“The arrangements have already been agreed upon, Kat. And this is the best way I can think of to keep you away from our enemies. Trust me, Mikhail will be a hundred times better than Yulian.”
Artur turns back to Abram to carry on their discussion. Tears sting the back of my eyes. My chest tightens. I need to get out of here. But I can’t.
I do the only thing I can think of, and that’s running up to my sister’s room.
Marie is sitting on her bed, staring at the door. Her nose is scrunched up when I step into her room through the open door. Her long blonde hair is loose over her shoulders, and her bright green eyes are full of worry. She has the same smattering of freckles across her nose as I do. It’s clear we’re sisters.
“Marie,” I stammer, walking cautiously towards her. I don’t know if she also hates me right now. I don’t know if she’s also angry.
“I heard everything,” she whispers. “Are you okay?” she holds out her arm, gesturing for me to sit with her.
I shake my head, flopping down next to her with tears running freely down my cheeks.
“How can I be okay?” I sob quietly.
“I tried to talk them out of it when I heard them planning it last week. It sounds like a nightmare. I couldn’t even get them to show me a photo of the guy. I’m so sorry they’re doing this. I know they’re angry with you, but this is extreme,” she sighs, wrapping her arms around me and hugging me close.
Marie lets me cry out my emotions onto the shoulder of her hoodie while she sits quietly waiting for me to catch my breath.
When I lift my head, there is a wet patch where my cheek was nuzzled against her. She giggles and brushes her hand over it. “Gross,” she teases me. “Snot.”
I giggle too, even though my heart is heavy.
She grabs me and pulls me further onto her bed. “Tell me what’s going on with you,” she demands, getting comfy against the headboard.
I bite the inside of my cheek, then sigh. “I’ve been staying with a guy called Yulian,” I start.
Marie listens to me talk for ages, and the more I talk, the better I feel. Saying things out loud is a good way to sort out the chaos running wild in my thoughts. It doesn’t solve the predicament I’m in, but it helps me see things more clearly.
By the time I’ve updated her on everything, Marie is grinning at me.
“What?” I ask, tilting my head to the side.
“You’re kind of glowing. Like you have this inner light that’s shining through. I’ve never really seen it before. I think ithas something to do with this Yulian guy. Are you in love with him?”
“What? No, um, that’s silly,” I blurt out.
My cheeks flush pink. Marie giggles again, and I shake my head.
“I don’t have time to worry about love now, anyway. Our brothers are busy planning my wedding, and it might be to some middle-aged, self-centered, arrogant asshole—in fact, it probablyisone of those guys I met at Artur’s party. Why else would they specifically ask for me if they hadn’t met me?” The thought makes my stomach churn. There wasn’t a single man that I met at that party that I’d be happy to marry.
Well.
One man.
But he wasn’t supposed to be there.
“Ugh,” I huff.
“I know,” Marie agrees. “Maybe just give them some time. Try talking to them in a day or two, and maybe we can convince them together that this is going to ruin your whole life. I think they’re just angry now and making rash decisions.”
“Yes, maybe. But in the meantime, the wedding is in full planning mode. It might be too late in a day or two,” I sigh.
“They’re our brothers, sis. They love you. Even though they’re angry now,” she says, sounding confident. But I don’t share the same confidence. They are our brothers, and they do want us to be happy, but what they want more is for Artur to establish himself with strength and good alliances. They want the family to be strong and safe.
They will put that before my personal needs.
“I’m going to go shower, or something. I need to clear my head.”
