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Upon arrival, Zyran dismounted the horse and assisted Amira in steadying herself as her feet touched the ground.

They arrived at a grand residence where a lively soiree was in full swing. The horse were taken from them, and Zyran escorted Amira inside.

The sound of animated conversations and laughter filled the air, accompanied by the gentle melody of a piano emanating from a corner of the room.

As they entered, the chatter in the room turned to murmurs, and all eyes turned toward them. Amira felt the weight of their gazes and wished she could vanish from sight.

"Is that Zyran, and who is the lady with him?"

"I'm surprised to see him at this soiree. He rarely attends when invited." Amira heard murmurs coming from the side.

She holds on tightly to Zyran's arm as they enter the room.

"Prince Zyran, what a delight to see you here. I didn't expect you to come, but I'm grateful that you did," a man said as he approached them to offer his welcome.

"Hello, Mr Godfrey. This is a magnificent gathering you have here your house is truly remarkable," Zyran said, complimenting the man's elegant residence.

"I'm pleased that you find it to your liking. My wife has a keen eye for decoration and takes great care in every detail," Mr Godfrey replied.

His gaze shifted towards Amira, who stood gracefully at Zyran's side.

"Is this your lovely wife?" he inquired.

"Who else would I be accompanying if not her? Do you suspect me of being unfaithful at this early stage of our marriage?" Zyran responded, clicking his tongue.

"Of course not, my prince. I would never dare entertain such thoughts," Mr Godfrey said, bowing his head in apology.

Mr. Godfrey offered a slight bow and excused himself, leaving Zyran to his own devices.

Zyran's keen eyes canvassed the room until they settled on a man standing in a dark corner, casually sipping wine and eyeing the women in a rather provocative manner.

Their gazes locked, and a sly smile crept onto the man's face as he approached Zyran.

"Well, well, well... it seems like duty has you firmly in its grasp, my friend," the man remarked, casting a pointed glance at Amira, who stood next to Zyran.

Zyran's gaze hardened as he recognized the newcomer.

"Ezekiel," he said with a hint of displeasure. "I'm not surprised to see you here. You always seem to turn up in places where there's something to be gained."

Ignoring Zyran's remark, Ezekiel turned his attention to Amira.

"Hello, beautiful. I'm Ezekiel Garfield, Duke of Moressly town" he introduced himself with a practiced charm.

Amira nodded politely and responded, "Pleasure to meet you, Duke Garfield."

"Ezekiel, just call me Ezekiel when you address me like that, it makes me feel like my father," he said, pretending to be annoyed.

"Oh, I'm sorry Duke Ezekiel I didn't want to be rude by using your name," Amira replied, but Ezekiel interrupted her.

"Wow, she's cute. You're so lucky to have her all to yourself," he said, teasingly shaking his head.

Amira blushed at the straightforward compliment; nobody had ever called her cute so directly before.

"Say that again, and I'll feed your tongue to you," Zyran warned, giving a stern glare.

"Ezekiel!" he heard from behind him, and without looking, he groaned, knowing exactly who it was.

"Let me borrow your man for a moment," Ezekiel said to Amira, but before she could reply, Ezekiel had already whisked Zyran away.

"Where does he think he's going?" The girl muttered, coming to a stop in front of Amira.

The girl had freckles that adorned her face like stars in the night sky, her beautiful brown hair pinned back, and her doe eyes gazed at Amira as she turned to fully face the girl.

"You must be Zyran's rumored wife," she said with a warm smile. "I am Freya Gomez," Freya said.

"Am Amira Silverwood, nice to meet you, Freya," Amira replied.

"I didn't think you would be this beautiful," Freya chuckled.

"His father did him justice. Who would have thought the almighty Zyran would be held down by marriage?" Freya's eyes glinted with playful mischief.

Amira couldn't help but chuckle in response.

"That silly fool," she said, shaking her head with a smile.

"How could he leave you by yourself? But no worries, Freya is here," she said, pointing to her chest with a playful grin.

"Come on, let me introduce you to some people," she said, taking Amira's hand and leading her into the lively social group.

Amira found herself having a delightful time engaging in conversations with Freya's social circle.

As Amira mingled with the crowd, someone intentionally bumped into her, causing her red wine to spill and create an angry stain on her dress.

The crimson liquid glided down her clothes, sending a shiver of cold through her as it made contact with her skin, eliciting a gasp from Amira.

A haughty woman remarked, "Oh my, I didn't see you there. I guess peasants are too small to be seen after all," prompting a chorus of laughter from her companions.

"Anastasia, what are you doing?" Freya called out, her annoyance evident on her face. Amira, unable to turn away, watched the scene unfold.

"Apologize right now," Freya demanded.

"Why should I? She should have seen me coming. I did nothing wrong to apologize for," Anastasia replied defiantly.

"You little ingrate," Freya said, anger evident in her voice. She seemed ready to pounce, but before she could take a step forward, Amira stepped in to stop her.

"It's okay, Freya, it's just a little stain. It wouldn't change anything," Amira said with a reassuring smile directed at Freya.

"How could you be okay with that? They were out to insult you. You shouldn't just let such things go," Freya said, disapprovingly.

"One shouldn't mind such things. Their little act to embarrass me does not affect me at all," Amira replied calmly.

"Oh, you poor thing," Freya sympathized.

"Such brazen words. What did the prince see in you? You are even lower than us; there's nothing special about you," Anastasia said mockingly.

"Well, at least she got to marry the prince. What have you achieved? You're still having your parents set up dates for you? I heard your last date with the duke ended badly. Poor you. Even I, as a woman, wouldn't ask for your hand in marriage," Freya remarked, with a tinge of sarcasm.

"What did you just say?" Anastasia's angry voice grabbed the attention of the people nearby.

"Say that again, you little—"

"Ah!" a scream pierced the air, followed by a scuffle and unruly fight between the two women.

Freya had finally reached her limit and stepped in to pull Anastasia dragging her on the floor as she pounced on her.

"Let go, Freya!" Amira pleaded, desperately trying to pry Freya off of Anastasia.

"Let me go!" Anastasia shrieked in distress.

"Freya!" Amira called out, tugging at Freya's arms, but she found herself at a disadvantage as Anastasia managed to pull Freya off and engage in a struggle of her own.

"Leave her, Anastasia!" Amira shouted, also attempting to pull on Anastasia's arms.

Anastasia forcefully pushed Amira away, snapping, "Back off."

As Amira stumbled backward, her gown snagged, causing her to crash to the floor. She winced in pain as her arms scraped against the unforgiving surface.

"What's happening here?" Zyran's cold voice pierced the air, bringing the chattering to an abrupt halt.

The crowd parted, revealing Zyran standing with a scowl on his face. His eyes darkened as he noticed Amira on the ground, her pained expression catching his attention.

Ezekiel hurriedly pulled Freya up from the ground after Anastasia had climbed off. Despite feeling the strong urge to tug on Anastasia's hair, Freya was stopped by Ezekiel, who redirected her attention towards him.

"You really should take a moment to look at yourself in the mirror. Your hair alone is enough to frighten children, not to mention your overall appearance," Ezekiel advised her, while she scowled in response.

Zyran strode over to Amira and extended his hand to help her up. As he did, he couldn't help but notice the prominent stain marring her gown.

Without a second thought, he removed his coat and draped it around her shoulders, casting a glance back at the two women who had been in a scuffle earlier.

"You better start explaining what happened here, or I'll have to extract the truth from you two, and you won't like the outcome of it," Zyran declared with a hint of irritation in his voice.