Ancient Guardians: The Uninvited by S. L. Morgan Page A

setting.” Navarre answered.
    Levi exhaled at the blatant absurdity of the man. Fortunately, King Hamilton quickly spoke out, attempting to end the conversation until Navarre could speak with the man in private.
    “Now, I wish for nothing more than my guests to be happily filled with their meal this evening; and it seems as though Miss Bryant might be the only one in attendance who may indeed leave hungry due to your incessant chattering at her. Perhaps you’ll allow her a reprieve in order for her to take a bite?” The king said as he brushed his hand over his well-trimmed beard.
    Mr. Prather’s face instantly matched the color of his fiery-red hair. Levi smiled at Reece, who was refraining from laughter as she stared at the food on her plate. Navarre and Levi exchanged subtle glances, knowing that only King Hamilton would outwardly embarrass a guest in such a way. Even though it was brazen and may have offended some attendees, Levi didn’t care, and once again found himself admiring the king for his bold personality. Although the mood at the table seemed to calm, Navarre seemed notably disturbed by his conversation with Mr. Prather.
    The remainder of dinner was uneventful. Reece was finally able to enjoy her meal in peace, as Mr. Prather remained silent and unengaged from the entire dinner party. The guests were soon finishing their desserts, and Levi wasted no time dismissing himself and Reece from the others so that they could share a moment alone. They sauntered out to the balcony, both enjoying the crisp, salty air blowing in from the oceanfront. Levi used this opportunity to apologize to Reece for Mr. Prather’s rudeness, and that she had to suffer through his interruptions at dinner.
    Reece and Levi’s solitude was soon interrupted by other guests slowly filtering out onto the balcony. The sounds of the orchestra tuning their instruments alerted Levi that the dancing would soon commence.
    “Miss Bryant,” he said with a grin. “I believe your first dance is spoken for by a gentleman who is significantly spellbound by your beauty. Shall we rejoin the guests in the ballroom?”
    Reece lifted her chin and accepted his offered arm. “Yes, we shall.”
    The guests were lined up facing their dancing partners, waiting for the music to begin. Levi watched in humor as Reece stared down at his feet. He cupped her chin and raised her eyes up to meet his. “Nervous?” he asked softly.
    Reece narrowed her eyes some. “I think you should be the one who’s nervous.”
    The music began, and Levi took her right hand into his left, and placed his other on her slender waist. Despite Reece’s nervousness about dancing, her performance was impeccable, and Levi was quite impressed. Once the dance was over, Levi led Reece to the refreshment table.
    “This will be the most trying part of the evening for me,” Levi said, as he offered Reece her flute of sparkling wine.
    Reece took a sip. “So this is where we have to split up?” She smiled at him playfully. “Now, it would be an insult to the evening’s hosts if I were to turn down a request from a man to dance with me, right?”
    “If you are uncomfortable in any way, feel free to dismiss yourself. You are not obligated to dance with everyone in the room.”
    Reece gulped the last of her wine, handed Levi the glass and said, “Don’t even trip, I’ve got this.” She smiled brightly. “You worry too much; I’ll be fine.”
    Levi choked on his laughter, knowing very well he had nothing to worry about with Reece. He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “So it seems.” He said with a laugh as Elizabeth and her closest friend, Angeline Hamilton, approached them.
    “Ladies,” Levi acknowledged them with a proud grin.
    As Levi assisted the two young women with their drinks, King Hamilton approached from behind and requested a dance with Reece. Levi used this opportunity to admire his future wife from a distance. He also took notice that there were more