His desire for her was so intense that he had completely forgotten about Hestia, whom he had made up with in a half-hearted way. Their engagement was back on, and Rosemary was growing flowers for their ceremony. It was too late to turn back now.
When he remembered Hestia, he tried to rationalise his actions and his feelings for Marigold. She flirted with other men all the time–perhaps she’d even done more than that. And it was curious to him that Hestia did not call on him more, or implore him to call on her. The summer was the busy season, and she knew that, but normally, nothing stopped Hestia from getting what she wanted.
The hard part was, she was not a bad person, Finn thought, just aboring, beautiful person.
Finn nearly choked on his toast at that thought–like an epiphany.
Marigold met eyes with him from across the table. It was like pain and a tonic all at once. She’d avoided looking him in the eye since the night by the pond and in the tree house.
“Are you alright?” she asked.
He nodded through deep coughs.
Freddie told him to shut up, she was trying to read.
“And what might you be reading so seriously, sister?” he asked.
“News from the fire kingdom,” she said. “They defeated the evil water king! Hurrah!”
Marigold knocked her water glass over and hurried to clean it up.
“They did?” she asked.
“Yes,” Freddie said. “Apparently Helena, a palace seamstress and expert murderess was the one who headed up the operation! Another woman! She’s my new hero.”
“I thought the healer, Rain, was your hero?”
“I can have as many heroes as I want,” Freddie snapped.
“And are they safe?” Marigold asked desperately. “Helena and Topaz? It wasn’t a suicide mission?”
“No,” Freddie said.
Marigold gave a deep sigh of relief.
“But listen to this,” Freddie said, holding her pamphlet and raising her voice. “Dreamy King Topaz is going tomarryHelena! They drew a picture of the two of them together, see?”
Finn watched Marigold’s face break into a big smile.
“They make a handsome couple, don’t they?” Marigold said. “I’m happy for them.”
“But wait,” Freddie said, wrinkling her brow. “Didn’t Topaz already have a wife? He has two heirs, doesn’t he?”
Finn looked to Marigold for the answer.
She stared at Finn and Freddie for a moment.
“Oh! Yes. He was married. To a woman named Marigold, actually. It’s a common name in the fire kingdom. But I believe she died. Very tragic.”
Freddie bowed her head to keep reading.
“It says here that she simply disappeared, so that marriage was void. Isn’t that funny?” Freddie said. “Another wandering Marigold. Just like you.”
“Just like me,” Marigold repeated, looking down at her breakfast.
Then she shoved out of her chair with a great scrape.
“Best be off,” she announced.
