“Do what?”
“Take my insults.” He frowns.
I lower my gaze. What does he want from me? I don’t understand. I’m pretty sure he has no wish for me to be argumentative.
A new uncomfortable silence grows and stretches. It is so hard not to squirm.
“Dyfri says you are very young. Barely of age.”
My head snaps back up. My stomach twists. I thought Dyfri’s visit was a secret. What else has he reported?
“He thinks I should postpone the wedding until you are older.”
My heart jumps into my throat. Oh no. Mother will be furious. So very, very furious. And all the blame will be mine.
Selwyn sighs. “Don’t look so worried. I know your people would not be happy with a delay, and since the whole point of this marriage is to form an alliance, it seems my hands are tied.”
My jaw is still hanging open. I snap it shut. The horror has been averted. He is not calling the wedding off. But my heart is still hammering, and my hands are now trembling.
He picks his cup up again. As if he didn’t just frighten the life out of me. Shakily, I try to copy him.
Tea. We are simply two people enjoying tea together. Everything is fine.
We drink in silence. I’m all out of conversation. If I try, I’ll only say something stupid again. If he wishes to talk, he is going to have to come up with something. I have learnt my lesson.
I watch him through my eyelashes. He doesn’t look annoyed by the silence. And he looks very handsome today. Extremely princely. He just did come from a hearing, so it makes sense that his hair and clothes are perfect.
He places his cup down. It’s empty.
“The tea was pleasant.”
Oh. I don’t need to pour more. He is leaving.
“The date for our wedding has been set for the next full moon.”
Oh sweet goddess. I stare at him with my mouth agape, but he simply turns and strides out of the room.
My heart is pounding so hard that it is making it impossible to form a single thought. I’ve broken out in a cold sweat.
Talk about dropping a bombshell. I’m not sure I’m ever going to recover.
Chapter seven
Three days ago, Prince Selwyn dropped the bombshell that our wedding is to be in a month. Today, I have been invited to have tea with Prince Consort Jamie Wyf Rhydianogi. The Crown Prince’s consort. The ordinary human man who used to be the Crown Prince’s pet.
I am surprised Mother didn’t want me to try to poison him so that I could take his place. Because I’m sure she must be annoyed that the Crown Prince is already married.
But she hasn’t given me any orders. She just shooed me out of the door, and now I am following this grumpy pink-haired servant through the halls of Buckingham Palace.
Mother is probably plotting something even more nefarious. Such as assassinating the Crown Prince and putting Selwyn on the throne, and making her son Crown Prince Consort that way.
She probably thinks that Selwyn would be easier to control than Rhydian. Softer. Less dangerous.
I shudder. Why can no one see what Prince Selwyn really is?
My thoughts are distracted by the pink-haired servant throwing open a pair of double doors and leading me into a lovely sitting room.
Oh my goodness. We are already here. I didn’t even have time to worry properly.
