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“No, Mother,” I whispered, hanging my head forward when she finally released me.
Tears pooled in my eyes, but I sniffled them back. All my life my mother had spoken to me like I was nothing but a commodity, something to be trained and traded when the perfect time came. Nothing brought it into a harsh perspective more than her words to me at that moment. "I talked to Corbin, Mother. I did nothing to attract or encourage our host. One moment I was dancing with King Corbin and the next King Reece was angrily telling him to leave."
"And what do you do? You allow him to touch you." She squeezed my shoulder hard, certainly hard enough that it would leave bruises. "You will marry King Corbin, Alina. You don't have a choice. I will not be denied this. I will not be disobeyed."
I opened my mouth to speak, even not truly knowing what it was I wanted to say when the sound of another voice disrupted me, "Oh, shut it, Mother. You're just mad that Alina finally did something that you didn't tell her to do. And she'll probably be better off because of it." My mother threw him a glare even as Aric winked at me. "You've spent our entire life just dictating what we should do and what we should be. I’ve had to suffer it to a lesser extent but Alina’s felt the brunt of it. And because of what? Because of how discontented your life has made you?"
My mother slapped a hand to her chest, her mouth opening and closing for a few seconds before she snapped at my brother, "Your father left you an inheritance of a poor, weak and unstable kingdom. Is it so much to wish for my children to have a life and Kingdom that would be more prosperous? How dare you think I don't have your well-being in mind?"
Aric scoffed. "Enough, Mother. We were never what you thought about. You’ve thought only about yourself and what will make you richer. Alina and I are simply the means to that end. I'm glad that Reece has swooped in to throw a wrench into your plans. I hope he continues to do it." He stuck a tongue out at her, and I knew he did it not just to annoy her, but also to amuse me.
But I couldn’t be bothered to care. All the night had managed was to give me a taste of something I could never have. I picked up my long dusky rose robe from where I'd draped it over a stool. I spoke softly, addressing the room but looking at no one. "Please. I would like to undress so that I might take a shower and turn in for the night. It’s been a long day. Tomorrow after breakfast is the picnic and tea. I'll talk to King Corbin then, Mother, if that's what you truly want. But, please, I’m desperate to go to bed."
"Alina—" both my brother and mother spoke up, but I kept looking down, allowing my thoughts to bring me to that rose garden. As forbidden as it was, I calmed with the memory of it. Found myself lost in the pleasure of thinking of Reece, no matter how wrong it was in my mother's eyes. Because what she didn't understand was that, try as I might, I could not get those strong blue eyes out of my mind. And I could not erase the feeling of those hard hands from my skin.
And if I thought about it, I truly didn’t want to.
