*Lena*

I spent the remainder of the day avoiding everyone. It was rather easy to do, given the immense size of the palace. I even missed dinner, which was being held in the formal dining room. I knew Xander would be there. I knew without a shadow of a doubt as I went hungry in my room, telling a maid to relay a message to my parents that I wasn’t feeling, that he was schmoozing with my family and using every charismatic weapon in his arsenal to win them over. ...