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“Sure thing,” I say, hanging up the phone.
“You’re leaving?” she asks, sounding like she doesn’t want me to go. The feeling’s mutual, princess.
“Yes, I’m sorry, but I have a meeting I forgot about.”
“Oh, of course. I’ll see you later. I’m just going to read my book,” she says, holding the book up.
“Alright. Enjoy it; I’ll be back later.”
I step out of the cabin and into my car. The drive back to the palace is reflective. I would rather do anything but this.
I pull into the drive, and one of the valets opens the door for me. I exit the car and rush inside.
“How bad is it?” I ask my brother, Rudy, who is leaning against the large table in the foyer.
“Mom and Dad are pissed, but otherwise, it seems to be going well. The parents are having drinks together in the West Parlor. Donner and Vixen are in the East Parlor with yourfuture wife.” The way he says future wife gives me pause.
“What’s up?” I ask.
“What do you mean?”
“You seem salty.”
“Of course not, brother.”
“Somehow, I don’t believe you. You’ll tell me eventually, so you might as well tell me now.”
“If I do tell you, it’ll just make the rest of our lives more difficult than it needs to be. I’ll get over it.”
I look at him skeptically but head upstairs to my room to change into a suit. I’m back downstairs a few minutes later.
When I walk into the West Parlor, my parents turn to look at me.
“Sorry I’m late,” I say, bowing to my parents first, then the king and queen of Springlandia.
“No worries, son. No worries,” my dad says in complete opposition to his thinly veiled, threatening phone call.
Before anyone else can speak, the door opens again. My brothers and sister file in, followed by Lavender. She looks even less happy to be here than I do.
After a few minutes of torturous small talk, the dinner bell rings, and we make our way into the semi-formal dining room. This table seats twenty, compared to the main dining room, which seats a hundred guests.
There is no direct conversation between Lavender and me, and if the looks that pass between Rudy and her are any indication, I know exactly why.
It’s late when they finally leave. I’m stopped by my father as I head upstairs.
“You will marry her,” he says ominously.
“It’ll be a cold day in hell before I marry her,” I vow.
I don’t know why, but I’m surprised when hell freezes over the next day.
CHAPTERTHREE
ELISE
TWO DAYS LATER
“Stupid. I am so stupid.” I have been saying this to myself in between crying and self-pity. I mean, I barely know him, and it's not like we are dating or anything, so why should it bother me that he hasn’t been here in two days? He doesn’t owe me anything. He has done more than his share of nice things for me. So then, why the hell am I crying, and my heart feels like it is breaking? Why do I care?
