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Emilie was never anyone I even considered. I knew Nora was always an option, as were a few of the other young women in the society. Emilie had never crossed my mind. The prospect of being wed to Emilie, while undoubtedly an honor, left me feeling uncertain and somewhat apprehensive. I had spent my time learning what I could about Nora. Now, I had to shift gears.
The evening was calm, and I found solace on the front swing of our estate, gazing out at the stars. The cool breeze stirred the leaves while carrying the sound of an owl hooting nearby. It was peaceful. I felt like it was the calm before the storm. My world was about to get wild. I only had a few days left of this easy life. Soon, I was going to be thrust into a series of balls and whatever activities Lady Hamilton planned for us.
As I rocked gently back and forth, my thoughts were interrupted by the soft footsteps of my sister, Victoria, who joined me on the porch. She settled into a nearby chair, her eyes thoughtful as she regarded me.
“How are you?”
“Fine,” I answered.
“Are you okay with the new match?”
I scoffed. “Does it matter if I am? It’s done. You heard Dad. It’s pretty much carved in stone.”
“You might like her.”
“I might,” I said, nodding. “I might not. I can’t think about that. I don’t have a choice. I will marry her and make the best of it. That’s all I can do.”
“You sound resigned to spending the rest of your days in hell,” she said, laughing. “I don’t think it will be all that bad.”
I turned to Victoria. “I am, Victoria. I want to believe that it will work out. I want to find love and partnership, but I’m also realistic. The whole love thing is overrated.”
She nodded, her gaze distant as she considered my words. “And if it isn’t what you hope for? What will you do then?”
My resolve remained firm. “I will not break the match, Victoria. Our family’s reputation is on the line. You’ll never get a good match if I go against the rules. Our family got our one free pass with Roman. We don’t get another. We could get blackballed. That would kill Mom and Dad. I will do whatever it takes to make it work.”
Victoria smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You always were the responsible one, Theo, always thinking about the family’s honor.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at her teasing tone. “Well, someone has to uphold our reputation, especially with you next in line to enter Wed season after me.”
She chuckled in return, a playful sparkle in her eyes. “Oh, Theo, I don’t need your good reputation to find a match. I can handle myself just fine. Look at me, I’m a catch.”
I smiled, knowing that my sister was a force to be reckoned with, independent and strong-willed. “I have no doubt, Victoria. I have a feeling you’re going to end up chasing down the man you want. You’ll catch him whether he wants to be caught or not.”
“Hey, when you know what you want, you have to go after it.”
“I’ll remember that,” I said. “For now, I have to deal with whatever is thrown my way.”
“If you meet her and you guys really don’t like each other, walk away, Theo. Don’t commit yourself to a life of misery.”
As we sat together on the porch, the night enveloped us in its quiet embrace. The weight of our family’s traditions and responsibilities lingered in the air. I did feel like I was stuck. I wasn’t going to dwell on it. I had a good life behind me. When I got married, I would still have some freedoms. I knew of a lot of marriages that worked because the couple had separate houses and separate lives. It wasn’t bliss, but it wasn’t exactly hell.
4
EMILIE
Wed season preparations were in full swing, and I felt like I’d been thrust into a whirlwind of tulle, lace, and meticulous planning. As I endured yet another fitting for a dress I’d likely only wear once, I felt irritated. Irritated was a nice way of putting it. I was pissed. I was pissed at my parents, Nora, and the whole stupid idea of arranged marriages.
“I was supposed to be off in college, not buried under layers of fabric.”
My seamstress, a no-nonsense woman with a measuring tape perpetually draped around her neck, gave me a stern look. “Hold still, Your Highness. We need to ensure the gown fits perfectly.”
I sighed dramatically, earning an amused glint in her eye. “Perfectly uncomfortable, you mean.”
She chuckled as she continued her work. “You’ll be the belle of the ball, Princess Emilie.”
As the fittings dragged on, I couldn’t escape the barrage of schedules, beauty treatments, and endless consultations. They even wanted every hair on my body waxed off, a prospect that was about as appealing as eating a live scorpion.
I longed for something that would remind me of who I truly was, a connection to the person I had been before the weight of my responsibilities bore down on me. And then it hit me—rose quartz.
