Her words were like a bucket of cold water. That calculation, that manipulation—I had to force my jaw shut as my fingernails gouged into the grass beside me. Despite any positive feelings curdling into nothing, I forced myself to consider what marrying her would be like just to be fair. I’d enjoyed tonight, but it was more for the opportunity to get a break and relax than as a real date. That could be okay; there didn’tneedto be a spark to marry. We could have a respectable relationship, give birth to several heirs, and continue just as we had tonight….
And I could die of boredom in the next decade. I truly wanted—needed—more.
Plus, I truly hated the attempt to manipulate me into choosing a lady from my mother’s kingdom. Playing on her grief was a low blow, and I had to imagine the words came straight from her father’s mouth, not hers.
Allirea was next, and the Opal lady had quite an inventive idea. She took me to a health center in the city to volunteer for a few hours. It was one I had visited before, but never to actually do the healing myself. Allirea worked her opal magic for the people there, and she was very skilled, but it didn’t give us much time to actually speak.
I did enjoy watching the way her opal hair fell down her back in a shimmering white waterfall. Her dark skin shone with her own health, and thoseopal eyes could be mesmerizing to gaze into, but by the end of the date, the only thing I knew about her was that she was nice to look at, which is about what I went into it with.
Sania was my next date after that, and I found a smile tilting my lips in anticipation. She was one of my favorites so far, aside from Jacinth. She’d shown the most personality, and it was one I could see myself enjoying. So when she brought me to play croquet, with a sly smile on her face that told me she’d be real competition, I was actually excited.
“Do you play often, Your Majesty?” she asked as we began.
“It’s been a while, but I’ve been known to play from time to time,” I smirked, watching as she lined up her shot. I tried to enjoy the image of she bending over, but her orange hair turned pink in my mind, and I had to look away.
Whether I was imagining Jacinth or the Pearl Court daughter who should have been here instead, even I wasn’t sure.
Sania made a yipping sound that was admittedly adorable as she hit the mallet and watched the ball sail through the wickets. I forced myself to focus on the lady before me and the game at hand before I could get too distracted.
“Well, you’re certainly a talented player.” I complimented, and she turned to me with a large smile, her orange eyes glinting in the sun.
“I think you’ll find I can be atalentedplayer in many things, Your Majesty.” She flashed me a sultry smile before she waved me on to go next.
As I passed her to line up the mallet, I bent to whisper in her ear, “I’m sure you could be, Lady Sania.”
The shiver that passed through her made me smile, and I quickly hit the mallet, watching the ball sail through the wickets before hitting her own ball in a brilliant roquet that made her pout.
“Would you rather I go easy on you, my Lady?” I continued our flirting, enjoying the chance to let my worries fade into the background. Sania’s eyes narrowed at me, and for a moment, the flirty banter faded away, but she quickly shook her head, her smile returning.
“Never, Your Majesty.” She lined up her shot before turning her head to shoot me a smirk, “I always play to win.”
The rest of the game went much the same, and she did win in the end, with a lucky shot I pretended to be offended over. Her giggling was cute, but I forced myself to look past it as I did with the others and imagine what life would be like with her as my wife.
I could see the two of us having fun, but I needed to find out more. I needed to see if there could be a deeper connection between us, something beyond surface level. Hopefully, more time will also give me more insight into that.
This left me with only Zumra left to entertain, and I was already dreading it. Part of me wished I could just eliminate her, but the politics of the competition were just as important as the actual goal of it. I had to be careful and make sure I didn’t upset the relationships with the other courts—Emrys was very firm on that point.
So I met Zumra for our date, and found out we were attending a play in the city. It was a popular spot for the upper class, who often liked to go to show off. Sure enough, Zumra was dressed to the nines in a stunning gown of black that shimmered with a possibly literal ton of diamonds. It made her emerald-green hair and eyes stand out even more against her bronze skin.
Thankfully, the play meant we didn’t have to talk much. Zumra got to show off that she was on the arm of the high king, and I got to space out, wondering what I was going to do.
Time was ticking ever down, for all it felt like we’d just started. The idea that I would have a wife by the end of this was hard to swallow still, but it was a fact I had to face.
Along with the fact that I could only truly picture one of them in the role.
Chapter Twenty-four
Jacinth
My nerves were completely fried after my date with Azurill. I wasn’t sure what to do, not after my slip up, nor after that kiss. I felt like a worm at the end of a hook, struggling to move, and just waiting for the end to come.
Faiza and Amatista were goddess-sent in that respect. They kept me company and encouraged me, and while they didn’t know the truth, I could share other aspects of what was going on with them.
“He kissed you?” Amatista nearly screeched, her purple eyes wide in excitement. She clapped her hands, a large smile on her face. “This is perfect! You’re absolutely going to be queen when this is over.”
I laughed slightly, shaking my head. “I wouldn’t go that far; it was just a kiss.”
“What do you think, Faiza?” Amatista turned to my other friend. “You’re close with his Majesty; you can give us some insight.”
