Not now. Wait until we find Luke. Plenty of time to eat later.
Sarah was almost to the stage when trumpets startled her as they began to play.
Those are the royal trumpeters.Her mother, Vinia, had told her stories about them and how they always announced royalty.
She fell back with the crowds and tried to blend in as a carriage was pulled to the stage by magnificent horses. She almost rolled her eyes.Some of this royal stuff is over the top.
A giggle almost broke through her lips.If you’re going to marry the future king, you better get used to stuff like this.
The coach opened and King Ardec stepped out. Tall and distinguished looking with a full dark beard and longer dark hair, he carried an air about him that was beyond reproach. He stepped away and waited.
Sarah's breath caught in her throat as Luke stepped out behind his father. After months of not seeing him, her heart burst open at seeing her mate again. Dark featured as his father, Luke had grown a neatly trimmed beard, and he wore all of the royalty finery. They walked up the stairs onto the stage amidst cheering and clapping.
They really love their royals.
Being back with her own people almost took Sarah's breath away. No one noticed her as an outsider because she was one of them. Her mother spoke very little about their life before Colorado, and Luke hadn't wanted to waste their time together on the subject of his family life. All she really knew was that his mother had passed away sometime in the past couple years, but Sarah had let it go because she knew it was a double-edged sword. She wanted to be a part of his family, but his father had also single handedly tried to ruin her own. Their time together was precious, and spending it discussing their parents had not been a priority.
King Ardec held up his hands for silence, and the crowd quieted. Luke waved to different people in the crowd, but Sarah couldn't be sure if it was specific persons, or if he was just waving in general. She couldn't take her eyes off him, drinking in every detail that she could.
She rubbed her belly.That’s your daddy, my sweet girl.
"My people, welcome to the Sacred Gardens Gala, where the law requires you to eat, drink, and be merry. It is a time to relax and have fun, and a time to remember all of the great joys that we experience because of our loyalty to each other. It is a time of great celebration."
He paused and glanced at Luke, who was unaware that King Ardec had turned to him.
"And in that respect, it gives me great honor to make an announcement that I have waited to make for many years."
A further hush fell over the crowd as they waited on bated breath. Sarah watched as a tiny frown appeared on Luke's face as he finally noticed his father watching him.
The king threw his arms up in the air in a grandiose manner. "The engagement of my son, Lucas, to Lady Kayleigh of the Hallowed Vale, our neighbors to the east."
Sarah's soul shattered as she comprehended the words in the momentary hush before a roar erupted from the crowd as people threw their hands up and cheered. She fell back against the wall behind her as a pain like she'd never known flooded through her body from her heart. She struggled to catch her breath as tears burned in her throat.
In the chaos, Sarah lost sight of Luke, but it was just as well. She pushed and shoved her way through the crowd back to the gates, and for the second time in her life, she fled the Sacred Gardens.
Chapter Four: Blindsided
Luke Ardec
Luke stared at his father as they stood there on stage in front of the entire kingdom. Fury raged through his veins at the betrayal.
"How could you?" he hissed low enough that no one else could hear.
"I did this for your own good. Now act happy."
"I will not." He did, however, wave at the crowd. "You told me I had a year. It's barely been six months." Long months of missing Sarah.
"There's no need to wait, son. The end result is going to be the same whether it's now or later."
Luke gave one final wave and as big of a smile as he could force before he spun and left the stage. He needed to get out of the public eye before he lost his temper. The local gossips already had enough to say without him giving them topics of discussion.
The king followed him, and they both settled back in the carriage. Luke waited until they had pulled out of the crowd before he pointed at his father. "I am not, under any circumstances, marrying that woman."
"It's already arranged. You will be married in the fall, which is Kayleigh's choice."
"Do I get a say in anything?"
"No," Ardec replied. "You have made poor decisions in the past which have not benefited anyone. All you need to do for your wedding day is show up."
