Page 46 of Learning to Love

“What?” The bottom falls out of my world.What the hell is going on?I look at Elodie, and she’s gone white as a sheet. “I’m not marrying Marianne.”

“You will do what is best for your country,” my father informs me.

“And we both know Marianne isn’t it,” I shout back at my father. “Are you seriously involved in this charade, Marianne?”

Marianne doesn’t answer me. She can’t look at me either. I can’t believe she would agree to this. There’s something going on here I don’t understand.

“Elodie.” I turn to look at the woman I love but find her missing. She’s not there.

“Typical non-royal,” my mother slurs. “They run away at the first sign of trouble.”

“And you want to know why? It’s because they aren’t constantly drunk to keep themselves immune to their feelings.” I stare accusingly at my mother before turning on my father. “And they have respect for people.”

I shake my head at them both before striding from the room.

“Dalton, get back here. Where are you going?” my father shouts after me. Hinchbootie and Felix jump aside as I storm out. “Dalton,” my father shouts again. “I demand you come here, at once.”

I turn back and spit out at him, “No, I’m beyond your demands. I’ve found something more important than duty—I’ve found love. I’m going after the woman who you’ll accept as the future Queen of Janastria or lose me as your heir forever.”

To be continued in Learning to Rule.

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