us and that hurts more than anything else I’ve ever experienced. What was I supposed to think? I felt our bond just as deeply as he did.”
63
“Did you ever think maybe he was scared of the intensity of what was going to
happen between you? Place yourself in his shoes. You find out your best friend is
your chosen, but she’s still in school and years younger than you. Add to that
the intense desire to claim that comes with the sentient power awakening. What
would you’ve done, Gracie? Take and let the pieces fall where they may?”
“I would’ve at least spoken to her about it. It’s selfish of him to take the choice away from me. How can I have a partnership with Rand when he assumes he knows what’s best for me and does it without even asking me what I think about it?”
“His need to protect you is part of him, sweetheart. You’re going to have to
find a common ground between you or I foresee a very rocky start to your
marriage.”
* * * *
The next morning, Gracie went in search of her mother. Surely Mom can give me some advice on how to deal with dominating wizards. Before she could find her mother, she found Queen Aria.
"Good morning, Queen Aria." She curtsied to the queen.
"Good morning, Lady Grace. How many times have I told you, it’s not required of you to bow to me, dear? You’re going to be my daughter. I couldn’t have picked a better woman for my son. Rand has chosen well." Motioning for her to sit, the queen sat down across from her.
“I suppose he has.” Gracie tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
“Do I detect a note of bitterness in your voice, my dear?”
64
"I wish I could be as happy as everyone else is, and perhaps if I’d had a say in it, my reaction might be different. I’m not comfortable with the social obligations I know are required of Rand’s wife, which only adds to my reaction."
"I can understand your concerns but I can assure you as time goes on you’ll become comfortable in your role as his wife. It’s why traditionally the next queen and king are chosen so early. They train under the current monarch for a year or more to prepare them. I wish you wouldn’t fret about it. Neither Mica nor I have any doubt in your ability to be a great queen."
Gracie nodded her understanding. “I know our tradition, Queen Aria, but I’m afraid unless Rand and I can resolve this control issue between us, I find myself with no other option than to use the loophole to get out of this betrothal.”
Alarm showed on Aria’s face. Setting her cup down, she focused on Gracie.
“Loophole?”
“Yes, there’s a loophole in the Royal Law of Marriage. If Rand wants to ascend to the throne, both he and his bride have to be virgins. If I’m no longer a virgin, Rand can’t marry me and still keep his throne.”
“This is a dangerous game you’re playing. Do you realize what you’ll be doing?”
“It’s simple. He’ll let me go.”
“And what if he doesn’t? What if even after you do this, he still refuses? You’re his chosen, Gracie and that isn’t going to change no matter how much you want it to. You’ll still be his chosen but he then must make a choice. Does he give up the throne or remain alone without you – his mate?”
* * * *
65
"What's going on, my love?" Mica asked as he pulled his wife into his arms. Aria had excused herself and went in search of her husband right after Gracie had dropped her little bombshell.
"Our future daughter is threatening to use the loophole to escape Rand if he doesn’t let her go or come to some compromise.”
“What? That loophole has never been used since its inception, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let Grace O’Connor be the first.”
She grabbed his arm when he started to storm out of the study.
“Quit being a hot head. You and Colin locate our son and I’ll find Gracie’s mother and we’ll figure out how to stop this from happening..”
When Aria returned to her
63
“Did you ever think maybe he was scared of the intensity of what was going to
happen between you? Place yourself in his shoes. You find out your best friend is
your chosen, but she’s still in school and years younger than you. Add to that
the intense desire to claim that comes with the sentient power awakening. What
would you’ve done, Gracie? Take and let the pieces fall where they may?”
“I would’ve at least spoken to her about it. It’s selfish of him to take the choice away from me. How can I have a partnership with Rand when he assumes he knows what’s best for me and does it without even asking me what I think about it?”
“His need to protect you is part of him, sweetheart. You’re going to have to
find a common ground between you or I foresee a very rocky start to your
marriage.”
* * * *
The next morning, Gracie went in search of her mother. Surely Mom can give me some advice on how to deal with dominating wizards. Before she could find her mother, she found Queen Aria.
"Good morning, Queen Aria." She curtsied to the queen.
"Good morning, Lady Grace. How many times have I told you, it’s not required of you to bow to me, dear? You’re going to be my daughter. I couldn’t have picked a better woman for my son. Rand has chosen well." Motioning for her to sit, the queen sat down across from her.
“I suppose he has.” Gracie tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
“Do I detect a note of bitterness in your voice, my dear?”
64
"I wish I could be as happy as everyone else is, and perhaps if I’d had a say in it, my reaction might be different. I’m not comfortable with the social obligations I know are required of Rand’s wife, which only adds to my reaction."
"I can understand your concerns but I can assure you as time goes on you’ll become comfortable in your role as his wife. It’s why traditionally the next queen and king are chosen so early. They train under the current monarch for a year or more to prepare them. I wish you wouldn’t fret about it. Neither Mica nor I have any doubt in your ability to be a great queen."
Gracie nodded her understanding. “I know our tradition, Queen Aria, but I’m afraid unless Rand and I can resolve this control issue between us, I find myself with no other option than to use the loophole to get out of this betrothal.”
Alarm showed on Aria’s face. Setting her cup down, she focused on Gracie.
“Loophole?”
“Yes, there’s a loophole in the Royal Law of Marriage. If Rand wants to ascend to the throne, both he and his bride have to be virgins. If I’m no longer a virgin, Rand can’t marry me and still keep his throne.”
“This is a dangerous game you’re playing. Do you realize what you’ll be doing?”
“It’s simple. He’ll let me go.”
“And what if he doesn’t? What if even after you do this, he still refuses? You’re his chosen, Gracie and that isn’t going to change no matter how much you want it to. You’ll still be his chosen but he then must make a choice. Does he give up the throne or remain alone without you – his mate?”
* * * *
65
"What's going on, my love?" Mica asked as he pulled his wife into his arms. Aria had excused herself and went in search of her husband right after Gracie had dropped her little bombshell.
"Our future daughter is threatening to use the loophole to escape Rand if he doesn’t let her go or come to some compromise.”
“What? That loophole has never been used since its inception, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let Grace O’Connor be the first.”
She grabbed his arm when he started to storm out of the study.
“Quit being a hot head. You and Colin locate our son and I’ll find Gracie’s mother and we’ll figure out how to stop this from happening..”
When Aria returned to her
Similar Books
