part to keep everyone safe.
Rafe had felt ashamed at all the praise because he didn't deserve it. He'd harmed an innocent woman for most of her life, lied to everyone around him, and destroyed his mother. No, he didn't deserve their praise.
Which was why he'd decided that after his sister was happily married, he'd leave. Take one of his ships and just sail. See more of the world, meet the people who've never met him, who wouldn't know how cruel he could be. Maybe, while out on the sea, he'd change himself. Find himself. He didn't think he could do that here. Not with everything he'd done and everything he hadn't done chewing at the edges of his mind. He knew the sea was only a temporary escape, that he couldn't run from himself, but he needed a little peace.
He smiled as he saw Greta arrive. None of them had been sure if she'd want to appear, not after all that had happened and not after her time at the ball, where everyone said she spent the evening with the prince.
She spotted him before he could duck away, offer assistance somewhere, and her bright smile hurt as she made her way through the small crowd to his side, flinging her arms around his neck and holding him close. "Rafe. Brother."
He held her close, then gently pushed her away. A throat cleared, and Rafe glanced over her shoulder, trying to figure out where the prince was.
"Ah." Greta giggled, taking one of the man's hands. "Brother, I'd like you to meet Marquess Olto Denath."
This… was not what he had expected. "Marquess? I thought…" The words wouldn't leave his throat. This wasn't the man he'd danced with. This was not the prince.
She giggled again, light and airy, a sound he couldn't remember hearing after her father had passed. "You thought I was with the prince? It seems these two," she nudged the marquess, "are confused for each other by people who haven't been introduced to them before. I danced with the prince, but only one dance. Then I was swept off my feet by this rogue."
Olto looked slightly abashed. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure's mine." Rafe bowed, still a bit confused at the turn of events and why his heart felt lighter for the first time in far too long.
"Oh, don't do that," Greta tsked, dragging him from his bow and wrapping her arms around him for a brief squeeze. "We're family."
Confusion seemed to be his perpetual state now, until Greta wiggled her fingers in front of her face, then terror swamped through him.
"But… you've only just met!" It was all too strange. The matter was not helped by a loud squeal behind him as his sister tried to sneak up on him.
"Is that what I think it is?" Raquel asked as she shoved past Rafe and took Greta's hand in her own.
Greta nodded her head, giggling as she beamed at them. "I didn't want to ruin your big day, but I couldn't keep it in."
Raquel waved her hand as if to dismiss the words. "None of that. As you said, we are family." Then Raquel looked at her, her face serious. "We are family?"
Tears welled in Greta's eyes, and Rafe was half-tempted to turn away, but this was his… family, no matter how unconventional it all was. "Yes," Greta whispered as she pulled Raquel close. "We're family."
Someone needed to stop them before they got started, and Olto didn't look any more comfortable than Rafe. "All right, that's enough of that. Don't want the bride to be crying before she sees her groom."
Raquel turned to him with a laugh, gently thumping her fist against his arm. "Trust you to ruin the moment."
Rafe shrugged his shoulders and gave them both a sheepish grin. "I couldn't stand the thought of you both crying." He cast a sidelong glance at Olto. "And I don't think I was the only one."
"Don't bring me into this." Olto held his hands up in surrender of a confrontation that would never occur, because at that moment, Raquel gasped, grabbed Greta and Olto by their hands, and dragged them away.
"What the…" Rafe looked to where his sister's gaze had last been and felt his
Rafe had felt ashamed at all the praise because he didn't deserve it. He'd harmed an innocent woman for most of her life, lied to everyone around him, and destroyed his mother. No, he didn't deserve their praise.
Which was why he'd decided that after his sister was happily married, he'd leave. Take one of his ships and just sail. See more of the world, meet the people who've never met him, who wouldn't know how cruel he could be. Maybe, while out on the sea, he'd change himself. Find himself. He didn't think he could do that here. Not with everything he'd done and everything he hadn't done chewing at the edges of his mind. He knew the sea was only a temporary escape, that he couldn't run from himself, but he needed a little peace.
He smiled as he saw Greta arrive. None of them had been sure if she'd want to appear, not after all that had happened and not after her time at the ball, where everyone said she spent the evening with the prince.
She spotted him before he could duck away, offer assistance somewhere, and her bright smile hurt as she made her way through the small crowd to his side, flinging her arms around his neck and holding him close. "Rafe. Brother."
He held her close, then gently pushed her away. A throat cleared, and Rafe glanced over her shoulder, trying to figure out where the prince was.
"Ah." Greta giggled, taking one of the man's hands. "Brother, I'd like you to meet Marquess Olto Denath."
This… was not what he had expected. "Marquess? I thought…" The words wouldn't leave his throat. This wasn't the man he'd danced with. This was not the prince.
She giggled again, light and airy, a sound he couldn't remember hearing after her father had passed. "You thought I was with the prince? It seems these two," she nudged the marquess, "are confused for each other by people who haven't been introduced to them before. I danced with the prince, but only one dance. Then I was swept off my feet by this rogue."
Olto looked slightly abashed. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure's mine." Rafe bowed, still a bit confused at the turn of events and why his heart felt lighter for the first time in far too long.
"Oh, don't do that," Greta tsked, dragging him from his bow and wrapping her arms around him for a brief squeeze. "We're family."
Confusion seemed to be his perpetual state now, until Greta wiggled her fingers in front of her face, then terror swamped through him.
"But… you've only just met!" It was all too strange. The matter was not helped by a loud squeal behind him as his sister tried to sneak up on him.
"Is that what I think it is?" Raquel asked as she shoved past Rafe and took Greta's hand in her own.
Greta nodded her head, giggling as she beamed at them. "I didn't want to ruin your big day, but I couldn't keep it in."
Raquel waved her hand as if to dismiss the words. "None of that. As you said, we are family." Then Raquel looked at her, her face serious. "We are family?"
Tears welled in Greta's eyes, and Rafe was half-tempted to turn away, but this was his… family, no matter how unconventional it all was. "Yes," Greta whispered as she pulled Raquel close. "We're family."
Someone needed to stop them before they got started, and Olto didn't look any more comfortable than Rafe. "All right, that's enough of that. Don't want the bride to be crying before she sees her groom."
Raquel turned to him with a laugh, gently thumping her fist against his arm. "Trust you to ruin the moment."
Rafe shrugged his shoulders and gave them both a sheepish grin. "I couldn't stand the thought of you both crying." He cast a sidelong glance at Olto. "And I don't think I was the only one."
"Don't bring me into this." Olto held his hands up in surrender of a confrontation that would never occur, because at that moment, Raquel gasped, grabbed Greta and Olto by their hands, and dragged them away.
"What the…" Rafe looked to where his sister's gaze had last been and felt his
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