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“The bigger shock came when I introduced them to Radulf. Only days had passed for them since the last time I had come over for a visit, while for me, it had been a couple ofyears. I was off having children, and they had barely watched two episodes of the Great British Bake Off.” She chuckled to herself. “I miss television.”
“I’m not sure I would enjoy television. Having to sit down in one place and stare at a talking box for hours and hours? I would hate it.”
“Depends on what’s on.” She paused, then looked at me. “We should talk about what happened tonight.”
I looked over at the mountains in the distance. “Must we?”
“You practically ran out of the ballroom tonight.”
“Are you about to scold me for that?”
“No,” she shook her head. “I would like to find out if you’re okay.”
That disarmed me. I watched her, saw the way the moonlight touched the highlights on her cheeks and nose. “I’m… not.”
“What happened?”
I breathed deep, then exhaled. “Tellren told me the truth.”
“Truth?”
“That Lord Cyr is winning the Selection. That I’m almost certainly going to have to marry him.”
Her expression softened. “I know it wasn’t what you wanted to hear.”
“In what world would I want to marry that show-off?”
“He’s a little over the top, yes, but he comes from a great family, one that would strengthen our own for generations to come.”
“You sound like father.”
She closed her eyes. “Yeah, I heard it as well. I think I’m still indiplomatmode, I can’t turn it off sometimes.”
“I don’t want to marry him. I don’t want to marryanyone.”
“I know, Snowdrop.”
“But you don’t. You think I should just be happy with my lot in life. I mean, I’m a Princess, right? I have everything I could possibly want. The least I can do is marry some idiot to fulfil a promise to the people of the Kingdom who ensure we keep our titles and lands.”
“It’s partly that, yes. I don’t think anyone should be forced to marry anyone, I also don’t agree with the Selection’s rules. It’s old, and outdated, and I don’t want it in my Kingdom.”
“So, why is it still a thing?”
“Because we couldn’t kill it. We tried, Amara. We really tried, but we can’t.”
“Why not?”
“You wouldn’t understand,” said my father, interrupting the conversation. My private balcony was not so private all of a sudden.
His sudden appearance made me jump, too. “Why are you guys so sneaky?!” I shrieked. “I should be able to hear you coming a mile off.”
“Your mother and I are both hunters,” he said. “If youcouldhear us, we would not be very good hunters, would we?”
I groaned, infuriated. “What wouldn’t I understand?”
“It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with.” He approached, carefully, like you would a hungry wolf. “Your mother and I care about you more than anything else in this world. Neither of us want to see you upset, neither of us want to force you to do something you don’t want to do. But in this case, this once, please, Amara.Please.Do this one thing for us, and do it quickly.”
I looked over at my mother. “I thought you said you could delay the ceremony.”
