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With one simple touch, he made me wish all my responsibilities would disappear. A few days ago, I'd wanted nothing except the freedom to get to know new people. To experience life for the first time.
Now all I wanted to do was hide from society for the rest of my life, because for just once...
I wouldn't be alone. Being caged would be tolerable if I had him by my side. To be free with him would be heaven.
Standing, I leaned down to give him one more parting kiss before I moved to his door and snuck out as quietly as I could. The journey back to my room was simple enough, with most everyone occupied by the tea party in the gardens.
It wasn't until I made it to the door that my heart dropped from my throat. Mother should still be with the older chaperones. She enjoyed showing off, pretending to be better than those her age. A Queen Mother, but not matronly.
No matter what, finding me back in the rooms early wouldn't go well for me. With a deep breath, I pushed the door open and stepped into our common area, hoping that my absence hadn't been noticed. That I could freshen up before dealing with her.
The sight of her sitting in one of the chairs in the living space, a glass of wine perched on the arm as she tapped her fingers along the base would have been horrible enough, by itself.
The sight of a man I'd never seen lurking near the window made it worse.
"Have a seat, Alina," Mother ordered. I tried to hold my head high as I stepped into the room.
"I'd like to shower before we have this conversation," I returned, glancing at the strange man nervously but standing my ground.
"Oh, you will certainly need to shower, among other things, but first you will sit in that chair and listen to what I have to say," she ordered. When the man stepped in front of my bedroom door, it quickly became clear I wouldn't be able to defy her wishes in this.
Back stiff, I perched on the edge of the chair, crossing my ankles like she'd so often taught me. Like keeping them crossed was the epitome of womanly grace. But despite the years I'd been doing it, I'd never felt more like a woman than I did after Reece touched me. "What do you want?" I asked, staring up at her through my lashes. My makeup was probably horrendous, ruined by my actions with Reece, but I couldn't have cared less even as she stared at me with nothing but judgment in her green eyes that were so like mine.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?" she hissed. "The entire palace knows you've been frolicking around with King Reece. Your reputation cannot stand to have that kind of scandal attached to it. Not when you have no image built up to make you a trustworthy and wholesome Princess instead of Reece's latest harlot."
Realizing I really couldn’t sit and wait for her to berate me, I stood, moving towards the window so that I could look out at the beauty of Oshal. Of the beauty that would be my home soon enough, where I would never have to suffer my mother's presence and hateful words. "I'm not his harlot. He intends to marry me. He's submitting his proposal today," I announced, spinning to face her with a smile. All the bitterness I felt forced itself into that smile, every bit of joy knowing that I wouldn't be doomed to live the life she chose for me.
That I had the chance for real, genuine happiness and a life where I was loved.
"You foolish idiot. Is that what he told you?" she scoffed. "Do you know how many women he's probably told the same lie? Just to get in their skirts? And you let yourself be one of them, didn't you?"
I didn't deny the words, because I felt no shame for what Reece and I had done. He was mine, and I knew to the depths of my soul that he hadn't been lying to me. His heart had spoken to mine and seen the truth. "You should pray that Corbin still wants you after the mockery you've made of him."
"I will not marry Corbin, Mother. I've already told Reece I'll be his wife, and I intend to honor that vow." I turned, striding for the door to the hallway once more. If I couldn't get to my things and my bedroom in peace, I'd have no choice but to go back to Reece's room and allow him to discuss it with Aric.
She smirked at me, rising to her feet with a fluid grace I would never be able to emulate. She’d been born with it, used it to raise her status to Queen. "Even if in doing so, you would condemn Lantis to poverty the likes of which it has never known?"
My body froze solid, turning to look at her over my shoulder slowly. "What are you talking about?” There was only smug reproach where I suspected there should have been shame. “What have you done?"
"You are to be Corbin's wife. It's been arranged for years, I'm afraid. He required some assurance that you would do as we agreed." She held her chin high, no trace of shame in whatever she'd done. In actions that I knew must have condemned an already poor country to further suffering. But she had to have known I would never allow it, that I'd do anything to protect my brother's Kingdom.
"What did you give him?" I whispered.
"The majority of Lantis's wealth. Without it… we won't survive." She shrugged, knowing the match between us had ended as soon as it began.
I'd never had a choice.
"That isn't yours to sign away. The contract wouldn't be valid," I bit out through gritted teeth, but my voice shook, the tremors working their way through my body and pulling me back into the panic of being locked away again. That Corbin might take me and put me in his palace like some kind of collectible.
I’d thought I could finally be free, finally fly away and shine. But she’d clipped my wings, and I hadn’t even known she’d done it.
"Ah, but it's your father's signature on the contract, my love." Her smile was cruel and there was no more perfect way to describe her. Cruel beauty.
"He would never," I hissed. My father had been many things, but a man who signed his only daughter away before she came of age, he was not. In the short time he’d been in my life, I’d felt more care from him than I’d ever gotten from the person who stood before me.
"Well, he's gone now, isn't he? So there's nobody around to debate the validity of the contract. I assure you; it is binding. Will you be so selfish as to let Lantis rot while you live in wealth such as this?" she asked, glancing around the luxurious rooms we'd been given as guests. She couldn't understand how much more incredible Reece's quarters were.
"How could you do something like this? Corbin was already married!" I asked, staring at her with new eyes. She'd always been cold and distant, but to throw away the Kingdom that raised her from poverty because of her own greed was unthinkable.
