Chapter Seventeen
Elek
She wasn’t supposed to agree so readily.
Who does that?
The whole idea of her willingness made me both angry as well as feel pity towards her. To be so desperate to leave her home that she felt compelled to agree with nothing really in it for her other than finding a new home.
Sighing, I slipped off the bed. It was too soft. I felt like it was trying to smother me. Just as I was going to go and drown myself in the tub a fluttering rap came to my door. Throwing on a shirt, I went to open it. Before I could though, it flew open with Huri waltzing in.
“Can this not wait until morning?” I asked, peering at the clock standing in the corner. It was near midnight.
A grin grew across their features, like a mischievous reptile. How appropriate.
“You know that’s not how this works. When your father gives an order it has to be delivered immediately.”
“What’s the order?”
“Put some swim wear under your clothes for tomorrow because you are going to the beach with your sister, Zander, and Serafina.”
“That sounds like a waste of time.”
“I can promise you that it won’t be, dear nephew. There is a guest coming tomorrow who is going to try and convince your lovely betrothed to run away with him. You need to take up as much of her time as you can.”
That duke they were talking about at dinner, I thought. He didn’t seem like a likely candidate regardless if I came around or not.
“She already agreed, Huri. It’s not necessary.”
Their face fell, and eyes darkened.
“I don’t think you understand. You should keep her close so that they don’t take her by force. Rumors are going around that her brother has not given up the idea that she should go with the duke.”
I would kill anyone who tried to take her by force. No, I reminded myself, that’s not rational. I turned away from Huri, blocking my face to hide my conflicting mind.
“You worry too much. Besides, she doesn’t seem it at first, but I can tell that she won’t be dragged around too much without putting up a fight.”
“Well, either way, I just wanted to let you know about tomorrow. Try and sleep.”
I was grateful to hear the clicking of the closed door.
It had been decided that while the contracts were being discussed that the ones it would actually effect would be left out of the meeting. I wondered what sort of underhanded tactics my father was going to use to get his way. Really the only one who needed convincing was Jovan anyways, and at this point he seemed like an easy obstacle to overcome.
As I approached the top of the staircase in the Entrance Hall, a deafening shrieking rose up from the bottom. From the tone it wasn’t a shriek of pain.
By the open doorway stood Serafina being hoisted in the air by some sandy messy haired man. Her face lit up as her smile met her eyes. The chain tugged, as if telling me to go and interfere. To pull her away from the man and keep her beside me instead.
“Oh! Good morning Elek.” She gleaned at me when I approached, her arms still wrapped around the neck of this man.
This man who glowered at me after giving my betrothed a chaste kiss on her cheek. And to my utter annoyance, she didn’t pull back or push him away. She just continued to smile brightly.
“Good morning to you, Sera.” I said, remembering that she didn’t go by her given name.
The man glowered more at me once the nickname ran from my lips. He didn’t like the familiarity I had with her after only a day, and that gave me some satisfaction.
“Please meet Anton Brent, Duke of Maris. He just arrived a bit ago and will be coming with us today.” Her voice was so gleeful. It made my heart clench that it wasn’t aimed at my presence, as well as make me resent her for causing the sensation in the first place.
I offered a hand out of proper etiquette but was not surprised to find an unnecessary tight grip on the receiving end.
“Pleasure to meet you.” Anton said, his jaw visibly tense.
“I’m sure it is.” I replied, sensing Sera’s curious gaze on me. So I turned to her and offered my arm. “Will you honor me with being my escort today?”
Without hesitation, and clearly to the dissatisfaction of the duke, she linked her arm with mine and led the way to the open carriages outside.
It was just outside the door I spotted Celina in a deep conversation with Zander and the two guards from yesterday. The sandy haired girl looked similar to the duke, and seemed familiar with him as she embraced him tightly.
“Laney is Anton’s sister.” Sera whispered beside me.
Nodding in understanding, I figured it was best to know more about this man that her father and brother thought so highly of. Even she looked at him with sparkles about her.
It was difficult to admire the cherry blossoms as we made our way down the hill while the arrogant Anton kept reaching over to hold her hand and leaning to whisper something she found humorous. By the time we neared the bottom I had already come up with five different ways to make his death appear like an accident. These thoughts only caused me more frustration in myself for reacting in such a way.
“Are you alright?” Her sweet voice came from beside me.
“Why are you asking?”
She gave a soft smile that was warm and inviting.
“You’ve been quiet the whole way down. I just didn’t want you to feel like you were being ignored.”
“I was just enjoying the scenery.” I lied. She didn’t need to see a side of me that even I was learning about.
Green with gold flecked eyes lightly closed as she inhaled deeply through her nose. Then she let out a relaxed breath.
“It is beautiful, isn’t it? I would love nothing more than to take a large checkered blanket out and have lunch under the blossoms.”
A smile ticked upwards on my lips, but it faded the moment I saw Anton gaze at her with longing. Time to make a statement. I reached over to gingerly lift her hand up to my lips and pressed lightly against the back of it, being sure to maintain her gaze. Satisfaction rose through me as her cheeks became flush.
“Why don’t we do that tomorrow then?”
“Sure.” She replied softly, her face slowly lighting up.
“I would really like that.”
Seeing Anton’s furious expression caused something primal to stir within me. A sense of delight that I caused for her to make such a face and pulled her attention away from him.
Walking around the market put me on edge more than the carriage ride had. In every direction there was a person who stared at her in pure hatred and she just walked along the stalls oblivious, or just ignoring, every one of them. It wasn’t until we reached a stall with a father and son, merfolk by the look of them, that she was greeted with a smile.
The young boy, Bay, came up to her with a small wooden plate with seared scallops on it. She accepted it delightfully and it took everything in me to not rip the plate from her hands. How did she know for certain that it didn’t contain poison?
When we finally made it to the beach, I found myself breathing easier when I saw there was no one else lounging on the sand.
Once my feet met the ground, I turned to help Sera out of the carriage, only to see Anton guiding her out on the other side. When I moved towards them the peace-loving prince intercepted me. I moved to step past him and return to her but he side-stepped in front of me.
“Why don’t we talk for a bit?”
Shoving my hands into my pocket I indulged him with a slight nod.
As we walked further away from the group, I couldn’t help but peer behind us to check on her. By the time we stalled she was in the water up to her knees, splashing at Anton and Laney. My sister remained on the beach, staring towards us inquisitively.
“I’m not going to waste too much of your time, so I’m just going to say it. I don’t want you marrying my sister.” Zander deadpanned, staring me in the eyes.
“That’s too bad. She already made up her mind.”
I didn’t want to have problems with him, we were going to be in-laws regardless. What’s more, I still had another three weeks living under the same roof as him. But I wasn’t going to be intimidated no matter who he was.
“She isn’t some political chess piece, and deserves happiness.”
“And what makes you think she won’t be happy in Demarcus?” I asked in a careful tone, keeping Sera in my view as she waded further out.
“She’s not like other princesses. She’s sheltered and easily taken advantage of. It wouldn’t be hard for someone like you to have her believe that how women live in your country is normal. Nothing more than property to their fathers and husbands.” His gaze was hard on me and I turned away from Sera to have my turn.
“Is that what women in Demarcus are? You know what? I’m not going to go into my culture with you, you wouldn’t appreciate a difference in view anyways. But how you describe our women is no different than how you’re treating your own sister. As if she’s your property.”
“Why you…”
But I continued.
“No, you’re going to listen to what I have to say. You kept her locked away. You made her vulnerable to your own people. Did you see how people in the city looked at her? Because I had, and she isn’t safe here. Or possibly anywhere in Regnum. You say you want her to be happy, but what about her safety? That is something I can promise beyond a shadow of doubt, that she will be safe when she’s with me and in Demarcus. She will be able to move about freely and people will actually appreciate her rather than scorn her as you and your father have always allowed. She made the choice herself and I’m not going to turn away from her for it.”
“Sera!”
My heart clenched tightly. It came from the water. I looked over to see Anton struggling to make it back to shore and Sera nowhere in sight. As the water began to recede I raced towards it and rushed in. There was no sign of her anywhere. I looked outwards towards the vast ocean.
There! Strands of black hair floated on the surface some distance away and I swam towards them. Quickly I was over encumbered from wet clothes, pulling me downwards as I continued to reach for her.
A slender hand broke through and I reached for it.
“Sera!” I managed to shout, hoping she would move towards me.
Just as my fingertips brushed against hers, a massive swell crashed down pushing us further apart. When I re-emerged I was pushed closer to the shore, but Sera had completely vanished.
