horse. It didn’t feel right, but I rode anyway. I wanted Willow back, but everyone told me the chances of her being recovered were all but nonexistent. Still, I hoped.
Chapter 10
T HE FOLLOWING WEEK , Lorraina and I were both invited to join my parents in my father’s study. I wondered what would prompt my parents to hold such a formal meeting, but kept my questions to myself. Once we had all taken our seats, my father wasted no time with formalities.
“We need to discuss your marriages.”
“Our marriages?” I asked, baffled by this introduction.
“The marriages you will eventually make,” my father clarified, but I was still at a loss.
“All right,” I said warily.
“First, I think it’s time that we discuss Lorraina’s betrothal.”
Her what?
“We realize this will come as a surprise to you, Lylin, so please bear with us as we explain.”
“There is already a betrothal?” I asked, completely taken off guard.
I was even more surprised when Lorraina answered, “Yes, there is.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know,” she answered calmly.
“You don’t know? How can you not know?”
“As we said,” my father interrupted, “it will be easier if you let us explain.”
I clamped my mouth shut, wanting very much to hear this explanation.
“Lorraina’s marriage was arranged several years ago, with Lorraina’s knowledge and cooperation. The reason that Lorraina does not know to whom is because she has placed her trust in us.”
I was at a complete loss for words. In my mind, trust had nothing whatsoever to do with it. It was about being able to choose, making her own decision. I opened my mouth, wanting to say and ask so many things, but nothing would come out.
“Lorraina asked us to do this,” my father continued.
My focus shifted to my sister. “Why?”
She lifted a shoulder. “You know how abrasive I am. I can’t be charming like the rest of you. I can’t be...soft.” I could hear the lump in her throat and knew how much it cost her to admit to such a fault.
“But...to not have any say in the matter?”
“If I meet him and we simply can’t get along, then we won’t force our relationship.”
“And you don’t know who it will be?”
“I didn’t want to know,” she insisted. “It has been a relief to know that I don’t have to make that decision—that it’s already been made. But I didn’t want to worry about meeting him until I was ready to be engaged, until I was ready for marriage. Can you imagine living for years, worried that you might accidentally meet the man you were supposed to marry? I don’t want to know his name until I’m ready.”
Silence fell and I tried to process this abrupt revelation. In a way, it made sense. Lorraina was right, she had never been soft and approachable. She had a knack for unwittingly insulting those with whom she spoke. But still—to give up entirely on finding your own spouse? So many people were never given the choice; how could you knowingly forfeit when you had that option?
After a long silence, I shook my head and admitted, “I don’t know what to say.”
“Then perhaps we should move on,” my father suggested.
It was then that I remembered he had mentioned our marriages; not just Lorraina’s, but mine as well. I turned my attention to the king, my stomach tying into knots.
“Your choice of husband is going to be especially important, Lylin, because he will have to be suited to the role of king.”
My breathing stopped for an interminable second before I breathed, “Why?”
“We expect you to be Queen, Lylin.” He said it so calmly, as if it were the most natural thing. I, on the other hand, was going into a panic. It had been a possibility that had loomed closer and closer over the years, but I never truly expected it to happen.
“What about Lorraina?” I asked desperately, looking to her. She sat there, looking content and unsurprised.
“We have discussed it with Lorraina. She agrees
Chapter 10
T HE FOLLOWING WEEK , Lorraina and I were both invited to join my parents in my father’s study. I wondered what would prompt my parents to hold such a formal meeting, but kept my questions to myself. Once we had all taken our seats, my father wasted no time with formalities.
“We need to discuss your marriages.”
“Our marriages?” I asked, baffled by this introduction.
“The marriages you will eventually make,” my father clarified, but I was still at a loss.
“All right,” I said warily.
“First, I think it’s time that we discuss Lorraina’s betrothal.”
Her what?
“We realize this will come as a surprise to you, Lylin, so please bear with us as we explain.”
“There is already a betrothal?” I asked, completely taken off guard.
I was even more surprised when Lorraina answered, “Yes, there is.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know,” she answered calmly.
“You don’t know? How can you not know?”
“As we said,” my father interrupted, “it will be easier if you let us explain.”
I clamped my mouth shut, wanting very much to hear this explanation.
“Lorraina’s marriage was arranged several years ago, with Lorraina’s knowledge and cooperation. The reason that Lorraina does not know to whom is because she has placed her trust in us.”
I was at a complete loss for words. In my mind, trust had nothing whatsoever to do with it. It was about being able to choose, making her own decision. I opened my mouth, wanting to say and ask so many things, but nothing would come out.
“Lorraina asked us to do this,” my father continued.
My focus shifted to my sister. “Why?”
She lifted a shoulder. “You know how abrasive I am. I can’t be charming like the rest of you. I can’t be...soft.” I could hear the lump in her throat and knew how much it cost her to admit to such a fault.
“But...to not have any say in the matter?”
“If I meet him and we simply can’t get along, then we won’t force our relationship.”
“And you don’t know who it will be?”
“I didn’t want to know,” she insisted. “It has been a relief to know that I don’t have to make that decision—that it’s already been made. But I didn’t want to worry about meeting him until I was ready to be engaged, until I was ready for marriage. Can you imagine living for years, worried that you might accidentally meet the man you were supposed to marry? I don’t want to know his name until I’m ready.”
Silence fell and I tried to process this abrupt revelation. In a way, it made sense. Lorraina was right, she had never been soft and approachable. She had a knack for unwittingly insulting those with whom she spoke. But still—to give up entirely on finding your own spouse? So many people were never given the choice; how could you knowingly forfeit when you had that option?
After a long silence, I shook my head and admitted, “I don’t know what to say.”
“Then perhaps we should move on,” my father suggested.
It was then that I remembered he had mentioned our marriages; not just Lorraina’s, but mine as well. I turned my attention to the king, my stomach tying into knots.
“Your choice of husband is going to be especially important, Lylin, because he will have to be suited to the role of king.”
My breathing stopped for an interminable second before I breathed, “Why?”
“We expect you to be Queen, Lylin.” He said it so calmly, as if it were the most natural thing. I, on the other hand, was going into a panic. It had been a possibility that had loomed closer and closer over the years, but I never truly expected it to happen.
“What about Lorraina?” I asked desperately, looking to her. She sat there, looking content and unsurprised.
“We have discussed it with Lorraina. She agrees
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