“Ah.” The prince faced me in the same moment Roark turned away.
Was hesmiling?
“I had no plans to say anything. It was not my place. Wait.” I tilted my head. “Do you already know?”
“I do know.” Thane nodded. “I’ve known how Yrsa and Emi have felt about each other for seasons.”
I looked to Roark. The bastardwassmiling.
“Lyra.” Thane came to me and put both palms on my shoulders. “I told you, Yrsa and I have known we would be wed since infancy. We became friends, but that does not always mean the romantic heart will ever take hold. It did for her and Emi. Who am I to stand in the way of them?”
“Why wed, then?”
Prince Thane scoffed. “If I refused, do you think King Hundur would allow his daughter to be with Emi merely because he learned she prefers women? No. She would be placed with another nobleman of Myrda, forced to bear his children, and be banned from Stonegate.”
By the gods, he was protecting her. Marrying her to let her be free.
A gentle touch came to the back of my arm. Roark leanedclose and spoke in soft gestures.They protect each other. Understand why few can know?
I nodded, feeling utterly foolish.
“I love Thane,” Yrsa said. “But we knew we would never bein lovewith each other. Like he has let me follow my heart, I will always do the same for him.”
They could fall in love with others, but never be allowed to truly claim the ones in their hearts. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Thane flashed his roguish grin. “We are happy, which is much more than I can say for many arranged marriages. You might have seen some in these very walls that look truly miserable.”
Yrsa chuckled and nudged his ribs.
“What about heirs?” It was customary if a royal bride did not bear children within the first three full seasons, her husband would be given a new bride. “She will face the same trouble soon enough.”
Thane cleared his throat. “We’ve spoken of it many times. We will do what we must do.”
“Prince Thane is safety to me, Melder Bien,” Yrsa said. “He is a friend I will always trust, even if it is with my body.”
“I like to think I would make a decent father too.”
“You will.” Yrsa snickered, but sobered when she looked back at me. “I will be honored to be his wife. I will be honored to watch him fall in love with another as I have. I only hope she will be as understanding to our situation as Emi.”
The prince kissed Yrsa’s knuckles.
“Now that all this has been cleared, may we get on with the feast?” Emi’s face softened.
I glanced to the floor. “Forgive me for assuming.”
“Nothing to forgive. It is reassuring to know you care for the prince.”
“It is.” Prince Thane strode past, Yrsa still linked to his arm, but he patted Roark on the side of the face as he went. “How do you feel knowing I’ve won her over?”
I’d learned enough of Roark’s vulgar gestures to know he leveled no less than three at the prince.
Thane simply laughed and escorted both Emi and Yrsa from the room.
I looked at the Sentry. “Next time your cousin is a princess’s lover, tell me.”
Roark took my hand and squeezed it twice.I did not think you would be so nosy to deem it necessary.
“I am not nosy. I happened to stumble upon them and have been torn over what to do all afternoon, I’ll have you know.”
