“Amaryllis!” Father’s smile spreads from ear to ear as he holds out his arms, rushing towards me. “I’m so glad you’re finally recovered.” He chuckles before shooting me a knowing glance.
Dahlia wasn’t lying – he really is over the moon. And so are my sisters as they notice my arrival, grinning and squealing.
Father pulls me into a hug, and I find myself smiling for just a moment, until I catch Orion’s smug grin in the corner of my eye. Then, my stomach drops like a bucket in a well.
“Father, I need to speak with you,” I say, stepping out of the hug.
“There’s nothing to speak about, my dear,” he laughs. “Everything with Prince Orion has been arranged – or should I say, your fiancé?”
“No,” I blurt, but then I catch myself. “I mean, perhaps there are a few more details we need to go over,” I stammer. “Um, in private?”
Father roars with laughter. “My dear, don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet?”
“It’s not that, Father, please – it’s something else,” I insist, my heart pounding. “I can’t marry him, and if you’ll just let me explain?—”
The joy on Father’s face is doused by fury. “What could possibly be wrong with Prince Orion?” he scoffs. “I have been patient with you, Ami. I really have. I’ve introduced you to countless suitors, all of which you rejected and all of which I have sent away. But here, I’ve found for you a more than suitable match and you still wish to deny me the marriage I’ve been waiting for all these years.”
“I’m sorry, Father but if you’ll just listen?—”
“Oh, isn’t Prince Orion so wonderful?” Gilia crashes into me, grabbing my arm. “Please tell me he has a younger brother.”
Beside me, Dahlia groans before disappearing into the crowd, just as I’m swarmed by my other excited sisters.
Father’s brow lowers. “See? Even your sisters disagree with you.”
“It’s not that, I?—”
“I won’t hear it, Amaryllis,” he thunders. “Orion is a good man.”
My heart slams against my ribs. “Please, Father, he isn’t! He tried to?—”
“I said no!” he barks. “No more suitors. No more matches. Orion will be your husband.”
“Please,” I cry. But I’m interrupted by the sound of gift boxes tumbling to the floor.
“Everyone listen to me,” Dahlia screams. Somehow she’s climbed to the top of the present pile, her breath ragged as she glares directly at Father.
An ominous silence falls over the hall.
“Orion will not be marrying Ami,” she declares, her voice echoing across the gilded walls. “Because Orion kissed Amaryllis out in the gardens, even when she told him not to.”
Anything else Dahlia might’ve said is drowned out by a sea of gasps. My sisters exchange horrified looks, occasionally glancing at Orion and then me before whispering to each other.
“Is this true?” Father asks, turning to Orion. I can’t help but grin as the prince straightens in his chair, his smug look now long gone.
“I’ll admit your daughter and I shared a kiss.” He clears his throat. “But I don’t recall dear Amaryllis asking me to stop.”
Gasps fill the hall before a flash of red crosses his eyes.What?
“You’re lying!” I cry out.
Orion slips me a smirk.
“Now, now, Ami, and girls,” Father cuts in, addressing us all. “It may not be proper for any of you to receive a kiss from a prince before your wedding day, but surely in this case we can let it slide.” He takes my hand, patting it comfortingly as murmurs weave through my sisters. “We can all see how perfect of a match dear Ami and Orion are. So we should not judge what is perfectly natural.”
“I don’t blame you, Ami,” Blossom pipes up. “If I found a prince like Orion, I’d let him kiss me.” Giggles bounce around the crowd.
“This is ridiculous!” Dahlia shouts, but I can only pass her a defeated look as Father leads me towards Orion.
