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Someone cleared their throat behind us. I glanced behind Ryker to find Jesseline in the doorway. “Sorry to interrupt, but your parents are looking for you, Dace.”
“Gods, can I just tell them to fuck off?” I groaned.
Ryker glanced down as I took her hands and squeezed them. I wasn’t ready to leave this room just yet, but damn if it wasn’t exactly like my parents to ruin a good thing.
“Think about it, Ryker,” I whispered, unable to stop my wide smile.
She turned on the bench as I walked out, calling after me, “I’ll think about it, but it doesn’t change a thing.”
“I’ll just…” Jesseline pointed back toward Ryker and vanished from beside me as I rounded the corner and found my parents waiting at the top of the steps. My father was pacing around my mother who cocked her head and watched me walk toward them with a goofy ass smile.
“Why are you grinning like that?” he said, slowing his steps. “Are you trying to pull a fast one on us? You think we’re going to let you marry a Nymph?”
My mother stood still, observing me as I came closer. She was certainly annoyed, but surprisingly, not angry. I’d expected her to already be yelling at me five paces back.
“Care to explain?” she finally asked. “Or is this just simply a ploy to get a rise out of us?”
“Not a ploy. I simply want to marry whom I wish to marry.”
“You didn’t even give LaBelle an entire two minutes of your time. You caused a scene with Torrance—” my father ranted.
“Torrance lost me my crown. Torrance killed innocent Nymphs,” I interjected.
“You lost your crown, Dace, not him. And now you want to leave your party early. Are you declaring the Nymph your bride then?”
“She isn’t ready for marriage,” I said plainly. “And would it help if I told you I’ve seen our relationship in my dreams?”
“Did you see your marriage?” my mother said with a coy smile.
No. No, I hadn’t. But I’d seen everything else, and that had to be enough. I thought back to all the visions I’d had. There were so many more memories to be made with her. I’d never seen a wedding at all.
“No, but I know we are meant to have a relationship.”
“Perhaps she is only a side piece. Kings have mistresses all the time, Son.” My mother placed her hands on her hips. My father was suspiciously silent next to her. “What do you propose we do?”
“I’m suggesting you take my offer of engagement to Ryker Avery, but we wait until she says she’s ready. Deal?”
“How is that a deal?” my father sighed.
“Look, I’ll marry this one. I promise, and in the meantime…I’ll travel within the Twinity Court. I’ll talk to the areas that you say have been out of control. I’ll get back the control you want. You’ll have your food on the table.”
Mother grinned, a dangerous sort of smile, like she might eat me up and spit me out and enjoy every agonizing moment of it. “I’ll take that deal on the condition that if Ryker turns you down, or grows bored of you before you are officially wed, you marry the bride of our choosing. Princess Maggie still isn’t off the table.”
It wouldn’t come to that. I had hope. And if that ever did happen, I might be so completely broken on the inside that it wouldn’t matter who I married.
“Deal.” I nodded. Now I just had to pray that Ryker would always feel the same way about me. I wished Shavarra was here right now. She’d love to hear a rant about my terrible parents and then she’d probably smack me upside the head for taking the deal.
With a frown, I slipped between my parents and headed back into the party. Guess I’d continue to play the role of host and finish these damn dances.
Nymphs were cleaning up the empty glasses of Fae who drank far too much. Many of the guests still danced and cheered with the music. I rubbed at my eyes, blinking, and wondered why I hadn’t drunk more.
“Are you tired?” Ryker’s soft voice came from behind me.
I twisted to face her and ran my fingers through my hair hoping I hadn’t ruffled it too much. “Just who I wanted to see. I’m doing okay. Thankfully I’ve finished the last of the dances, which is good. They all seem to be having a good time.”
Ryker followed the direction of my finger to the swaying drunkards. Torrance danced sloppily next to a woman with an incredibly low cut gown on the edge farthest from us. I’d made a point to keep him on the opposite side of the room from me. My parents wouldn’t be happy if I made a scene like that again.
“Hmm, makes me miss my friends.” Her arms wrapped around her, her hands rubbing the exposed skin. “I was actually thinking I would call it a night and head back to my room.”
