That’s right. I was gonna be the new queen, bitch. The rules were changing around here.
We stepped outside the castle and into the falling snow. I heard raised voices. Delmare had found Stefan. They were having a fight, but I wasn’t sure what it was about. They were screaming at the top of their lungs. The argument seemed like a serious one— not the annoyed bickering they usually had on a daily basis.
Alexei had backed off at a distance, his hands over his ears as he tried to block out the argument. It looked like his empathy powers were going into overdrive now that emotions were running high.
“I can’t take this,” Alexei said, and he pushed past us into the castle to get away from the fight. The argument only increased in volume. The carriage drivers watched the fight in a combination of interest and disgust.
“Irena, would you justcalm down?” Stefan said. All playfulness about him was gone, replaced by a stern demeanor. I’d never seen him act that way before.
“Don’t call me that!” Delmare shouted. She got right in his face. “Delmareis my name!”
“Irena is your name, too! It’s yourfirstname!” Stefan took another step forward until they were inches apart. “Why can’t I call you that?”
“Because I don’t like it,” she hissed.
“Why not? It’s a pretty name,” he countered.
“BecauseI’m not pretty,okay?!” Delmare shouted, almost at the top of her lungs.
With a start, I realized that Delmare had meant it. She really did believe she was ugly.
There was way more to her pushing Stefan away then I ever thought there was.
Stefan’s gaze softened. He took his hands and gently cupped them around her face. He lowered his voice as he whispered, “Yes you are.”
Delmare’s lip trembled. “I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserveyou.”
Delmare pushed Stefan away and ran from the carriages, into the palace gardens. I went to follow, but Stefan noticed us and raised a hand.
“Don’t. I’ll talk to her.” Stefan rushed after Delmare. The two figures became dark shadows as they vanished into the black night beyond.
Ethan’s brow furrowed. He appeared troubled. “Do you think they’ll be all right?”
“I hope so.” I shook my head. You’d think living in a society where magic picked out your soulmate for you, dating would be easier. But from what I’d seen, the bond only made love ten times harder.
I shivered, and Ethan said, “We need to get you back to school, before you get a cold. Come on.”
The way he tucked me under his arm as we walked to our carriage made me feel like I was the only girl in the world— the only woman that he could ever love.
I wished more than anything that were true.
Once we arrived at the university, Ethan cloaked my fur cape over my shoulders. The carriage rode off. Ethan and I were left standing underneath the stone archway.
Neither one of us wanted to part, it seemed. He looked like a painting, the backdrop of the campus around him and the falling snow coating his dark hair and eyelashes.
The fact that I was going to be married to him, but would never actually, completely be able to havehim… have his heart and soul… was a hard pill to swallow. It tore me up inside.
“The Contest will begin at noon tomorrow. We’re expected to be there by eight, to begin preparations,” Ethan said. “I will be at your door by seven, so we can travel together.”
“Swell.” If there was one thing I hated, it was getting up early. Ethan owed me big time.
Ethan sighed. “It’s going to be a long day.”
“Right,” I said sourly. “Let’s just get this over with. So you can get what you want.”
“What do you mean?” Ethan took a step closer to me.
I took a deep breath. “I get that you’re just doing your duty. And yeah, I know that the country needs you and all. But I hope you understand what kind of sacrifice I’m making by joining you in this. What kind of a risk I’m putting myself through. It’s not because Malovia needs us. I’m doing this foryou... because I want you to be happy. I know you don’t feel the same way, but I—”
