Dear Princess Brandese:
This is brilliantly written and well thought out. In my youth, I was mentored by some great legislators who often edited and discussed my work with me. I have never been inspired to mentor anyone myself, until I read this. I cannot introduce this as proposed legislation while under an oath to support the king in all his endeavors, since this seeks to strip some of his powers from him. As such, I have a meeting with him tonight to resign. If the proposed law passes, you will be free to live independently without fear of the king’s reprisal. If I’m not destined to be your husband, I hope at least to remain your friend and to perhaps become the mentor a girl like you should have had all along. I hope also that you understand that even while I’ve tried to check your impulsiveness, I have been stunned and in awe of your passion and your bravery.
Yours, Lord Evston Calex.
She swallowed against a tight throat and blinked back her tears.
“What is it?” Duckworth said.
“He’s given me the rarest of gifts, and the most precious because it was a truly selfless act that in his heart he can’t have wanted.”
“But he’s made you happy?”
“Yes, very.”
Duckworth smiled. “Well, I’m not surprised. He’s never gone out of his way to impress a girl before, but he’s not known for half measures when he undertakes anything.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
The wedding feast’sfestivities swirled around them, a kaleidoscope of colorful dresses and powerful people.
“You’re usually such a shrewd negotiator,” the king said, sounding amused. “The truth is you paid almost twice the bride price of any that was offered.”
Evston shrugged. “Perception is a funny thing. I actually consider it very shrewd negotiating on my part, since the truth is I would’ve paid a hundred times more than I did. I expected to.”
The king looked at him sharply, measuring the truth of his words.
“The moment I started trying to influence what happened to her, anyone should’ve guessed how much I wanted her,” Evston said.
The king looked stunned. “She wanted to marry you. You avoided her. Why would you do that?”
“I thought she could do better.”
The king stared at him incredulously. “You were the youngest advisor the crown has ever had, and you have the riches amassed by nine prosperous ancestors. Who did you think would be a more advantageous match for her?”
“It doesn’t matter now,” he said, watching the blue-violet fabric swirl as Brande turned.
