Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 107763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“Lord Monthermer was rather calm and unbothered after breaking up the fight; however, her ladyship seems most displeased. I believe she is against a match between them.”
My aunt looked back to me. “Are you quite proud of yourself?”
“Am I allowed to speak now, Your Majesty?” I asked her as the doctor wrapped my hand.
“Will you say anything of sense or substance?”
“Only you can judge that.” I groaned, for I was more than tired of this. It had been nearly half an hour already. “I apologize, truly. I did not mean, or desire, to cause such a disturbance. I lost my temper—”
“Because another man had the good sense to propose to the woman you are in love with?”
“Love?” I laughed. “You’ve said much today, but that is most outlandish—”
“Press his hand firmly, Doctor.”
“Ah! Bloody— Aunt!” I hissed, yanking my palm away from her mad doctor.
“You know what is outlandish? Two people who clearly like each other wasting all of our time pretending they do not like each other.”
“We are not pretending anything,” I said, taking the roll of cloth to wrap my hand myself. “We are merely not rushing to an altar.”
“Do you believe you shall be young forever? That all the world shall move at your leisure? It is relatively simple. You like a lady of noble birth and respectable status, you marry said lady, you have children, and then try to die of old age—not a person’s fist.”
I let out a deep breath. “If I propose to her, will you spare me this lecture? I am at my limit.”
“Yes. Now go propose.”
I rolled my eyes and ignored her. Why I had bothered to speak at all, I did not even know.
“Ahh, you now choose silence. No matter, I have already proposed for you.”
The cloth dropped from my hand. “I beg your pardon? You’ve done what?”
She finally took her seat, one of her maids entering to offer her a cup of tea. “Moments before you lost your sanity, I informed Lady Hathor that there will be an engagement between you both, and she thanked me for my efforts.”
I could only stare at her blankly. “Hathor— You spoke with Lady Hathor, and she thanked you?”
“That is what I said,” she replied, now far too calm as she drank.
I did not understand. “Lady Hathor says she wishes to marry me?”
“The week is coming to an end. The only way you may remain in each other’s company is if you are engaged to be wed.”
How did I get to this point? It had only been a week. How could all my desires, intentions, and world change within a week?
“Or do you wish her to be in the company of Lord Covington instead?”
My jaw cracked to the side, and almost immediately my fist clenched, which caused pain to spread up my arm.
“Your Highness, allow me to—”
“I am fine. You may go, unless Your Majesty is still pondering the color of my heart,” I interrupted the doctor. The queen nodded for him to go. Not just him, but also the rest of the servants who stood by silently. When it was just the two of us, alone, she spoke again.
“If you cannot stand even the thought of her being with another, you must claim her as yours, or lose her.”
“It is not that simple.”
“It is. Or at least it was, until you showed Lord and Lady Monthermer this side of you.”
“Which side? My father’s—”
“No. No. I will not have this conversation overlooked for your self-pity. I have told Lady Hathor to expect a proposal. You will either have to go to her and explain why that shall not be, or you will go to Lord Monthermer and ask for his daughter’s hand.”
“You expect me to go to him looking like this?” I questioned, lifting up my poorly bandaged hand. “I am sure all the world outside this room gossips upon my head now.”
I was sure Lukas and his allies had disclosed the true nature of my circumstances to all of society, and I would have little to defend myself with, considering I had once more used my fists.
“Again with the self-pity. Do you know why it is unbecoming?” She placed her teacup down. “Because no matter how dire your circumstances in life are, your position is still greater than the majority of the world. No matter what you have done, no one can strip you of your title as prince. You are royal, it is in your blood. Society gossips and mutters behind our backs, but before us they smile. Do you think I am unaccustomed to this? Do you think me naïve enough to believe that all the people here have not gossiped of my own circumstances in life?”
“Who dares? Call the executioner for us to behead them immediately,” I replied jokingly, but her face remained stern.