Aria's pov

　　I stood on the grand staircase, surveying the ballroom filled with the kingdom's elite. The evening air was alive with the hum of conversation and the tinkling of laughter. I knew my entrance distracted them and I felt fulfilled that I had achieved my goal.

　　My eyes roamed around till it settled on one face in particular. Isabella, standing by a pillar, watching me with a look of thinly veiled displeasure.

　　She forgot about the need to look ...