*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.
He was likely being totally honest about who he was, too. Out of everything we'd done, and we'd done a lot, that was something he'd chosen not to do with me.
I went to bed, expecting Xander's voice to creep into my head again, but I fell asleep to silence, nothing but the waves outside my balcony lulling me to sleep.
***
The m
