjoy herself. She doesn’t get to have a Ceremony. This is her way of pretending she gets one. Don’t begrudge your sister some fun.”
“It’s my ball. I should be the one having fun.”
Her mother sighed. “Well, you’re the only one stopping yourself from achieving that. Why don’t you go and join your sister?”
Huffing, Riiva got to her feet and gracefully descended the stairs from the raised dais. People respectfully bowed their heads to her, but no one approached her. No princes flocked around her as they had done with Aviira.
She made her way to the centre of the room where couples were dancing. Aviira was being guided around the floor in a classic slow dance by a tall man who had his back to her. He seemed slightly familiar, his short, curly black hair prompting a faint memory. As the pair made a graceful turn, his face came into view.
Riiva felt as though her heart had been ripped from her chest and thrown to the floor by her twin. Aviira’s dance partner was Prince Jaimen, the handsome young man Riiva had had a crush on ever since she had met him when she was four years old. Aviira knew very well how much she liked Jaimen. How dare she dance with him?! How dare she try to take away the man she loved?
As if sensing her distress and anger, Aviira’s gaze met hers. Her twin’s eyes widened and she glanced frantically between her dance partner and Riiva.
That’s it. I will not be usurped by my own twin. Riiva began stalking through the dancing couples, heading straight for the two in the centre of the room.
“Riiva!” her sister exclaimed. “You finally came down from your throne!”
Riiva didn’t respond, giving her sister a cold, hard look. Aviira fiddled uncomfortably before turning to Jaimen. “Your highness, I believe you have met my sister, Princess Riiva, before?”
The prince’s green eyes swept over her and the smile he gave her made her insides turn to mush. “Indeed. It was several years ago, but it would be hard to forget two beautiful girls such as yourselves.”
Riiva dropped him a quick curtsey. “I’m honoured that you could make it to my Betrothal Ceremony, your highness. Would you excuse my sister for a few minutes?”
He bowed to them both and left.
“What are you doing?” she hissed at Aviira, keeping her voice low. “This is my Betrothal Ceremony. You know how much I like Jaimen! How could you betray me like this?”
Aviira’s eyes filled with tears, but Riiva was too angry to care. “It’s not what it looks like, Riiva! I don’t have any intention of taking Jaimen from you! I’m trying to do the opposite to that. I’m trying to help you.”
Riiva sneered. “I don’t believe you. You’re enjoying this all too much. You’re jealous that I am to be Queen one day, and you’re trying to sabotage my happiness.”
The tears began falling from Aviira’s eyes. “I would never do that to you, Riiva! I would never betray you. I don’t care who will be Queen!” She wiped some of the tears away. “I was dancing with Prince Jaimen so that I could find out if he liked you too!”
Riiva swallowed. She’d accused her sister of being jealous, but who was really the jealous one between them?
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