“Do you think she…you know?” one ofthem whispered.
“No way,” the other replied in an even softer whisper. “She can walk,can’t she?”
I swallowed a scowl and pretended tonot hear.
The door opened and a familiar mop of red hair ran into the room—Brietta! I stood up from the couch as Brietta ran to me. She flung her arms around me and squished my face againsther bosom.
“You are all right!” she cried as she squeezed me tighter and almost crushed my ribs. “Thank goodness he did not hurt you. I was so worried I would never seeyou again!”
“I cannot breathe!” I protested, my voice muffled by her chest. “You might kill me beforehe does!”
She gasped and released me. I tried to regain my breath as she continued to explain. “He wanted you. He wanted you the wholetime, Sera.”
“What happened, Brie?”I asked.
Brietta ran her fingers through the roots of her hair. “Right as the suitors were about to make their selections, General Hyton announced that the Beast was going to choose first. The Beast chose you without a moment’s hesitation. Lord Hyton was outraged and tried to stop him, but General Hyton and the other palace guards got inthe way.”
None of that made any sense. Why would Riyan choose me if he had never seen me before? More importantly, Derrick was the heir to Lycaster and not even a prince with a mountain of gold could bribe his way to choose a bride before the heir. How could Selection Night have goneso wrong?
“Why did Riyan choose first? Derrick was always supposed topick first!”
“Wait what was his name?” Briettaasked. “Kee-an?”
“No,Riy-an,” I responded with a scoff. “Sounds likea scream.”
Brietta’s eyes rolled upward and her full lips mimicked the way “Riyan” would sound before she answered my question. “Duke Hyton apparently decided that the B…uh, Riyan, would get the first selection, but no one knows why. Lord Hyton has not talked to his father since beforethe Presentation.”
My stomach knotted. Had Riyan threatened the Duke to give him thefirst selection?
Brietta reached into her nightgown and pulled out a folded piece of parchment that she thrust into my hands. “He wanted me to giveyou this.”
Another note from Midnight. Before I could undo a single fold of the parchment, a door at the far end of the dressing room opened. The maids all bowed and so did Brietta as Duchess Hytonslunk in.
Whatever marks were still visible on my neck burned with guilt. I moved all my hair to the left side to cover the damning evidence and I bowed deeply.
Duchess Hyton was also in her nightclothes, but she wore a lush pink robe that covered her nightgown. Her perfect face from the night before was only a memory—she was tired and pale. Her blonde curls streaked with white stuck out in every direction fromher head.
I suppressed a laugh—she looked exactly as Annalisa did inthe morning.
A large brown cat that was more fluff than substance sauntered around the Duchess’s feet. Merri appeared in the doorway behind the Duchess, avoided the lump of fur with legs, and handed Duchess Hyton agolden goblet.
Duchess Hyton immediately took a few sips as Merri spoke to her. “Shall I fetch your daughter,Your Excellency?”
“No,” Duchess Hyton groaned. “Let her enjoy the throes of marital bliss a little longer. Just make sure she is presentable before we haveto leave.”
I almost rolled my eyes. Of course Annalisa was allowed to sleep in. She was not even a Hyton any longer but she still receivedspecial treatment.
Duchess Hyton took another sip from her goblet and dragged herself overto us.
“So,” she said sluggishly as she eyed Brietta, “you are the next Duchess,are you?”
An invisible spear plunged through my chest.Iwas supposed to be thenext Duchess.
“I…I suppose so, Your Excellency,” Brietta said with her eyes low to the ground. Brietta did a quick bow as she finished, but Duchess Hyton waved herhand dismissively.
“Do not bow,” Duchess Hyton said with a small amount of exasperation in her voice. “Not in here. There is no pretense in my dressing room. No oneto impress.”
No one to impress? Easy for the Duchess herselfto say.
