Hearts on fire: A tale of love and rivalry

r around her finger. The prince smiled at her, and a murmur of anticipation rippled through the crowd.As if on cue, the prince held out his hand to Nora, and she

eyes locked on each other. Diana couldn't deny that they made a beautiful pair, but she felt a

wash over her. She knew that she could never compete with her step-sister's eff

y. The crowd around them applauded loudly, and Diana's stomach twisted uncomfortably

up of admirers, all of them eager to have a few minutes of the prince's attention. Diana watch

using her pretty face and charming demeanor to her advantage. It was all an act, of course, b

wd that surrounded him. It was like he was in his element, the center of everyone's attention. Dia

rprise and quickly looked away, praying that he hadn't noticed her staring. But when she

actually looked her way for more than a second? She quickly averted her eyes aga

is attention was now firmly fixed on Nora again. The two of them were deep in conversation wi

he corners, and she felt a pang of jealousy and despair. It was clear that the pri

iana stood on the sidelines, feeling more and more like a wallflower. It seemed like the prince was completely entranced b

prince might notice her, even a little. Maybe he would see past Nora's charming exterior and realize that there was mor

with each smile he sent in Nora's direction. She tried to distract herself by chatting with other gu

evening watching the prince shower Nora with attention, and it had taken its toll on her. She longed

mself from Nora's company and make his way towards the refreshment table. Diana's heart

lt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. She had never been this