79 The Eyes on Her

"PRESENTING HIS ROYAL Highness, Prince Spade, and the fair Lady Alice!"

The walk down the grand staircase passed by in a mind-numbing blur. All Alice could remember was her hand looped with Spade's, her fingers clutching onto the crook of his elbow for dear life. 

Each step had been wobbly, her feet barely holding up the weight of her, the dress, and her worries. Spade supported her to the best of his abilities but it wasn't enough. 

What Alice needed most was a place to hide from those scrutinizing eyes. The pressure they had on her felt like the might of the ocean. It was suffocating.

"You've done this before," Spade whispered to her from beside her. His voice was but a whisper compared to the music playing in the background. "You can do this again."