Chapter 43: Under the Festival Lights

Moonstone Academy looked completely transformed by morning, silver and blue decorations covering the courtyard, banners strung between every building, music already drifting through the halls while students in formal clothes ran between food stalls and half-finished club displays. Isla held up two dresses in front of Roxanne, alternating between them like the decision carried real weight.

"The blue."

"The black."

"Blue."

"Black."

"Why does this matter so much?" Roxanne asked, exhausted just watching the back and forth.

Isla gave her a pointed look. "Because you’re dancing with Kai Moonstone in front of the entire academy."

"I’m dancing in a competition."

"With Kai."

"He’s my partner."

"Exactly."

Roxanne rolled her eyes but chose the blue anyway, and as she got ready, she noticed something strange settling in her chest. She was nervous, but not because of Dorian, and not because Arabella might be watching. She actually wanted today to go well. She wanted to enjoy it.

When she and Isla reached the main courtyard, the four brothers were already waiting. Liam spotted her first, his eyes widening dramatically.

"Oh."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Liam."

He grinned. "We’re definitely winning."

Roshan looked at her next, without any of Liam’s theatrics. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you."

Lucien gave her a small nod. "You’re ready."

Then she looked at Kai, who had been watching her silently since she arrived. "What?"

"You look beautiful," he said, and it caught her completely off guard, warmth rising to her cheeks before she could stop it.

"You too."

Liam made an exaggerated face immediately. "Oh, we’re starting early today."

"Say one more thing," Roxanne warned.

"I didn’t say anything."

The group laughed, easing the moment, though Roxanne couldn’t quite shake Kai’s compliment from her head as they moved deeper into the festival grounds.

They spent the next hour wandering through food stalls, festival games, student art displays, and a Moonball exhibition, the whole academy buzzing with music and laughter. Liam dragged her into one of the games and lost spectacularly, protesting immediately that it hadn’t been fair.

"You lost."

"I was distracted."

"By what?"

He looked at her. "You."

She paused, caught off guard, before he burst into laughter. "Got you."

She rolled her eyes as Roshan won a small stuffed wolf from a nearby booth and handed it to her without any explanation at all, and Lucien passed through briefly while managing the volunteer schedule, telling them they were supposed to be enjoying themselves rather than causing trouble.

"She started it," Liam said.

"You literally dragged me here."

Kai appeared beside them. "He’s lying."

Roxanne smiled, watching the four of them argue with each other, and realized somewhere in the middle of it that she didn’t feel like an outsider standing among them anymore.

Across the courtyard, Dorian watched all of it, Roxanne laughing, surrounded, clearly happy. Arabella noticed his attention drifting again.

"You’re doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Watching her."

He didn’t answer, and when she told him he should be paying attention to his own partner, he insisted he was, though his eyes kept moving back toward Roxanne anyway. Arabella followed his gaze and found Kai standing beside her, and her expression hardened as Kai said something that made Roxanne laugh again. For once, Dorian didn’t feel angry watching Kai stand close to her.

He felt something worse. Regret.

By evening, the entire academy had gathered around the main festival stage, lights dimming as the announcer introduced each competing pair. Roxanne’s nerves hit hard the moment she scanned the crowd, hundreds of students, teachers, visiting packs, and somewhere in the middle of it, Dorian, Arabella, and Joanna, all watching.

Her hands went cold. Kai noticed immediately and stepped closer. "Look at me."

She did.

"I’m nervous."

"I know."

"That’s not helpful."

A small smile crossed his face. "You don’t need to be."

"Easy for you to say."

He held out his hand. "Trust me."

She looked at it for a moment, then took it, and the music began.

Their first movements stayed careful and controlled, but Roxanne relaxed quickly into everything they’d practiced, letting Kai guide her through each turn while the crowd’s noise faded around them completely. He spun her, she followed, he caught her, and this time she didn’t hesitate for even a second. As they reached the final section, he pulled her close, her hand landing against his chest, his arm settling around her waist as they held the closing pose.

Neither of them moved for a moment. Then the crowd erupted, and Roxanne laughed, breathless, looking up at him and realizing something important. She hadn’t been afraid at all. She’d trusted him completely.

Backstage, still catching her breath, Kai approached her. "You were beautiful."

"You already said that."

"I meant it both times."

She didn’t have a response ready, so she gave him a small smile instead. "So were you."

He raised an eyebrow. "So were you?"

"Don’t make it weird."

"I wasn’t."

"Your face was."

He smiled just as Liam burst through the door, shouting that they’d been amazing, breaking the moment entirely, and Roxanne laughed despite the interruption.

When everyone gathered for the results, the announcer worked through third place, then second, before finally reaching the top. "And the winners of this year’s Royal Dance Competition are Kai Moonstone and Roxanne Silver."

The academy erupted. Isla screamed loud enough to be heard across the courtyard, Liam nearly tackled Kai in celebration, Roshan smiled quietly, and Lucien applauded with genuine pride. Roxanne stood frozen for a moment, absorbing the fact that she’d actually won this, not because anyone had protected her, not because of Dorian, not because of her connection to the Moonstones.

She’d earned it herself.

Kai reached for her hand, and she took it, the gesture feeling completely natural by now.

Just as the celebration settled, the festival coordinator returned to the stage. "Before we conclude tonight’s events, there’s one final announcement." The crowd quieted as she congratulated the winning pair and moved on to describe the traditional Founders’ Banquet, mentioning that the winning dance pair would open the royal dance there as well.

Roxanne’s smile faded instantly. "Again?"

Kai looked mildly amused. "Apparently."

"I thought we were done."

He stepped slightly closer. "This time, there’s no stage to hide behind."

Her heart skipped. "What does that mean?"

He held her gaze steadily. "You’ll find out tomorrow."

Then he walked away, and Roxanne watched him go before looking up at the enormous festival lights glowing over the academy. For the first time, the thought of dancing

with him again didn’t make her nervous at all.

It made her excited.

Across the courtyard, Dorian was still watching.

This time, Roxanne didn’t look back.