Page 80 of Their War

He entered the room, and his silent steps sounded out until he was standing over where I was still sitting in bed, his arms crossed as he looked me over. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”

I laughed with frustration. “I don’t know. It could be that I’m nervous about what to expect tomorrow. It could be that I feel I’m going in blind and hate being at a disadvantage.” Sarcasm dripped from my words.

Instead of getting upset over my irritated tone of voice, something I was very aware made me sound petulant, he simply asked, “Is that all?”

“What else would there be?” I retorted, my eyes narrowing as I tried to figure out where he was going with this.

“Perhaps, a certain mate bond is weighing on you?”

“He made his decision. I can’t do anything about that, even though I might want to pursue what could be possible between us. Yes, it hurts. Yes, I’m disappointed, but I can’t make him want me. He either does or he doesn’t want this bond,” I said, crossing my arms in defense. “There’s no sense in dwelling on it.”

“We both know that sense has no place when it comes to matters of the heart. What if I told you that he did want the bond?” Arryn reasoned with me calmly.

“But he doesn’t, so there’s no point in playing the what if game.”

He sighed. “Just go along with me on this. What would you do if he did want to pursue the relationship between you?”

Capitulating, I decided to play along with him. If it could end this line of thinking sooner, then I would do whatever it took, and for now, it seemed he wouldn’t be swayed by my attempts to end the conversation. “Obviously, I’d want him to be with me,” I admitted. “But I don’t understand what hashing this out can do to change his mind.”

“That’s what I thought,” he said with a nod, turning to leave.

“Wait, where are you going?” I asked him, starting to panic now. Scrambling from the bed, my oversized shirt barely reached mid-thigh, leaving the rest of my legs bare, and I had no bra on. I knew how exposed I was. The last thing I needed was for him to play mediator. I’d already suffered enough embarrassment; I didn’t want to subject myself to anymore. Especially not tonight when so much was weighing on tomorrow’s outcome.

He paused. “Wait here. I’ll be right back. I just need to get something.”

“Something? Or someone?” I asked him. He just smiled at me, refusing to answer my question and instead walked out my door. I peered down the hallway, watching him disappear from my view. I would have chased after him, but my state of undress was not appropriate for possibly running into my father or grandfather, or even Brannoc’s cousin. Just the thought of such a thing had blood rushing to my cheeks.

With my arms crossed, I paced the floor in my room as I waited for Arryn to come back. Deciding I couldn’t wait any longer and was willing to risk exposure, I stalked toward my door, only to have it thrown open again, nearly clipping me in the process.

Arryn entered, revealing Brannoc behind him, hovering in the doorway. Arryn turned to him. “Get in here. We've got some things to discuss.” His tone brooked no argument, and my protest died on my lips.

Brannoc slunk in, closing the door behind him, but remained as close to the exit as he could, as if merely being here was an imposition. My heart twinged with pain. Hurt at his eagerness to get away from me was the only thing I could process. “Look, if he doesn’t want to be here…” I started, trying to give Brannoc an out from whatever Arryn had planned.

“Silence,” Arryn snapped at me, and my jaw clacked shut at the force behind the word. The only time Arryn had ever been forceful with me was when we’d been intimate, and this side of him knocked me back on my heels, unsure how to respond to him.

Satisfied that we were not going to interrupt him, he got straight to the point. “You two have a True Mate Bond. It’s not something to be taken lightly. If anything, it’s something that many would kill for and to have you two throwing it away over some silly miscommunication is insulting.”

I opened my mouth to defend myself, bristling at his condescending tone, but he held up a finger. “Let me finish,” he snapped. He sighed and exhaled a long breath, softening his look at me. “Please.”

Appeased somewhat at the unspoken apology, I let him continue. “Both of you want the same thing, and the fact that you’re both too blind to see it is laughable.” He turned to me. “Rhowyn, do you want this bond?”

I hesitated, not wanting to admit such a weakness in front of Brannoc. I also didn’t want to guilt him into something he didn’t want because he didn’t want to hurt me. “I wasn’t unhappy about the bond,” I said, hedging my bets. This way I didn’t fully admit the depth of my desire for Brannoc, but I could still be honest with Arryn.

Arryn rolled his eyes but continued, this time addressing Brannoc. “And you, how do you feel about the bond?”

“Arryn,” Brannoc pleaded with him, back still against the wall as if trying to make himself as small as possible.

“Just answer the question, dammit,” Arryn snapped, rubbing a hand over his face as he took a couple of deep breaths.

“I was shocked at first, but then I was hesitant,” he admitted.

“And why were you hesitant, Brannoc?” Arryn prodded him further.

Brannoc rolled his eyes, turning away from us to pace back and forth, still staying near the door as much as he could. “I was hesitant because I didn’t know how Rhowyn would react.”

“How did you want her to react?” Arryn asked him like he was speaking to a child.

Brannoc stopped and pleaded with Arryn silently, who refused to budge. Sighing, Brannoc dropped his head. “I wanted her. I wanted the bond, but there wasn’t any way she would want to be tied to a lower fae. Not as the next Queen.”

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