Chapter 231: Is this where you kill me?

Loraven giggled, feeling lightheaded as Selvin lifted her high in the air to the time of the music, spinning around before sliding her down his body and merrily hopping and skipping to the side, turning and twisting. The pair had a constant smile on their faces, their attention on each other unaware of the growing hostile looks at the Lyvarian princess dancing happily with a human prince.

Loraven beamed at him in delight, finding her dance partner better than any she’d had before. Selvin wasn’t as graceful, but his presence and wholehearted, pure, open expressions on his features warmed her compared to the usual icy, stoic beauty of the elves. The more she stared at him as the world blurred around them as they spun, the more she came to realise how handsome he truly was.

She noticed before, but now she had more of an interest in taking in his details. As she admired his looks, she wondered how the princeling knew their dances. If she recalled correctly, the human realm banned anything to do with their kind. Loraven smirked a little, her eyes twinkling at him.

"Prince Selvin, a rebel among his people," she commented before he lifted her again, his eyes not leaving hers as he looked up at her.

Everywhere his hands touched her, burned, not unpleasantly either. Selvin lowered her slowly to the beat slowing down, and she felt her breasts sensitive to his touch, her hands lowering down his chest to meet his hands again. They were close, so, so close. Loraven couldn’t help but continue to watch him.

"It should not be a crime to learn about the world," Selvin replied smoothly, his face closing the distance to her, eyes lowering to her lips.

A man cleared his throat, making the pair jump and pull away, looking to the side where king Thalinal stood, watching the pair icily. "This next dance will be too much for you, human. You would not wish to bleed after only one night."

Selvin bowed and stepped back. "Please, I would like to see such a dance that is so dangerous."

Loraven watched the prince as her hand slid into Thalinal’s until his grasp tightened on hers. "*Has it occurred to you that dancing with the prince like that would upset them.*" Thalinal tilted his chin in the direction of her parents.

They had yet to move away from Selvin, and although he did not understand their words, his head moved in the direction the Florian king pointed out, and his eyes flashed in understanding.

Loraven sighed, "When have I not upset them?"

She smiled at Selvin cheekily. For some reason, she did not want his stay to be that unpleasant. A dance between them had been thrilling and quite enticing to want more from him for the evening, but it was best to keep her distance for his sake.

Thalinal turned her away, and the music did change to a dance that really could cause harm to those staying on the dance floor. It was only the Flori king who had partnered with her before and kept to the beat, missing the intentional dropping of icy shards from the ceiling in a graceful manner whilst pulling along his partner, Loraven. At times before, when others wanted her hand in marriage, they would prove their courage and dance skills to only finish the dance early with a bloodied foot or shoulder or almost getting fully impaled.

Loraven was taught from a young age and was the only one besides her parents and a few other royals that could elegantly dodge the impaling ice, making sure their female counterparts remained unharmed. It was a beautiful, lethal dance. One Loraven was sure her father asked intentionally, so the human prince would become injured.

Thalinal moved her across the floor, dodging icicles expertly whilst keeping their moves elegant and to the beat of the drum and flute. There were two other pairs on the dance floor. A woman screamed in pain, but Loraven and Thalinal remained focused, smiles plastered on their faces from years of experience. When the music flowed into a different tune, Thalinal stepped back, and Loraven assessed the situation.

"*Another?*" King Nuvian asked, his voice filled with mirth, eyes glinting dangerously.

Dancing with Selvin and dancing with Thalinal was simultaneously as bad. Loraven did not wish to accept another’s proposal to dance, they would only fail at the task, and she would be irritated by the blood on her gown. She began to step away, letting the sneers of the elves turn to her.

They mocked her for stepping down from the challenge, yet they would not themselves enter the lethal dance. Loraven ignored them, her eyes sweeping over to the blood staining the ice and the servants going to clean it up. The she-elf who was injured had a large wound on her chest.

Her dance partner seemed more amused than worried. It could very well be intentional.

"*The night is too young for such dances and games. The floor will forever be cleaned up at this rate,*" Loraven announced loudly, her gaze sweeping across the hall full of nobility, earning herself a roar of splendid laughter.

Loraven met her father’s gaze, and he smirked and nodded at her once, accepting her use of the crowd to her advantage. Thalinal would not remain in the spotlight, nor would Selvin, though there was more attention on him now. She turned then, grabbing a drink from a passing tray full of flutes and continued past the crowds.

The music began again, but she was already done with the night. It would only get more dreadful, and she had no intention of being a part of it. Before she stepped out of the hall, Loraven paused by Selvin and Osian.

"You should retire for the night. Some of my father’s friends have arrived. They thrive off the pain from innocents and humans." Loraven held their gazes before sliding her attention to the fae who greeted the king and queen.

"And you? Are you retiring?" Selvin asked, stepping forward to stop her from continuing.

Loraven blinked back and tilted her chin up to look at him. She was not used to someone stepping into her path. "I will get some fresh air first."

"In that?!" Osian asked, flabbergasted that she would go outside in only her dress and barefoot.

Loraven smirked. "I do not feel the cold that much."

"May I come with you?" Selvin asked, keeping her there still.

"And leave me here!?" Osian exclaimed.

"Return to your chambers, Osh," Selvin replied quietly while his gaze remained on hers. Osian looked between them and grumbled under his breath.

Loraven would have refused Selvin. Should refuse him. But she found herself agreeing to spend more time with the human man. Somehow, she couldn’t refuse him. There was something about him that kept her wanting to stay in his company.

The princess began leading the princelings out of the hall. They did not need to bid their farewells for the evening. The king and queen would not care, and it would take at least one hour to get through and converse with them.

Turning to the right, down the darker corridor with the dragon-detailed magic flying across the ceiling and tall walls, Loraven stopped and glanced at Selvin’s attire. "You will freeze."

"I will get a coat. Should I get a servant to get-"

Loraven waved him away. "Do not fret about me." She then pointed further down the corridor. "First archway to the right."

Selvin and Osian bowed, and the younger prince bid her goodnight. Loraven didn’t know if the crown prince would return or not, but she was fine with or without his company. The balcony she was going to was actually a hiding spot only she knew of. The term balcony was also pushing it a little.

Passing under the icy black archway that turned to a stone of the mountain, Loraven grabbed the creamy fur shawl she kept lodged inside some of the black stone and wrapped it around her shoulders. The she-elf stepped out onto what used to be a ’fly zone’ for creatures they used to tame and use for travel. They were now long extinct, and this area was never used.

It was never used because it was just a ledge, with a sudden drop to the very bottom of the mountain, where the snow met the icy river. If anyone were to misstep, they would fall to their deaths. Loraven waited a moment longer, downing the drink and throwing it off the ledge as she inhaled the crisp air and the chill expanding in her lungs.

"Is this where you kill me?" There was half jest and then serious curiosity from the human prince behind her.

Loraven smirked. "I have no intention of harming you, Selvin. If you do not wish to go any further, then go back." She turned to look at him and shrugged before taking a step backwards.

Selvin’s eyes widened, and he reached for her. "Stop!" Panic filled his voice as she dropped, disappearing from view.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read