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Lykos raged in silence. Had she so little care about herself now that she didn’t even want to know? To ask who it was her brother had found for her to marry? To havechildrenwith?
‘But we are on a very short timeline, so the wedding will have to take place in three days’ time. I am aware that this isdifficult—’
This time Lykos actually scoffed. Out loud. This was her family? This was her future?
‘But we have very few options available to us.’
‘Of course. If I may be excused? There are things I need to attend to before the announcement.’
It was as if he weren’t even there. As if he were being forced to watch this travesty take place and was utterly powerless and helpless to stop it because she’d asked him not to.
‘If you mean your youth orchestra, then I’ve taken care of it.’
It was the only time during this farcical encounter that Marit showed any sign of reaction. She was shocked, Lykos could see, but she reined it in immediately.
‘It will be included in your duties as second in line to the throne.’
‘Thank you, Your Majesty. I would still like to speak to them personally about the change in my status if that is okay.’
There was a tic throbbing in Aleksander’s jaw as if she had angered him somehow, not that Marit could have seen it as her eyes were cast somewhere over her brother’s shoulder.
‘Yes, you may leave.’
There was a moment, the space of a heartbeat when he thought that she might look at him, that she might meet his gaze for one last time. Her lips trembled for just a second, until she bit down on the bottom one as if to hold it in place, and turned away from him, from her brother, and left the room.
The moment she left he glared at Aleksander. ‘You would do that to your own sister?’ he demanded.
‘Are you going to stop me?’
For a moment it sounded like a genuine question, before Lykos realised that it could only be the arrogance of a king.
‘She asked me not to,’ he growled, even though everything in him wanted to do exactly that. To stop the man.
Aleksander shrugged his shoulder and walked around the desk to resume his seat behind it. Lykos’s gaze fell on the folder left open on the desk. A full colour photograph and the name of the man Marit would marry.
‘I will have my lawyers draw up the papers for the transfer of shares. I’ve always hated having them. I detest that man.’
Lykos forced a nod, not trusting himself to speak and unable to take his burning gaze from the photograph, his eyes quickly taking in the man’s title: Prince Henrik. Lykos didn’t bother with where he was from, the kid looked young. And weak. He might have a title, he might be a prince and fit for Aleksander’s purpose, but he wasnotright for Marit.
‘If there is nothing else?’ the King asked.
In the silence between them Aleksander levelled him with a glare that screamed disappointment and disapproval, but Lykos was too angry to care. He turned on his heel and stalked from the room. He slammed the door behind him, not caring that the sound crashed through the palace. Fury rose so swift, so harsh, somuch, it erupted. Spinning, Lykos slammed his fist into the palace wall, denting the plaster and damaging his knuckles, and still it didn’t help. Nothing would help. Not now.
Marit sank beneath the layers of quilts and throws on her bed and still it did nothing to ward off the cold that settled in shivers across her shoulders. Her body trembled as if in shock, even though she told herself over and over again that she was doing the right thing. In three days’ time she would be married. It didn’t matter to whom. It wouldn’t be Lykos and that was all that did matter. And as lonely and sad as the thought made her, it was Lykos her heart ached for.
She wanted her sister. She needed Freya to tell her that she was making the right choice. But she couldn’t. If Freya knew what this was costing her, she wouldn’t let her do it. Her sister had the biggest heart of anyone she knew and, no matter the consequences to herself, Freya would revoke her decision in a heartbeat. But it was time for Marit to become the Princess no one had ever expected her to be.
She reached for her phone and pressed the call icon beside her sister’s name, knowing that, wherever she was, she wouldn’t get the message probably until after Marit was married. She choked back the teary laugh that bubbled as she realised that, again, her sister wouldn’t be there on her wedding day.
Please leave a message after the tone.
‘Hi, Freya, it’s me. I... I’m sorry that I ran. I’m sorry if you were worried. To be honest, I’m not sure where you are. Maybeyou’rerunning.’ The thought made Marit smile a little. ‘Should I be worried?’ she half teased. Marit inhaled deeply. ‘Thank you. I don’t think I’ve ever really said that before. But thank you for being everything I needed growing up.’ As Marit said the words she hadn’t meant to, she realised how right they were. At every hurt, every pain she remembered, from excruciating dinner times, to night terrors, to hospital visits, Freya had been there. And, somewhere in the background, even Aleksander. It felt as if she had been searching for something her entire life that she would never get, and all along what she’d wanted had been right there in front of her.
‘I know that I haven’t been the easiest sister and that you’ve probably wanted to throttle me more times than not. And while things with Mama and Papa were difficult, you...you always made me feel loved. I might not have realised it at the time, but I do now. I have...’ She broke off, trying to find the words. ‘Iknowthat now, the feeling of being loved. I know that, no matter what happens now or in the future, I will always have that. I didn’t realise how rare that was, how much safety that love gave.’
Her voice broke on the last word, because it was absolutely the truth. She had beenseenby him.Lovedby him. And that had become an anchor for her. It had anchored her self-worth and sense of self and it was so strong and so deep that it had given her the strength she needed to do this.
‘Please know that I do this because I want to. I do not and will never resent or place blame for the change in our succession. But I so wish you could be there. I’m not sure if you will get this in time, but my wedding day is in three days. And...if you can, I’d like that. Love you,’ she finished quickly before the tears fell.
