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“You didn’t think someone would want to marry you?” I asked, my entire face scrunching up. “Are you crazy? Why would you think that?”
She rolled her eyes. “You wouldn’t understand,” she muttered.
Not this again. “I’m not saying I claim to know what you’re feeling,” I said, trying to keep the snappish inclination I currently felt out of my tone. “But I know you well enough to know that you’d have to be crazy to think no one would want to marry you. Whoever it is is extremely intelligent for considering you. Have you accepted the offer?”
She swallowed, nodding once. “I have,” she said.
“Then, he’s extremely lucky as well,” I said with a grin.
“Really?”
I shook my head. “Why wouldn’t he be?” I asked. “He gets you. Anyone would be lucky to have you.”
Rianne gave me a long look, something that left me looking for a missing piece to the puzzle that was her. But then she smiled and she pulled me into a hug.
“I really needed to hear that from you,” she said. “Thank you for being my friend.” She cleared her throat. “Now, we should probably start studying.”
“Always,” I promised. “Always.” I beamed. “So. Have you given any consideration to your wedding dress?”
All throughout our study session,I couldn’t stop talking about the wedding. Rianne insisted she didn’t want a big ceremony, and I knew she wasn’t the type, but still. It was nice to pretend.
If anything, it made me consider my own wedding and what I wanted. Not that I would get the same privilege she did. She didn’t exactly get to choose her husband but she did get to choose to accept the offer, and that was something.
Despite my distraction with Rianne’s upcoming wedding to her suitor she refused to discuss as of yet, I couldn’t help but glance at the door, but Matthyw didn’t come back. Disappointment curdled my stomach, which I ignored. I didn’t know what was going on with him, but I couldn’t let him entice me so easily. Tonight wasn’t about him or my strange feelings for him; it was celebrating Rianne’s good news — though she surprised me by saying no one else knew of the offer and she wanted to keep it that way for the time being.
“What about you?”
I cocked my head to the side without removing my gaze from the door.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Have you thought about who you might marry?” Rianne asked, flipping a page in her notebook. “I’m sure you get more of a choice in this than they make it seem.”
I clicked my tongue against the back of my teeth. “I don’t think so,” I admitted. “I think I’m part of the draw just like everyone else. Why would they make an exception for me?”
Rianne rolled her eyes. “You can’t possibly expect me to believe your father would marry you off to a human just because of some law,” she pointed out. “I know he was going to let you choose, but do you think the Marriage Law changes anything? Maybe he already has someone in mind for you.”
I nearly choked on the corn I had taken a bite out of. The thought of my father arranging a marriage on my behalf shouldn’t make me want to vomit, but it did. What sort of man would he want me to be with? Someone cold and stoic? A warrior? Someone who would listen to me…or someone who might question me? It bothered me that I genuinely didn’t know. We had never discussed this before. As awkward as it was for me, maybe we should, especially if he was looking for someone to pair me with.
“Do…do you think he’d still let me pick someone?” I asked, closing my textbook. “He said he would, but I don’t know. I don’t know what he wants from me.”
Rianne tucked a curl behind her ear and scooped some mash potatoes onto her fork. “Honestly, I think if he thought you were serious about someone, he might consider it,” she said after a moment of thought. “Not that I would presume to know anything about your father or what his tastes might be, but…” She let her voice trail off as her lips curved into a soft smile. “I think he respects you enough to at least hear you out.” She glanced at me from the corner of her eyes. “Why? Do you have someone in mind already?”
I shook my head, standing to stretch. “I don’t think I’ve given it too much thought, especially since I didn’t know if I’d even be able to have a say –”
“Well, I’m not saying –”
“But if you think there’s a chance…” I let my voice trail off. Was it too much to hope?
Even if I did, even if I could, would I want to?
“I think you should talk to him,” Rianne said after another moment of thought. “Everyone has this perception of him. You know it. And maybe it’s warranted, but…” She let her voice trail off, pressing her index finger to her chin. “I think he’d respect your opinion. I’m sure he’d be open to it the way you’d be open to him remarrying someone he selected because of his position.”
I chewed the inside of my lip, still unsure.
“Talk to him,” she urged, nodding at the door. “If anything, I’m sure he’ll want to talk to you anyway. He’s your father, Adrya. Don’t forget that, okay?”
Embyrlyn
