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I walked over to her and gently squeezed her arm. “I know. But just coming here has allowed me to hope again for a better life for our people...for you.”
All the anger drained from my sister’s eyes.
“I have duties that outweigh my right to marry for love. How could I live with myself if I had a chance to save our name and people and refused?”
My sister’s gaze dropped to the floor, her silence a sign she agreed with me. We had tried to secure a good match for her for years, but impoverished noblewomen from the North were thrown after men with money like grain in front of chickens.
My lips curled into a soft smile. “Besides, I don’t think that she genuinely is the monster they try to make her out to be. Back when we were children—”
“Please, not this story again. Just because she had a heart back then doesn’t mean it hasn’t turned pitch-black. People change, Alrick.”
I didn’t want to upset my sister further, but on this, I profoundly disagreed with her. I returned to the fire and held my hands out to the flames. How poor had we become that a simple fire like this brought me such happiness? We’d had to sell one of our best warhorses just to afford the dress my sister was wearing. Our people’s food was rationed. It was barely enough to keep them alive. Some noble families in the North had it worse, but others much better.
“I agree with you on one thing. Out of all the families who came here, we aren’t exactly the most favorable ones,” I said.
My sister fell into the silken couch, her gaze still set on the floor like a beaten puppy.
“We once had feasts like these, don’t you remember?”
My eyes narrowed at the flames. “No.”
“Let us go home, Alrick. I don’t think she will marry any of the suitors here. She made her contempt for the North very clear. And if for some reason she does, it will still bring peace to our kingdom, even if it’s not with our house. Our people will be fine. We just need to work harder for them. Rebuild relentlessly. With all of our men home, withyouhome, we will be sure to succeed.”
I sighed. “You might be right.”
My sister nodded. “This time, I am, little brother.”
The corners of my mouth curled up. “This time? You always think you’re right.”
Henrike laughed. “Because I am. I’m a woman. We are much smarter than instinct-driven men.”
I laughed. “Maybe so.” I walked over to the golden chair and grabbed my long, black coat.
“Where are you going?” Henrike wondered.
“We can’t just leave like thieves. I will pay my respects to the king.”
Henrike raised her chin. “It should be his duty to pay his respects tousafter his cruel daughter humiliated you.”
“He would be busy for the rest of his days if he were to apologize to every soul his daughter insulted.”
Henrike laughed again and rose to her feet. “Shall I instruct the servants to pack, so we can leave first thing in the morning?”
I nodded.
“Good. I will be in my room waiting for you.”
She left, and although I was already dressed to meet the king, I stood still, deep in thought. Maybe my sister was right. Maybe we should have never come here. The war in the North had been under a cease-fire ever since the king of the Rhine had announced this ball and invited all the noble families. But for how much longer this peace would last, only my despicable king would know. I couldn’t return to my people with nothing but the clothes on my back. My father, the never-ending pessimist, would have told me that it was better to never have hoped at all than to feel the promise of warmth, only to have to put out the flames again. And maybe—as much as I hated to admit it—maybe he was right.
I sighed and straightened. I would pay my respects with pride, poor or not. The Rhine King was fair and honorable. If I were lucky, we would be on the road in the morning.
