The Betrothed (The Betrothed 1)

Without knocking, my parents barged in, my father holding several books and scrolls in his hands.

“You can go,” my mother said briskly to Lady Eastoffe.

“Mother, Father. Lady Eastoffe is my guest. Please show her—”

“The king gave me a job,” my father interrupted. “Are you suggesting I ignore it?”

Lady Eastoffe smiled and rose from her seat. “Call on me anytime, Lady Hollis. If we think of anything else concerning the queen, we’ll send word. A pleasure, Lord Brite. Lady Brite.”

My father shoved my flowers aside, rolling out a map. “Sit. We have a lot to discuss. Great Perine is on the edge of civil war, and I don’t even know where to begin with Mooreland.”

I sighed, looking at the mud-colored maps. It wouldn’t have mattered who was teaching me; about twenty minutes in, and my mind was already full to the brim. Between protocol and current affairs, there wasn’t space for anything else. And what was worse was that I was nowhere close to knowing everything I needed to for tomorrow.

Eleven

AFTER MY PARENTS LEFT, NORA and Delia Grace spent the rest of the day testing me on what I’d learned thus far. For every answer I got right, I got to take a bite of pie, so, naturally, I was starving by dinnertime.

As we walked to the Great Room, Nora whispered over my shoulder. “Try not to look so glum. This is a great honor.”

“I can’t help it. I’m never going to be able to get all this right, not this fast.”

Delia Grace leaned in. “She’s right. Smile. None of this matters as much as you keeping Jameson happy.”

I sighed, pulling myself up taller as we entered to bows and polite smiles. Jameson was, as always, delighted to see me. I thought of his words when he’d taken me back to the jewel room. He’d said himself that all he wanted me to be was exactly who I was. How was I supposed to balance that with the things everyone else expected me to be? Surely if I failed him in front of a not-quite-enemy, his affections would fade.

Part of me wondered if that wasn’t such a bad thing.

I shook my head, trying to get myself together. Only an idiot would pass up a king.

“My own heart,” Jameson greeted me, kissing my cheek in front of the entire court. “How has your day gone?”

“I’m just going to hope that King Quinten’s hearing is starting to fade so he won’t know how little I’ve remembered from my lessons.”

Jameson laughed at that, and I wished I could laugh myself.

“Oh, I suppose you’re right to have a healthy fear of Quinten. Growing up, I did myself. Had to get over it when I took the crown,” he said casually, reaching for his cup.

“What did you, of all people, have to fear? You’re the king.”

He made a face. “Well, I wasn’t when we met. He’s looked like a villain from an old tale since the first time I laid eyes on him. As I got to see him in action, I’ve realized that villain might be too kind a word.”

“Gracious.” I had quite suddenly lost my appetite. “What has he done that made you think that?”

Jameson didn’t say anything straightaway, looking as if he had a hard time choosing his words. “It’s not any one thing. It’s everything. He acts as if the world has caused him some great offense, and he spends his waking hours trying to get his revenge.”

“On what? On who?”

Jameson lifted his cup to me as if I’d made a great point. “No one can ever be sure, my darling Hollis. My father spent his days prepared to make war with Quinten, and if it hadn’t been for my mother, they’d have battled more often than they already did. But if I must go to war, I want there to be clear gain behind it; none of these silly squabbles. I’m sure a time will come when I go after Quinten for a very good reason, but until then, I will strive for peace.”

I smiled at him in complete adoration. “You are a wonderful king. From the bottom of my heart, I mean that.”

He reached for my hand, taking it in both of his and kissing it with fervor. “I know you do,” he whispered. “And I have no doubt that you will make for a remarkable queen.”

The word still sent my heart racing. It was going to be an unimaginable thing, the day I was given a crown.

“That reminds me,” he said, “I have a surprise for you.”

I looked at Jameson pointedly. “I swear, if you’ve invited some king or another to join tomorrow’s festivities and I have to learn a whole other set of protocol tonight, I will go back and jump in the river. I’ll stay there this time, I mean it!”

He laughed and laughed, and I couldn’t tell if he enjoyed seeing me under pressure or if I was just very good at fooling him. “No, it’s nothing like that. Just something to help you. But,” he said, looking back to Nora and Delia Grace, “I think I will need some assistance.”

Then he held up his napkin.

Twelve

“DON’T YOU DARE PEEK,” JAMESON insisted, holding the cloth tightly around my eyes.

I giggled. “So long as you promise not to let me fall!”

“Don’t worry,” Delia Grace whispered, holding my hand. “I’ll keep a lookout for you. As always.”

I gripped her hand a little tighter as we made our way up a curving set of stairs, thankful that, despite our recent ups and downs, I could still count on her.

“Your Majesty, where in the world are you taking me?”

“Just a few more steps,” he sang into my ear, his breath tickling my neck. “Nora, could you please get the door?”

I heard her sigh—a hushed sound of awe—and felt Delia Grace pause, gripping my hand. I reached my hand higher up Jameson’s coat, taking in a handful of velvet as I held on tightly, hoping not to fall.

“All right, Hollis. Step this way.” Delia Grace reached around, positioning me, taking a while before she was content.

With a swift flick of his hand, Jameson sent the fabric flying. The first thing I saw was him. I had turned to see his expression, hoping to find him glowing with contentment. And he absolutely was.

Oh, those sparkling honey-brown eyes that made the stars jealous. Even at the end of a horrible day, just being able to look up at that smile and know I put it there was enough to make it all better.

The second thing I saw was exactly where I was standing. I took in the Queen’s Chambers and my heart very nearly stopped beating. “The last four queens of Coroa have slept in these rooms. Seeing as you will be receiving Queen Valentina and her company tomorrow, it’s only proper they belong to you.”

“Your Majesty,” I whispered. “No.”

“Maybe if you can look at the river you won’t feel the need to go jump in it again,” he commented casually, ushering me over to the window. The moon was low in the sky, fat and full. It was shimmering off the river in the distance and casting light upon the city. I remembered the view Delia Grace and I’d had of the Colvard River one night in empty apartments a floor or two higher than this. We snuck up with a bottle of mead and very thick shawls, talking and waiting for the sun to rise. When it did, the river reflected it back, and it was as if the entire city was covered in gold. I remembered thinking there was no possible way another room in the castle could match it. I was wrong.