Except now that he was, all I was wishing for was to see how quickly I could end our conversation and make it upstairs
without anyone else noticing my absence.
Father’s laugh bellowed over the quiet sound of Talia playing some notes on the piano. Mother’s laughter followed close
behind his, practically drowning out the music.
Everyone was happy, aside from me.
“Apologies, your highness. I didn’t think it proper of me to address you so informally at the dinner table.”
“And outside is better, is it?”
“Well, it is without the queen sneering at me like I was a dead animal on the road, ready for the picking,” he remarked
lightly.
Laughing under my breath, I sat down on the bench from earlier. He took the seat next to me. He still held the same cup from
earlier. I noticed he was wearing a replacement jacket, which I assumed was Norok’s.
“Do you know who my parents have picked as my future husband?” I asked, putting an emphasis onyou.
“I’m afraid I arrived a little too late for that information.”
I huffed before taking the cup from his hand and finished off his drink. The taste of ale hit my tongue, making me wish he
had more hidden away somewhere. Mother would always force us to drink wine during dinners, making me wonder where he
found such a drink.
“I’m sorry if I seemed snappy just now,” I paused, handing him back his cup before adding, “I have a lot on my mind.”
“I’d have a lot on my mind if I were an heir to a vast and large kingdom all while being forced to marry someone I did not
know,” Cole said kindly.
“Is that what it’s going to be like? Meeting my future husband and barely saying more than two words to each other before
we say our vows.”
He sighed, looking away from me in the direction where my family occupied the dining room. They seemed to be lost in
their own enjoyment, as if they had no care in the world.
“I think you’d find we’ve said at least three, maybe four words to each other, so I am not sure,” he quipped.
“Is that your attempt at a jest?” I asked with a smile.
Leaning my head back, I looked up at the night sky as it shined beautifully with stars. I longed for it to be him, and perhaps
it was him, and rather than tell me, he was leaving the news to my father. He seemed to want to be near me. I could feel his
warmth against my thigh as he sat close to me, even though there was plenty of room on the other side of him.
“It was an awful attempt, I will admit. But I thought you would be happy to be getting married, most girls are.”
“It’s not that I do not wish to marry. It’s just, I always pictured marrying for love, not duty,” I replied, a sadness bleeding