Page 43 of Their Witch Bride

But even though my stomach feels better now, I realize that I actually miss Prince Rinan’s presence. I’m lonely, but it’s not the same loneliness I felt back home with my own people. The servants here just seem wary, like I’m something too new to touch. At home, they knew me too well and wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. I can deal with fear of the unknown and trepidation a lot better than people just hating me to my core.

I’ll grow on them. I know I will. These shifters are going to love me eventually. Hopefully.

My thoughts are interrupted when my door swings open, and a woman is suddenly standing in my doorway. Her gaze instantly meets mine, and there’s a dangerous twinkle in her eyes before she grins.

I open my mouth to speak, but have no idea what to say. She takes another step forward, and her pink gown seems to flutter around her long legs as she moves. My heart pings. Unlike me, this girl looks like the princess of every man’s dreams. She's tall and blonde, with her hair in a perfect braid over her shoulder and tanned skin.

I wonder if my husbands had a choice to choose her over me. If they did, there’s zero chance they would have made the bargain for me. Unless they were forced to.

“Hi, Princess Tara!” she greets, grinning.

“Uh, hi,” I say back, giving a little wave.

Her smile widens. “That’s no way to greet family!” She walks over to me and pulls me into a hug. “I am so happy you're here. There's so much goddamn testosterone around here. It's nice to have another woman around.” She releases me and stands back looking me up and down.

“You're cute,” she tells me, her gaze running over me from head to foot. “Cute and tiny. You’re like the size of a kid.”

“Um, thanks,” I say, confused. I don't know who this woman is, but she's being really nice to me, and I don't know how to take that. “I didn’t catch your name though.”

“Oh goodness, I'm Lady Scarlet! Arlys’s cousin. I got so excited I forgot that you have no idea who I am!” She drops my hand and plops on my bed next to my weapons. “This is quite an arsenal,” she says as she picks up one of my daggers and turns it over in her hand. “Whoever made these is really talented.”

I nod my head in agreement, but I don't say a word. If she knows I made them, it might lead to questions about my magic that I’m not yet ready to answer. And the last thing I need is people figuring out how useless I am here too.

“How's married life?” She put down my dagger and now she's holding a sword and admiring it.

It takes me a minute to decide how best to answer her question. “Honestly, I don't really know how married life is. I feel more like a package that's been shipped from one place to another than a wife.” It’s an honest answer, but my words are chosen carefully, since I’m aware that I'm talking about her cousin.

“Well, that’s certainly not the way they should be making you feel,” she says, shaking her head. “I always figured when those three picked a wife, they’d treat her like the finest, most precious gem.”

“Maybe if they’d married a wife outside of a peace deal,” I suggest softly.

“Right? That is an unusual way to start a marriage.” She smiles. “They didn’t tell any of us about the deal before they left. I was shocked when those three came back with you. A wife didn't seem like it was even on the radar, but I guess politics have a way of changing things.”

I hesitate, then decide the hell with it. “They don’t seem very happy about the deal.”

She shrugs, but her eyes are kind. “They wanted to marry for love. They wanted to marry a mate. Creating a political alliance wasn’t really something any of us considered.”

Puzzle pieces are starting to slide into place for me. If they wanted to marry for love and got saddled with me, they must be feeling disappointed. Maybe even angry.

“So they’re not always that… grumpy?” I ask.

She laughs again. “Nah, their bark is way worse than their bite. Prince Arlys is not a problem at all, but when he has a lot on his mind, he can be distant and cold. Prince Rinan is like a puppy, but he tends to follow the lead of the others. And Prince Drogo? Okay, well, he is a bit on the grumpy side. Getting a smile from him is like finding gold.”

“And being forced to marry a witch might just lead them all to being a bit grumpy then?" I ask, brushing my sweaty palms against my dress.

She nods, then smiles. “I have to say though, you got the bum end of the deal because you seem delightful, while they’re all a pack of animals.”

We exchange a grin. This Scarlet, I like her.

“Yeah, and I ended up with three of them. Is that how it always goes here?”

Her smile is light. “No, not always. You see, some boys bond as young children. It’s instant and noticeable. They’re like bonded cats or dogs, as silly as that sounds. When they’re not with each other, they’re inconsolable. So when that happens, the parents of the children keep them around each other most times, if possible. Those boys, we know will end up sharing a bride. Bondings are extremely common among shifters. For every male-female pairing, there are about five pairings where there are multiple men. Sometimes just two, sometimes up to eight or nine.”

“Eight or nine?” Hell no!

She laughs at my horrified expression. “Yes, but typically men marry their mates, so the women want to be with all the men. She loves them equally, so she doesn’t mind how many of them there are.”

“And with Princes Arlys, Rinan, and Drogo…?”

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