“How extraordinary he would be?” Reina straightened her gown—the fabric billowed out around her.
He was handsome and kind, but I didn’t know him at all.
“It must be overwhelming.” Ashlyn sank beside me on the sofa, her hand cradling mine. Her eyes reminded me of our mother, her face was just like hers.
“I can't get past the feeling that if my father approves of him…there’s something I’m not aware of yet.”
“Princess Aelira,” Reina scolded.
“You know he despises me, so if he’s arranging this marriage...” I pulled my hand back from my sister’s.
“It will benefit the entire kingdom.” Reina’s words were sharp and unforgiving. “Imagine what your life might be like as a lady of your own house. It may suit you nicely.”
What would that be like? A life without my father’scondescension, without upholding every court expectation. Milana held a glass out to me—the cool water cooled the fire rising inside me.
“The way Lord Thalen looked at you…” Reina continued. “It was so romantic.”
Maybe they were right. “I’d like to take a moment to myself. Milana, can you stay to help me freshen up?” I dusted my dress off as I stood.
“You haven’t much time. The feast will begin shortly,” Reina said.
“Take what time you can. He needs to see how incredible you are.” Ashlyn tugged at my hands once more before the two left my chambers.
“What do you think of him?” I raised an eyebrow. Milana tucked my loose tendril back into the braid.
“It doesn’t matter what I think of him. What do you think, Your Highness?”
“When he touched my hand briefly…it made me feel…”
She smirked at my words. “Are you having feelings for him already?”
I twirled my mother’s pearl ring, winding it around my finger. “How would I even know?”
“When you do, you’ll know it.”
I bit my lip. “That’s entirely unhelpful.”
“It’s too soon to know anything—you just met him. Let him show you who he is.” Milana retied the loose corset strings. “All you know is he’s handsome.”
“It doesn’t matter what my feelings are.” My voice trailed off.
“How does it not?”
“It’s not my decision to make. My father will decide.”
“He will decide the marriage, but you will decide the rest. If you have feelings for him. That changes everything.” She slidthe clasp of my necklace back into its proper place. “You deserve happiness, Your Highness. Let yourself have a little for once.”
“And if I don’t? I’ll be married to a man I’ll never love.” A fate like my mother’s.
“Give it time…May I offer advice?”
I nodded.
Milana steadied the pearl hair pins in my wavy tendrils. “You’re giving them both too much power. Take some of it back for yourself. Make Lord Thalen earn your respect.”
I was so worried about being controlled by my father that I hadn’t given myself time to assess any of it—to think about what I truly wanted for myself.
A future with Thalen was full of uncertainty, but maybe, just maybe…I would discover something good behind it all.
