Page 72 of Enchanted Shadows
A laugh tore from my throat, and then another. Both my father and I were laughing.
He reached over and patted me on the shoulder. It was something he did often. While Theon Valanova had rarely shown affection to his sons, my father had. I remembered thinking multiple times when we formed the disloyal that if my father and Theon could have traded places, Wylan never would have had to kill off their own king.
A few beats later, my father said gently, “We do not know this princess. We have not even seen her, but we do trust you. And if this is something you have to do, then so be it. I find it honorable you would try.”
“Can I come to the wedding?” my mother asked.
“I—” I shook my head. “I didn’t think you’d want to. I think it will be just us and John Nottle. But Jorah is planning a reception at the castle if you would like to come to that.”
“Of course we would,” my father said.
I let out a huge sigh. “Thank you. Thank you both for understanding this is something I need to do.”
“I know you, son,” Gerald Raikes said firmly. “I respect your honesty in this. That this is not a marriage in the traditional sense. Merely some paperwork standing between this princess of yours and an unsafe situation.”
I dipped my head in a nod to him.
“And it is because I know you so well, that I have to say this. You wouldn’t just marry anyone.”
He had a point.
“I only ask that you consider how... muddled things could become.”
I took a drink of my coffee before telling him, “I was merely her general until a day ago.”
“And now to the outside world,” my mother smiled. “You are the general of her heart.”
I smirked. Of course she would say that; she was a romantic.
“Tell us more about this princess and the team of girls,” my mother begged. “You don’t have to leave yet, do you?”
I needed to check in with Miles and Emric, who had taken over the strategy session today in addition to prepping the maze since I was busy getting hitched, but I decided I had an hour more to spare as I continued to answer their questions and talk with them. My father was a great judge of character. And though he hadn’t met Kessara, he knew my character and where I was at.
My youngest sister soon came bounding into the house, done with school for the day. She’d once been so little; she was fifteen years younger than me. The miracle baby. My mother often liked to tell people that Kensie didn’t walk for the longest time because Wren and I carried her around and spoiled her.
“Owen!”
I scooped her into a hug. “Kens. Baby sis!”
“I’m not a baby anymore,” she reminded me like she always did. I’d always called Wren my younger sister and Kens my baby sister to distinguish between the two. “I didn’t know you were visiting!”
“He comes with news,” my father told her.
She moved to the open chair to sit down. “What kind of news?”
I scratched at my hair. Unfortunately, Kensie was too old to not see right through me. “Well. I am marrying a princess. Temporarily. To get her out of trouble. But you cannot tell a soul the truth, Kensie. Not your friends at school. No one. This is classified information. Understood?” It was a good thing this didn’t have to remain a secret for long. Just long enough to get Calix Cyncrest out of my country.
Kensie gasped, “You mean anarrangedmarriage?” her eyes went huge, “Wait. Does that mean I’m kind of a princess by default?”
My father scoffed. “Wasn’t it just last week you decked a boy at school, and I had to come retrieve you? Some princess.”
“He pissed me off and deserved it,” she explained calmly.
The Raikes children were a wild bunch and always had been. “You put your weight behind it like I taught you?”
“Owen,” my mother scolded, “Don’t encourage her.”
Kensie shot me a little nod.
