“I’ve chosen who I’m going to marry.”
“Don’t tell me you’re here to dump me?” he asks, his hand coming to his chest.
I smile and say, “It’s not you, it’s me.”
“Except in this case, itwasme,” he responds, smiling. I laugh at that, and he says, “Can you tell me who it is?”
I shake my head. “You’ll find out soon enough, but I do need to talk to August and Koa.”
“Which one first?” he asks, standing.
“August,” I decide.
Before he can leave, I say, “Wait, Barrett. Thank you for being a friend to me. And thank you for trusting your secret with me. I hope that, eventually, you feel comfortable enough to share your truth with the kingdom. It would be an honor to host your wedding during my reign.”
He squeezes my hands and says, “You can count on me. For anything. Please never forget that. You have an ally in House Ursidae.”
I inhale slowly and exhale slowly as I watch him leave the room. This is going to suck.
August walks into the dining room, looking like the golden prince he is. A smile spreads across his face when he sees me. He takes the seat directly next to me and throws his arm around the back of his chair.
“What’s going on?” he asks me, throwing a quick glance at the guard in the corner.
“Sorry for the third wheel. Pretend like he isn’t here. He’s just here for my protection.” I hesitate, then decide to just dive right into it. “Listen, August. I’m not here with great news.”
His smile falls, and he says, “You’ve decided.”
I grimace. “I’m sorry. I thought I had more time to get to know you all, but…” I give him a tight smile.
“With the attacks, you have to make a decision sooner,” he finishes for me.
“Yes,” I say. My nerves ratchet up, and I clasp my hands together to keep them from shaking. I hate every moment of this.
“I get it,” he says, a somber smile on his own face. “So, I take it I’m not the chosen one?”
I give a forced laugh. “I’m so sorry,” I say. “I think you’re amazing, and you’ll make an amazing partner. I just didn’t get enough time with you.”
He reaches for my hands and says, “It’s okay. Getting to know you was an honor. You’ll make an amazing High Queen. I’m so happy I got to know you and can call you a friend.”
I close the distance and pull him into a hug. “Thank you for being the best,” I say over his shoulder.
He squeezes me and says, “Whoever you choose is a lucky guy.”
We pull apart, and I ask him to send Koa down next, knowing this next conversation isn’t going to go as well. I hear footsteps coming down the hallway, and I steel myself for this, remembering my last two conversations with him.
He steps into the dining room, his affect somber. Unlike August, he doesn’t smile when he sees me. He doesn’t sit either, instead opting to lean against the doorway of the dining room.
“Koa,” I say, forcing a smile onto my face. He doesn’t return it.
“Did you come here to break up with me?” he asks, deadpan.
“Come sit. Please.”
“Just tell me, Mae,” he says, suddenly looking exhausted.
I hesitate but say, “Yes.”
He scoffs. “Figures you’d pick one of them.”
