Page 23 of Oath of Rebellion

She lowered her gaze and nodded. "Yes, your majesty."

Gastone took a deep breath and they continued walking down the stairs as he berated her reckless ways.

Perhaps it was because she didn't have a real voice with her brother that made her to talk too much with everyone else. She followed behind him, maintaining the two steps behind him rule that he insisted on.

She tuned back in to his ranting and followed him down the hall to his office.

"The Chancellor says you almost brokered peace with Glathen. Not bad for your first attempt at diplomacy. I expected worse," he scoffed, a small white smoke tendril escaping his nose as a servant opened the door to the library for them.

She frowned, unsure on why they were going to the library. Every other time he'd chewed her out, it had been in his office. The change of scenery made her bold.

Eirwyn felt the frustrations of his words return as they stopped outside the door. "I could've done better. It was a fool's mission that couldn't have possibly succeeded without the power to sign a legally binding document."

Gastone spun on his heel, lifting a finger to point at her face. A small flame of fire flickered at the end, and she stepped back, immediately regretting her boldness. She knew what would happen next. If she wasn't careful, he'd throw a fireball. She went onto the balls of her feet, ready to dive for safety.

"Don't accuse me of being a fool. You're the one who has been sneaking out of the palace for gods knows how long to fraternize with the peasants. And when I organize a masquerade, hoping to shift your attention to some more acceptable dalliances, you reject the entire thing! I don't understand you, Eirwyn."

He extinguished the flame, smoke billowing from his nose as he exhaled heavily. He tugged on his jacket, stood straighter, and entered the library, walking toward the settee under the giant window. Eirwyn frowned to see Bella sitting under it, lounging on a settee as she read a book in a blue silk gown.

She looked up, her familiar brown eyes shining behind her reading glasses. She stood and set the book down, opening her arms wide as she walked forward.

"Eirwyn, you're back! Welcome home," Bella enveloped her in a hug.

Eirwyn blinked and her heart raced. Bella was her friend in town. She'd met her almost a decade ago when she'd first snuck out of the palace. She owned the tavern and learned magic from the local medicine woman. She'd taught Eirwyn to cook and bake. Hells, she'd even put Eirwyn to work cleaning the filthy rooms upstairs. What was she doing in the palace in an expensive new silk gown?

Bella broke the hug and turned to smile at Gastone. "Did you tell her?"

He stood next to the settee with a smirk. "Not yet, I was waiting for you, dear."

Eirwyn stepped back, her jaw dropping. "Dear?" Her voice almost squeaked.

He nodded, the same expression on his face when he beat her at chess. It was like the cat who ate the canary.

Bella grabbed her hands and pulled her down to the settee. "Eirwyn, we're getting married!"

Chapter 8

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