“Nothing happened after dinner,” I grunted. Intricate floral bed sheets fell away from my nightgown as I pushed myself up and leaned against a pillow. “Lukas and I spoke. And then we ate. And then I decided that I am absolutely not marrying him.”
Raena’s cheerful mood dropped like a stone in a pond.
“What?” she gasped. “Why ever not?”
“Have you even spoken to him?” I retorted, whipping my head to meet her gaze. “He’s a complete pig! He insulted my background, admitted to having at least two lovers, said that once we were married he would practically own me, and finally, to top it off, he told me that he has absolutely no intention of ever rebuilding Corlixir and would actively try to prevent me from doing so if I tried. How am I supposed to want to marry him, Raena?”
Guilt overcame me the second my shouting ceased, and I knew immediately I should’ve apologised for my outburst. But when I went to speak, all that came out were heavy sobs and gasps. This was all too much. Somehow, in less than a day here, I had already failed my people. The only way for me to rebuild Corlixir was to gain power through an alliance with another kingdom. The only person who could offer me that alliance seemed to have no interest in helping me at all. My lower lip trembled. I never wanted to see Lukas’s smug face again.
If only there were some other way to find help.
Beside me, Raena lowered herself and pressed a hand gently against my shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Naria. This is all my fault,” she said quietly.
I glanced up at her, shaking my head. “Don’t be silly.” My crying slowed to a softer sniffle. “It’s not your fault that the prince is a heartless brat.”
“I should’ve warned you, though.” Raena chewed her lip. “He’s been like this for a while now, but I thought that since you’re his fiancée, he would at least be cordial… I suppose not.” She pressed her fingers into her temples. “Lukas has always been cold, but ever since the King was cursed, he’s been particularly… challenging. There’s only a handful of court ladies he hasn’t taken to his chambers yet, myself being one of them. I didn’t want to believe it, but I’m certain that’s why I was chosen to help you settle in here.” She scrunched up her nose. “It would have been terribly awkward for you otherwise.”
A frustrated sigh rolled off my chest. Of all the princes in the realm… Why did mine have to be such a monster?
“I can’t marry him, Raena,” I groaned. “I just can’t do it.”
Raena leaned closer, rubbing a reassuring hand on my back. “Sometimes we have to do things that don’t feel right to us, for the sake of our people. You never know what the future holds. There’s still a chance that the prince may change his mind about Corlixir. I know he seems unreasonable right now, but you didn’t see him before the curse. Every day he grieves for his father’s suffering. Perhaps you can help him through it? He might be more sympathetic to your cause once he has accepted the loss.”
I hated how sensible she sounded. Why couldn’t Raena be his fiancée instead of me? The very thought of being around Lukas made me feel queasy. What would my parents think if they knew I was being this selfish?
Tears stung in the corners of my eyes.
“I need to show you something,” Raena said, reaching for my hand.
I let her guide me out of bed and towards a wide window. As we passed the vanity, I caught sight of my tear-stained face and puffy features. I was certainly in a sorry state. Maybe Lukas would call off the engagement himself if I showed up to every dinner looking like this.
When we reached the window, Raena pointed to something in the distance. I drew closer, letting my nose brush against the glass. A gasp flew from my lips the moment I realised just what she was pointing at.
“This is why the King insisted on your room being so high up in this tower,” Raena explained in a soothing voice.
Far off in the distance, over a dense forest and several grassy hills, I could just about see the tips of a ruined lavender-coloured palace. Most of the spires and high walls had crumbled away, but a few were left standing proud against the skyline. While living in Honeymeade, we’d never been allowed to venture out and see the ruins of our kingdom. They told us it was because they wanted us to remember Corlixir as it was depicted in the history books, when it was thriving and at its greatest. But now, seeing the remnants before me like this, I felt nothing but power and strength pulsing through my veins. That wasmykingdom. The refugees weremypeople to protect. And I had to protect them. Even if it meant marrying Lukas and doing everything in my power to change his mind.
“That,” Raena said, her finger pressing against the glass, “is why you’re here. Don’t forget it.”
The tears had stopped, leaving my vision crystal clear. “I understand now,” I said quietly.
Leaning against the window, Raena sighed. “It’s certainly frustrating how Lukas is being so uncooperative, though. I suppose it’s because he knows you don’t have a choice. He can beas monstrous as he likes and you’ll still have to marry him. He knows—”
“Wait,” I interrupted, my heart racing. “Are you sure that I don’t have a choice?” It was as though someone had just ignited a fire in my mind. How had I not thought of this before?
“What do you mean?” Raena asked as she just blinked at me, confused. “Even if you’re a princess, that doesn’t mean you have enough money to fund what you need. If you want to rebuild your kingdom, then surely you’ll need Lukas’s help to do it?”
“Yes…” I pondered out loud. “But why does it have to be him?” My stomach dropped with the realisation. “There are three other kingdoms. And surely one of them has someone else I could marry. It doesn’t even need to be someone of royal blood. I just need someone powerful, someone who could influence their ruler to provide the funds.”
Raena’s mouth fell open. “You could find another suitor!” She gasped and brought up her hand fan, flapping it nervously. “But… you know, the prince would hate that.”
“It would serve him right,” I spat. “And perhaps if he thought he had competition, maybe he might try being a bit more agreeable with me.”
“Or he’ll just exile you…”
I shot Raena a look.
“Just teasing.” She grimaced, though her fan was flapping more intensely than before. “There’s a book in the library with details of all the other noble families. I had to study it once for a lesson, and it wasterribly boring,but it would at least tell you who is eligible to be married.”
