Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Kerrigan blinked at the pair of them. “What?”
Darby forced a smile. “I am.”
“Where is Trask?” March asked, surveying the room.
“He went for a cigar in the sitting room, my lord. Perhaps you should join him.”
“Perhaps I shall.” March took Kerrigan’s hand in his and pressed a hard kiss on it. “Don’t go too far, my dear.”
Kerrigan fluttered her eyelashes and gave him a doting smile. “Never.”
He seemed satisfied with that before striding across the room.
“What was that?” Darby asked. She linked their arms and dragged her out of the crush of people. “Are you and March actually in love?”
Kerrigan snorted. “March thinks he is in love with me.”
“But you are marrying him?”
“I have no choice,” she hissed and then explained the current situation. “If there is a way out, I would be open to hearing it.”
Darby frowned. “Kerrigan, I am so sorry. I had no idea.”
“And you? Lord Trask?”
“Ah, yes.” She fiddled with the sleeve of her pink gown. “It was Sonali’s top choice. He’s Third to the House of Drame, not too old, attractive I’m told.”
“You’re told.”
Darby sighed. “It’s the best I could do since you took the only prince off the market.”
“Not my intention, I assure you. But why did I not hear about this?”
“It happened … rather suddenly.”
Kerrigan tugged her deeper out of earshot. “Was this after you found out about Hadrian and Clover?”
Darby deflated. Her eyes scoured the room, finding Hadrian and Clover against the opposite wall, drinking punch and laughing. “If they’re going to be happy, then I might as well let them. This is what I wanted after all.”
“This is your duty. Not what you wanted,” she reminded her.
“Same as you then.”
“No one is threatening you, Darbs. You could take another Season …”
“I’m the belle of the ball, Kerrigan. This is my Season. If I wait, then I might not have another opportunity like this.”
“And what about Clover?”
Darby’s gaze dropped. “After I have my first child, I will have more freedom.”
Kerrigan sighed and drew her friend in for a hug. She had as much power as Kerrigan did in this situation. The binds of society were as strong as ever. Clover and Darby couldn’t be together without giving up everything Darby had ever worked for. Nothing about this was easy.
“I’m here, you know. You can come to me about anything.”
“Thank you, Ker. I really miss you.”
“Always.”
An announcement went up to the entire court that betrothals were to be introduced. Kerrigan and Darby swapped a look. It was now or never.
4
THE INTRODUCTION
The king and queen of Bryonica smiled when they saw March and Kerrigan stand before them.
“This pleases me,” Queen Littany said.
Kerrigan’s legs were shaking from holding a curtsy, and her breathing was restricted so severely that she was light-headed.
“Rise,” King Mydran commanded. “It brings me joy to see these two reunited.”
They both straightened. Her with visible relief.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” March said. “This day has long been coming.”
“Indeed it has,” the queen said. “For the future of Bryonica, I would like to extend the invitation to have the wedding at Belcourt at the end of the summer.”
Kerrigan swooned at the words. Belcourt. It wasn’t unusual for an heir to have their wedding at the palace before the king and queen, but Kerrigan had seen that in her dream. And her dreams were just supposed to be dreams. Anything that made it feel more real unsettled her.
“We would be greatly appreciative,” March said.
“What say you, Lady Felicity?”
Kerrigan ground her teeth at the name. “As my lord said, it would be an honor.”
“Excellent. That is settled then.”
The king nodded. “We bless this union.”
March bowed, Kerrigan curtsied, and then they retreated from the spotlight. Kerrigan felt sick. She needed to untie this dress. There wasn’t enough air in her lungs to deal with the oncoming panic attack.
“Well, that went even better than expected,” March said cheerfully.
“Yes. Your aunt seemed happy.”
“She always has favored me.”
Kerrigan had no idea why, but March could fool anyone. He’d even fooled her for a time.
“The end of the summer will be perfection,” March said, dragging her into a private alcove. He pushed her back gently against a pillar, his hands sliding to her waist.
“March,” she warned.
“Do you remember the sunflowers that would bloom across Corsican fields when we were littlings?”
Kerrigan froze. “Yes.”
“I remember them being your favorite. We should have them for the wedding.”
Sunflower petals had lined the aisle as she walked to March in her dream earlier that day. Was it coincidence … or prophecy?
Her spirit magic had first manifested as prophetic visions. They warned her of terrible atrocities throughout the years and guided her to Fordham during the tournament. She hadn’t had one in months, but that didn’t mean that what she’d taken as a dream wasn’t one. She still had so much to learn about her spirit magic, which she would start training officially on the full moon. But the very idea that the dream was a prophecy terrified her.