Page 93 of Legacy of Glass
She still looked longingly at the mouse, though, and called her name. But Zane pushed her roughly forward.
“Ignore the ridiculous mouse,” he said. “If she tries to come to your rescue, it will be the last thing she does.”
Olivia gulped and went silent as Zane swapped his sword for a dagger and pressed close behind her, keeping the concealed point against her back. As they stepped into the corridor, Olivia cast a final glance backward, meeting the beady black eyes of Mildred and hearing a final squeak.
Chapter29
Julius
Julius fought to rein in his temper. The more he gave in to emotion, the more his father would dismiss him. The king had often told him that personal emotions were inevitable—even helpful at times—but they had to be set aside when making decisions for the good of the kingdom. But Julius could not accept this decision as good for Sovar.
“The idea that I should set aside Olivia after months of betrothal and marry Marigold instead is absurd,” he said for the third time.
He threw a look at Marigold. She was sitting in the corner, her body quivering with the effort to remain silent. She had raged and screamed and refused the betrothal loud enough for both of them at the beginning.
But her father hadn’t achieved his position and wealth because he was a fool. He had known the one argument that would persuade his daughter.
He was wielding her love against her, threatening Cade. And since it turned out that Cade’s family was behind the abductions, Lord Emerson had the ability to follow through with his threats. He had promised to see Lord Strathmore and both his sons suffer to the full extent of the law—as well as being utterly annihilated both socially and politically.
The only way he would stay his hand was if Marigold agreed to marry Julius. If she did so, Cade and Zane would be spared and even allowed to keep a portion of the Strathmore wealth. They would have a chance to build their family anew.
Given Julius was certain Cade had never been involved, he had almost exploded with fury when his parents sat back and allowed Lord Emerson to threaten his daughter with the destruction of Cade’s future.
He didn’t think his parents believed Cade was involved, but they were clearly in favor of his marrying Marigold. They probably thought it was a neat way to placate Lord Emerson after the grievous harm done to his family while also turning his wrath away from the innocent Cade—all while achieving their original goal of marrying Julius to Marigold. The entire thing was brilliantly devious and utterly infuriating.
But he needed to restrain his fury. Both his and Marigold’s best hope lay in presenting his arguments logically and convincing his father not to go through with the ridiculous plan.
“Olivia has proven herself to be a fast learner and a natural royal. You didn’t see her when Lord Emerson attacked Lord Strathmore, but she handled it with more command and dignity than I did. The court have accepted her. And you yourself said that the people of Sovar love Olivia and love having a commoner princess,” he said. “How will they react if I abandon her now?”
“That is why we must act immediately, son.” His mother’s voice was pleading. “The story of Marigold’s suffering and your brave rescue of her is already spreading through the city. She was popular before and will be exponentially more so now. It’s the optimal moment for you to free yourself from your current betrothal.”
“There’s no need to free myself from it at all!” Julius exclaimed, unable to keep some of his emotion from leaking through.
His mother moved closer and put a sympathetic hand on his arm. “I know,” she said in a quiet voice, too soft to be overheard by the Emersons, who stood at the other end of the room with their daughter. “I’ve long suspected you weren’t blind to Olivia’s charms. I’m fond of her myself.”
“It’s not just her charms,” Julius snapped. “I’ve worked my whole life to be the perfect Prince Charming I have to be, but recently I’ve realized how far short of that ideal I actually fall. But Olivia fills in the gaps I lack. Together, working as a team, we’re far more effective than the empty illusion I was managing on my own. I don’t just want her, Mother. I’m better with her at my side.”
His mother shifted uncomfortably, but she refused to accept his points or back down.
“If you truly care for her, then you should think of her well-being, Julius. She wasn’t born into this life. She wasn’t trained for it as you were, and to her credit, she has never coveted the crown. You may think you love her, but I’ve seen no proof she feels the same way. If you truly care for her, would you trap her with the burden of a royal position? Surely she would be happier without it.”
Julius froze, dismay seeping from the top of his head to his belly. He had feared the exact same thing himself and now his mother—the one person who had once been in Olivia’s position—was confirming it. Could he ignore her words?
His father must have sensed his weakness because he pressed his advantage, his voice equally low.
“The criminal behavior of Lord Strathmore has put the kingdom in a dangerous position,” he murmured. “We are on the cusp of a political crisis. If Lord Emerson turns against the crown, we will be in true trouble. Many in court will feel he has just cause, and the whole kingdom will be thrown into turmoil. You’ve heard his feelings about Marigold marrying Cade.”
He spoke in a dry tone since they had all heard Lord Emerson’s feelings on the matter—loudly and repeated several times. He would not even consider the possibility of Marigold marrying the son of her abductor, and he wanted her safely married to Julius instead as soon as possible.
He was claiming it was for her own good, naturally, and even her mother had pleaded that Marigold would agree with them eventually. She thought that marrying Cade would only serve to constantly remind Marigold of her traumatic experience.
Julius clenched his teeth, his mind spinning. If Olivia wanted to be released from him, he would do it—no matter the pain it caused him. But he would not rush into marriage with Marigold in her stead. Their parents were the ones who were mistaken—that was the direction true disaster lay.
“Olivia seems very fond of Cade,” his mother said, clearly thinking she was being helpful. “And he of her. He’ll have to withdraw from court for a few years at least, so that will be perfect. I’m sure the two of them will be able to mend any hurt feelings with each other.”
Julius was going to be sick.
He was silent for a moment as he desperately fought to keep his stomach from expelling his last meal.
