Page 47 of Ogres Don't Play

“I knew that was a title. What’s your real name? Arrook?”

“No, that’s also a title. My real name is whatever you want it to be.”

I blinked at him. “Why?”

“I have no name. The Prince heir has no name until he ascends, and then the people name him based on whatever his lifelong work was.”

“Oh dear. You have to be very careful about what your lifelong work is. Runner from women? Hm. It does have a ring to it. Rook. I’ll just call you Rook.”

He smiled at me. “Thanks. Do you want me to call you Miracle, or Mirabel?”

“Miracle is kind of pretentious.”

“No, it isn’t. Playing my song like that was a miracle. Bringing back the falling down music hall in Singsong City when everyone wanted you to fail, an even greater miracle. Saving me with your magic and song when I was dying, the greatest miracle of all. It’s not pretentious, it’s fact. You are a miracle. My miracle.” He frowned. “Was that romantic enough? Can I ask you to marry me now or do I need to wait until after you’ve succeeded in your career?”

I blinked at him. “Why would you need to do that?”

“You made it one of your conditions. You explained, very helpfully, the process that I would have to take to become mated to you in a way that your angel could understand. Part of you is mine, but I want all of you.”

He frowned again and then dropped to his knees, suddenly, like he’d been shot.

I gasped and grabbed his shoulders, leaning over him, searching for a wound while my heart turned to ice in my chest. “Rook, are you okay?”

He smiled slightly. “Of course. I remembered the proposing marriage requires beggary and implied enslavement. Ogres are much more dignified, but I can adapt.”

I exhaled a sigh of relief and then frowned down at him. “You’re implying enslavement?”

“Yes, also allowing you the opportunity to decapitate me. Will you, my beloved song, marry me?”

“I object!”

Rook was on his feet, and I found myself behind his back while he faced off against the intruder who dared interrupt his extremely romantic proposal. If there was music, it would be more romantic. The echoing sound of three separate troupes practicing wasn’t the right kind of music, but how I felt when I’d thought someone had shot him made my feelings abundantly clear. I was smitten. I’d say yes, eventually, simply because I couldn’t say no.

I peered around his broad back and saw my brother Richard posing in the center of the aisle, in the precise spot where an errant beam of sunlight could show off his gleaming golden hair, golden skin, golden armor. His eyes were bright blue and piercing.

“Rich? What are you doing?” I noticed Gavriel behind him, walking around the beam of light, always my brother’s opposite, avoiding the limelight, while Rich accepted it as his due.

“Protecting my sister from this blackguard who dares sully my sister’s reputation.”

“You just used blackguard in a sentence,” I pointed out, because it was notable.

He smiled at me. “Impressive, right?” His frown returned as he strode towards us, focusing on Rook. “You’re the prince heir? I thought you’d be larger.” He shook his head. “I suppose that’s why there are no pictures of you. They don’t want to embarrass themselves by admitting that their rulers are weaklings.”

Rook murmured to me, “Your brother is trying to die. Do you know why he’s suicidal?”

I glanced up at him, then refocused on Rich. My dad called him careless, but certainly not suicidal. “I think he’s just fatalistic.”

Rich continued, like he hadn’t heard us, but he had the sharpest hearing of anyone I knew. “As soon as Gavriel called me up, told me that you were getting entangled with ogres, I did some digging.”

I hissed at him, “Rich, this is so embarrassing. You can’t just barge in here and insult everyone. If I choose to marry an ogre, prince or not, that’s my choice.”

He held up a finger with that odious look on his face, his gotcha look. “Really? Even when he’s already betrothed to someone else?”

We all turned to look at Rook. He stood there, brows raised, opened his mouth to tell Rich how absolutely devoted he was to me.

“So?”

That’s what he said.

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