I realize that what Eve has just implied is that if he’d chosen her for her brains and personality, hemighthave taken me instead.
Which is a bit unfair to her. She’s a lovely person. She’s fun in a wayI’venever been, certainly.
“I know we don’t, but honestly, his wives seem to come and go very quickly.”
Eve starts to tear up again. “Lil, it’s medieval!”
“I know,” I say.
We don’t have a choice. It was made very clear that he is expecting a bride—now. That Eve was not being asked, and it was heavily implied that a refusal would mean the whole family might spend the rest of their lives in prison.
It’s hard to know if he would make good on the threat, though the legend of the man supports that, certainly.
One thing I also know is that if he is a killer, if he is a very, very awful man, I have a stronger chance of surviving than Eve. I’m not victim blaming, or saying the other women should have done something to protect themselves. I know my sister, though. She’s soft. If it’s too difficult she won’t even want to live.
But Ido.
I want to live and I want to do things. I want to make an impact. I could marry him, and maybe I could change things for the better. What if I could convince him to open up the skies? What if I could convince him to fund our university and fund more medical research?
What if I could take every change I wanted to make in myself, and bring it to Alabria?
Maybe I’m self-aggrandizing. My grandmother would probably say that.
She saw Eve and I as two sides to the same coin. Eve might want love and devotion and a much easier life, but Grandma saw it as no different than me dreaming of leaving. Of getting a job in scientific research.
I don’t think they’re the same at all. One of those things has very concrete steps. The other depends on men.
What I am aware of is that this will mean my dreams now depend on a man.
I don’t love that.
But if Eve is forced into marriage with him then I won’t be able to leave. I’ll always be worried about her safety and well-being. I’ll feel like I need to be close. Nothing will actually change.
In this scenario, she stays with our mother. She marries Marcus.
Our family will get money from the crown.
Mom won’t have to work anymore. Eve will have her soft life.
“Eve, if you marry him it makes more problems than it solves. If I marry him it solves more than it makes.”
She blinks. “Oh?”
“Yes. Trust me.”
“The envoy is coming today!” Mom says. “You can’t just bait and switch them.”
“We’ll see if I can. I’ll try, anyway.”
“You would do that for me?” Eve asks.
“Yes,” I say.
“Why?” Her eyes are wide. “I’m your older sister. I should be protecting you.”
But just like we all know Eve is prettier than I am, we know that she can’t protect me. We know that I’m the one with the practical spirit. We know that it’s me who would be the one we counted on if things got truly dire.
“You don’t have to,” I say.
