My sister sat at a desk in front of the window, scribbling in a notebook, sunlight falling like a golden crown atop her head.
“You’re still in your shift.” Didn’t she realize the time? The vendors would arrive at any moment.
The tip of the pen scratched against the page with each hurried stroke. “I’m afraid I cannot come with you today.”
“But we’re to pick out the flowers.” Flowers were her area of expertise, not mine. “And the seamstress is to measure me for my gown.” I didn’t want to choose a gown without my sister there to offer her opinions as well.
She set the ink pen down with force, and her head fell into her hands. “I know. I’m sorry. But I promised Rían I would stay out of sight.”
I should’ve known this had something to do with him. If he thought he was going to keep my sister out of this, he had another thing coming. “What happened between the two of you?”
“Nothing.”
Did I look as if I’d been born yesterday? “Stop that this instant. You were the martyr once before, and I refuse to let it happen again. Your happiness matters just as much as mine.” If not more considering how much she’d sacrificed for me. “Now, tell me what’s wrong so that we might come up with a solution.”
Aveen’s eyes fluttered closed as she eased back in her chair and let her head fall in defeat. “I’m not the one being the martyr. He is.”
Rían didn’t strike me as the martyr type. But I kept that to myself and gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze.
“He’s terrified that his mother is going to find out she didn’t kill me and rip out my heart.”
Ah, yes.That. Now that I knew Rían’s mother was the Phantom Queen, I could see the resemblance. Not only did they share the same shade of mahogany hair, they were both awful. “And you’re not afraid of that happening?” I asked.
“Of course I’m afraid. I’d be a fool if I wasn’t. But I’m going to be afraid whether we’re together or not. She has stolen so much from him, and every day we spend apart, she wins.”
“I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around the two of you together.”
“He’s not what he seems.”
“I should hope not. Because he seems like an arrogant prick.”
Aveen let out a small chuckle. “All right. Perhaps he is exactly what he seems. But he’s not that way with me.” Her eyes lifted to mine, so full of affection, my heart broke for her. “I love him, Keelynn. And I know that he loves me. But it’s like, in letting the Queen keep us apart, he’s saying our love doesn’t matter.”
“Then you need to talk some sense into him.” Perhaps I could help her. She’d sacrificed so much to ensure I ended up with the man I’d wanted to be with, the least I could do was try.
Although she hummed a non-committal response, her expression faltered as she collected her notebook and held it toward me. “Here’s what I think you should order for your bouquet. I know you love hydrangeas, but a few pops of color would be nice as well.”
I took the notebook and scanned the list. Some of the flowers I knew, others were foreign to me. Either way, I trusted my sister’s judgement, on this especially. “And for your bouquet? Should it be the same but a bit smaller or would you like something different?”
She glanced away. “I don’t need a bouquet.”
“Of course you do. Your hands will look silly empty.” On second thought… “I suppose you could carry a candle like they did at Cousin Regina’s wedding, but since the ceremony is being held during the day, it doesn’t really make sense.”
Her lower lip wobbled when she spoke. “I don’t think Rían will let me go to the wedding.”
The notebook slipped from my fingers, clattering to the ground. Rían wouldn’tlether? This decision had nothing to do with that stuck-up pig.
“He cannot keep you from my wedding.” Rían and I would need to have a little chat, now, wouldn’t we?
I wrapped my sister in a hug, holding her close. Tears pricked my eyes, but I refused to let them fall as I silently vowed to make this right.
When I let her go, she reminded me to bring the notebook. I left her room feeling a little heavier, and by the time I reached the bottom of the staircase, my limbs felt downright leaden. A handful of Danú mingled inside the great room. The moment I stepped through the door, their quiet conversations fell silent.
My hands itched to scrub at my skirts or wring behind my back, but showing nervousness would only make me look weak. And without possessing magic, I was already at a disadvantage. So I steeled my shoulders and offered them a confident smile. “Hello. I am Keelynn Bannon, Tadhg’s fiancée. I appreciate the time you all took to come in today. Hopefully, we can get this wedding planned without too much hassle.”
No one spoke. Not even a word of greeting. They kept staring, their expressions cold and unimpressed as I continued to the small table Tadhg had shifted in front of the dais. I took the chair closest to the thrones and waved the first man forward.
His brow furrowed, the wrinkles so deep, you could have hidden a penny in them.