Page 21 of Beacon

Prince Owen’s gaze slid to mine, and my heart flared as I realized moments before he spoke what his plot was. Oh no, he wouldn’t…

“Marisa.” And he gave me a wide, rather doting smile.

My fork slipped from my hand and landed on my plate with a deafeningclang.

Prince Jaron choked on his drink and Prince Ronan buried his forehead in his hands, while the queen and princess simply gaped. Stunned silence hovered over the table, save for the almost excited, rapid pounding of my heart. I waited for the tense silence to be broken by cries of disbelief, for there was no way anyone would believe Prince Owen’s ridiculous declaration, and yet…

For a moment the king stared at his son before his gaze slowly traveled to me. All at once he leapt to his feet with a wide grin. “It’s not every day you invite a woman to dinner; of course you wouldn’t do so without reason. You certainly kept your courtship quiet.” The next thing I knew, he’d seized me in a suffocating hug. I stiffened in his tight hold and would have tried to wriggle free if he hadn’t been the king.

Prince Owen was at least gentleman enough to wrench me away from his father’s grip, but the gesture wasn’t near enough for me to forgive him for his lie. I glared at him, but he seemed to be purposefully avoiding my eyes and didn’t see it.

Neither, apparently, did the king. He bounced lightly on his heels, grinning from ear to ear. “I’m so pleased with the news. Isn’t this wonderful, darling?” He turned his wide smile towards the queen, who was watching Prince Owen rather closely…and to my mind, rather suspiciously.

“Indeed. What an…unexpected announcement.” After a moment’s consideration she offered me her own smile. “But, of course, we’re pleased. I suppose there won’t need to be a match with Lyceria at all.” She sounded utterly relieved by the prospect.

The king’s good mood vanished in an instant. “Oh dear, the arrangement with Lyceria…what should we do? I’ve already begun the marriage discussions, not to mention they’re on their way as we speak.” He gave Prince Owen a rather stern look that was softened by the cheerful twinkle filling his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell us about your special girl sooner?”

Prince Owen’s smile was apologetic, penance he should be giving me, not his father. He finally offered me a sideways glance that silently pleaded for me to go along with his lie. I shook my head, but he hastily turned away as if he hadn’t seen it. My jaw tightened. Scoundrel.

The king considered the dilemma. “We can’t very well send them back after their long voyage; such rudeness would not be good for our foreign relations.”

“Perhaps Prince Jaron can entertain Princess Lavena, considering my attentions will be diverted elsewhere.” Prince Owen’s fingers grazed my hand in an attempt at a romantic gesture. Despite secretly liking the feel of his touch, I hastily yanked away. Everyone seemed to have noticed my reaction except for the king, who seemed much too tickled by Prince Owen’s apparent newfound love to notice anything that might shatter that hope.

Betrayal filled Prince Jaron’s disgruntled look. “That won’t work, considering I have my own arrangement in the works with one of the Dracerian princesses.” He lifted his hands in a gesture that seemed to scream,You’re not pawning off your unwanted fiancée on me.

“Then perhaps…” Prince Owen glanced at Prince Damon still reading quietly at the end of the table and sighed in defeat. He was clearly the best option for an arrangement with the disliked princess, and unfortunately he knew it.

The king continued to ponder the conundrum. “I’m extremely pleased you’ve found someone you wish to share your life with, yet I cannot entirely ignore the benefits of an alliance with Lyceria, neither can I withdraw my invitation for their visit. So I propose you entertain the princess as initially planned and see whom you desire to marry at the end of her visit.”

His Majesty offered me an apologetic look, one that was entirely unnecessary, considering the last thing I wanted was to be considered a potential match for the prince. By Prince Owen’s returning panic, he hadn’t expected to remain ensnared in his father’s matchmaking schemes even after coming up with his own.

I wanted to feel sorry for him, but the emotion was difficult when my annoyance at his entangling me in such a charade was still so fresh. This was what came from him lying rather than speaking up for himself. No matter how much he might plead, I refused to enter his ridiculous charade. I might not have a voice, but I still had a will, and no one would force me to bend it, not even a charming prince.

CHAPTER8

Dinner following Prince Owen’s unexpected announcement continued endlessly. I ignored my food as I sat stiffly at the table, my hands balled into fists in my lap so my nails dug into my palms, a pain that was almost soothing as it provided a much-needed distraction from the storm raging within me…but not enough.

My chest swelled as my anger rose. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt such an intense emotion so different from the guilt that usually haunted me. This searing feeling pressed painfully against my chest, aching for relief—yet had no way to alleviate the heavy pressure.

Not only was I left without a map to navigate these uncertain waters, but I lacked any mode of expression to rescue myself, considering I was without words and my usual gestures were insufficient in such circumstances. If I had any voice at all, I might have been tempted to speak, just a single word to untangle me from this mess. But even one word was dangerous, considering it was enough to crack the shield that had protected me all these years.

Perhaps it was good I was unable to voice the words burning my tongue, considering their ferocity would only trap me in a predicament far different from the one I was currently entangled in. I was tempted to leave the moment dinner concluded…if not for the prince’s promise to help me look for Father—one more binding than any chain, leaving me ensnared.

It didn’t take Prince Owen long to notice my tense posture. He cast me several apologetic glances, but his remorse wasn’t enough to encourage him to speak the truth. Once more I almost regretted being unable to speak before hastily dispelling that foolish notion. Though words were powerful, they weren’t the only weapons at my disposal. I would find another way to wriggle free from this mess, but no matter how difficult the task, Iwouldfind a way out.

It was with fierce relief that the tense meal finally drew to a close, and I was finally able to escape the searching stares from the royal family as well as the king’s unrelenting cheerfulness, whose excitement over his son’s supposed impending nuptials made me feel like a fish caught in a net, a prison almost as unbearable as my self-imposed silence.

Prince Owen hastened to my side, offering his arm like a proper fiancé, already beginning his performance in a charade I wanted no part of. I was tempted to not only refuse his gentlemanly gesture but openly show my displeasure, but I had enough sense to wait for when we were alone. So I settled for narrowing my eyes as I stiffly accepted his arm, enough for him to know he was in disgrace.

He forced a tight smile as he extended his farewells to his family in the briefest exchange he could convincingly get away with before he led me from the room. If I could speak, I’d have released my tirade the moment we stepped into the abandoned corridor, but since I couldn’t, I settled for keeping my jaw taut as he led me to an abandoned sitting room.

He peeked inside for any servants, and at finding it empty, he guided me into the room. The moment the door closed behind us, I jerked my arm away and faced him with a sharp glare. He immediately held up his hands in a conceding gesture.

“I know, I know. I shouldn’t have done that.”

It wasn’t exactly an apology or a promise to make amends. I folded my arms with a disapproving look. He shifted guiltily beneath my gaze before lowering his eyes in an attempt to escape the force of my disapproval.

“I know I shouldn’t have lied in such a way and entrapped you in my problems…but it’s Princess Lavena. I had to do something, and I just…panicked. The thought of Father arranging my marriage without giving me any say, and to Princess Lavena, no less? The moment you meet her, you’ll understand my aversion to the match.”

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