Aimilia didn’t really know what to do with that information.
When morning came, Aimilia just stared at the window, dawn breaking the horizon.
Her childhood room didn’t feel like hers anymore. It hadn’t been hers in so long, but there she was, curled up in the blankets, trying to work up the courage to face the day.
The funeral couldn’t be put off any longer.
Aimilia buried her head in her pillow briefly, letting a few tears roll down from her eyes. She didn’t want to do this. She wanted to get back on a horse and ride for hours and hours until she could pretend her grandfather was still at the estate, resting in his bed and managing their family from there and that she’d get to see him soon instead of not at all.
But before Aimilia could work up the courage to either face the day or run away, her door opened and her mother swept inside, two maids behind her, saying, “Aimilia, you must get up and prepare for the funeral procession. You cannot hide away in here.”
Aimilia scoffed as she lifted her head, biting back the comment at the tip of her tongue that only one of them was known for hiding from funerals. “I was just about to get up.”
Her mother began fussing with the outfit Aimilia had laid out the night before. “Good. I also trust that there won’t be any outbursts this time.”
Aimilia threw the blanket off her and gave her mother a sharp grin. “Oh, that’s unfortunate. Since you missed the last one, I was planning on making it up to you.”
Mother turned away from the peplos and cloak and gave Aimilia a stern look. “This is not the day to attempt to be witty. You have gotten away with far too much while your grandfather was ill and you had his favor, but if you don’t behave appropriately, you will reap the consequences.”
“You and I have different definitions of appropriate.” Aimilia sat down in front of the vanity and the maid began working on Aimilia’s hair. Her mother came up behind her, watching through the glass.
“Let me be clear, here is what is going to happen today. The second we step foot outside this house, you keep your mouth closed. You will be somber and graceful, and should either Queen Clelia or Prince Nikias speak to you, you will thank them for their kindness and that is all. You will draw no undue attention to yourself, especially from Queen Clelia. Then, once the ceremony is over, you’ll tell Prince Nikias how grateful you are for his patience and that you’re renouncing your right to compete to prove yourself to him and should he still want you, you would be beyond honored to be his wife.”
Aimilia shot up from the vanity, sending the maid scrambling away with a yelp as pins clattered to the floor. She whipped around to face her mother. “I am not doing this again. Let me be clear, under no circumstances will I be renouncing my right to compete, and there is no world in which I ever tell Nikias I want to be his wife.”
The words were ash on her tongue, but at this point saying them was more a habit than anything else. She needed time tothink, but first she had to bury her grandfather. Then she could begin to figure out what was going on with her and Nikias, and if that even mattered.
If she did love him… would she marry him?
Mother snapped, “Do you think the next head of House Mitis will let your little rebellious tantrum slide?”
As far as everyone else was concerned, nothing had changed.
Aimilia raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. “Do you think I’m going to forget everything you’ve said and done when I’m the head of House Mitis?”
If she lost, she didn’t just lose House Mitis. She was going to have to answer to Cyprian for her constant defiance. If Aimilia didn’t win, Cyprian would.
If she wanted to stay in good standing with House Mitis, she’d be forced to grovel to Nikias and plead with him that he would still take her. If she didn’t, staying in Imperia would no longer be an option.
If she told Nikias she would marry him, there was no doubt in her mind he would still take her.
But would that really be so bad?
Her mother laughed, a breathy sound, disbelief filling the air. “Why do you want to be Head of House Mitis when you could be Queen of Imperia?”
Aimilia couldn’t help her voice cracking. “Why bother trying to explain when you won’t listen?”
All they did was talk at her, and if Aimilia couldn’t understand her own feelings or decide if they even changed anything, her mother never would.
“Because you don’t want what’s best for this house! Mitis doesn’t need you to lead it.” Mother took a step toward her, but she had long since stopped being an intimidating figure to Aimilia. “You just want to use Mitis so no one can stand in the way of you doing whatyouwant.”
Fine. If that was the way this was going to go…
“Hmm, maybe I was wrong.” Aimilia let her bitter sarcastic bite seep into each word. Her grin was absolutely vicious as she said, “Youdoget it.”
Her mother shook her head and turned to the maid. “Ensure she’s ready for the funeral.” Then she turned back to Aimilia and said, “It’s a good thing your father isn’t around to see just how selfish you turned out to be.”
Aimilia’s mouth opened, but her mother had already shut the door behind her, leaving Aimilia and the terrified Solitus maid behind.
