Her mother sucked in her lips between her teeth, and saw herself out.
Helaina looked her uncle over in careful assessment. Deep creases had formed above his dark brows. On his head, he wore her father’s crown. It made her gut uneasy to see the jeweled piece resting there.
Still, she wasn’t naive, matters in Keles required attention. Fessykhadbeen doing all he could to keep his brother’s kingdom afloat in his absence. She just wished he didn’t carry himself like things were so permanent, like her father was never returning.
“Your birthdate is approaching, isn’t it?” he asked.
This little chat was already off to an odd start.
“Yes. I’ll be twenty-three next week.”
“Twenty-three already? Time is such a thief.” He darted his eyes around the room, as if he were attempting to find words.
She shuffled some fruit around her plate with a fork, then opened her mouth to excuse herself from the table.
“You know,” he said before she could speak, “at twenty-three, you should assume duties in this kingdom.”
Helaina’s expression turned puzzled.
“Duties?”
“Yes, you’re a princess after all, one from a strong bloodline. You should have been wedded long ago, Helaina. It’s time to discuss the matter of your marriage.”
Helaina’s jaw nearly dropped to the table.
“My... what?” How could there be a marriage? She had never been permitted to meet a single suitor.
Fessyk didn’t seem fazed by her shock. “An offer was made for your hand. In the far west. We sent word during my travels that Keles has accepted. You leave tomorrow.”
Helaina squeezed the arms of her chair with such force she felt she might splinter the wood. Her teeth clenched to the point of aching.
This was a joke, an awful one. What gave him the right to make such a decision? He was neither her father nor the king.
“We are the ones closest to Ash Cliff. An alliance at the western border is something we can’t pass up in these uncertain times. You understand that, don’t you?” He was explaining things as if she were a child.
Her fury grew like a weed, breaking through her impassive exterior. She imagined taking her fork and jamming it straight through his eye. The mental picture made her smirk.
Gods, she was becoming deranged.
“They’ve offered to come to our aid when called, and agreed to host us if a time comes when we need to evacuate the city. If we ever?—”
“So my father agreed to this?” she interrupted.
“Yes, Helaina,” he replied with a touch of annoyance.
“Really? My father, who has kept me here all my life? My father, who hid my claim as princess from the court? Tell me when. When was this decided?”
Fessyk placed both elbows on the table, interlacing his fingers. It was unsettling how calm he appeared in delivering this blow.
“I don’t understand this reaction, Helaina. It’s perfectly normal for a princess to marry. Most have already produced heirs by your age,” he said offhandedly.
She leaped up from her seat, pushing her chair back so fast it caused an ear-shattering screech against the floor.
“Normal?” she scoffed, both hands planted on the table as she leaned in closer. “None of this is normal! We just buried my brother. His body lies in a plot not a stone’s throw from you, and you speak to me of marriage bargains. How dare you.”
Fessyk gave a brief glance toward the courtyard. The headstone was indeed visible.
“I will not?—”
