Leaning against the stone railing, he takes in lungfuls of the cool evening breeze as his heart rate returns to some semblance of normal. Then he castigates himself. That was the height of rudeness. He’s supposed to be playing the host. Not running from the woman he just agreed to marry.
“Rominy!”
He cringes at the sound of his mother’s voice coming from inside his sitting room. Closing the balcony door behind him, Rominy finds his father pacing the floor as Mother stands near the door, wringing her hands. Arisanna is there, too, with her usual calm demeanor.
They must have settled the elven delegation in the guest wing after Rominy made his hasty exit.
“This is unacceptable,” Mother says. “These were not the terms we agreed to.”
Making the Best of It
Episode 5
“Thegallofthemto come here and demand we accede to their wishes,” Mother says, and Arisanna sighs.
“They were hardly demanding, Mother. King Lorial was quite compassionate about the misunderstanding.”
“You were supposed to wed the crown prince,” Father says to Arisanna. “Not the younger son.”
“What difference does it make?” she asks. “I’ve considered King Lorial’s words, and I think he’s right. I’ll have far more freedom as Prince Cerian’s wife than as the wife of a future king.”
Concern shines in Father’s eyes. “You can’t mean to tell me you’d prefer Cerian to Tharios.”
Arisanna flicks at a speck of dust on her skirt. “Perhaps not. But it hardly matters. Tharios is already married.”
“It hardly matters?” Mother cries. “The younger prince was extremely rude.”
“I don’t know that I’d call him rude, exactly.” Arisanna looks at her brother. He’s been strangely quiet.
“What do you have to say about all this?” Father asks Rominy.
“There’s not much to say. I agreed to marry the princess tomorrow.”
“Oh, this can’t be happening.” Mother’s hand-wringing escalates to a frenzy.
“Why is it all right for Arisanna to marry an elf but not for me to do the same?” Rominy asks.
That’s a good question. Arisanna waits for her parents to respond.
Father frowns. “Are you saying you want to marry her?”
“Of course not.” Rominy rubs his face. “But like it or not, we all agreed. We can’t change our minds now.”
“This is a disaster,” Mother moans.
“I’m still wondering why it’s fine for me and not for Rominy,” Arisanna says. “Am I expendable?”
Father steps toward her and wraps his arms around her. “Of course not, dear. We just had different plans for your brother. Other potential marriage partners in mind. Are you sure about pledging yourself to the younger prince?”
“No.” She draws out the word. “But it is best for all of us if I do, so I shall.”
“And I will marry Princess Elowyn,” Rominy says. “What choice do we have? This heartbinding leaves us little alternative. Surely we can all see that? I won’t be responsible for the elf queen’s death, to say nothing of my own.”
Mother heaves a sigh. “We should have paid more attention to their explanation of the magic before we signed that treaty.”
“It’s too late now,” Arisanna says. “Besides, Rominy and I wouldn’t even exist without it. We’ll just have to make the best of things. I’m sure I’ll warm up to Prince Cerian in time.”
Hopefully. Their conversation on the train left something to be desired.
