Page 45 of The Mirror in the Mountain

I hadn’t failed to notice that with my father being utterly preoccupied with planning for the ceremony, he had been far too busy to micromanage mefor once. Nor that the lack of his watchful eye had left the way open for Adrian to spend every waking minute doing exactly what I had asked of him—convincing me we belonged together.

Velan Maris cut an imposing figure against the rising mist outside the window. Trim, and lightly muscled, he wore a high-necked waistcoat over his crisp white shirt—never one for adornments, though every stitch he had on was made of the finest of materials. The austere lines of his face tightened as he turned to me, no hint of a smile. Not that I had expected one.

“Estelle.”

I dipped my head demurely. “Father.”

“I thought it was past time we discussed what’s expected of you.”

He had never been much for pleasantries, though his courtly persona was another matter. I kept my face impassive, biting back my retort that what was expected of me seemed to be the only thing we had ever talked about. “Do you have an objection to this match?”

My eyes narrowed at the thought that he might try to keep me from Adrian, despite my own uncertainties. My father’s headtilted as my jaw flexed, unable to entirely keep the suddenly braying beast inside me at bay.

“I’m not so foolish as to disobey the High Queen’s wishes,” my father said coolly. “But in this case, they appear to be aligned with my own aspirations for you. We can only be thankful that bond seems to have chosen wisely.”

I inwardly winced at his clinical tone in comparison to Adrian’s awe and excitement, though I knew better than to expect anything resembling affection from him.

My father cleared his throat. “While I’ve only been able to look into the boy so much in the short time I’ve had to do so, he’s Celestial, royal, and well-bred. His parents seem to have raised him with the rigor needed to rule, and, despite Queen Amerie’s age, she hasn’t let it slip to them why this match is more fortuitous to them than they could ever imagine. Though?—”

I hid a smile at the thought of the High Queen’s reaction should my father ever share such a disrespectful assessment to her face.

“—it’s far past time that she steps down and lets a new ruler take the throne, for the good of the realm. And with me to guide you, that’s exactly what this match will accomplish?—”

Tuning him out, I nodded along to the speech I had heard many times before. How only through his leadership and direction would I succeed. I should have known my father would be all too thrilled at the prospect of marrying me off to another Celestial, and a royal one at that—never mind that I was both. He must have been delighted that myanimawas my age, and therefore someone he thought he could control. Because there had never been a concern about my happiness, only power—his, first and foremost.

“—you’ll need someone like him at your side to go through the Choosing one day.”

I hid my grimace, not bothering to ask if ‘like him’ referred to Adrian’s pedigree, his magic, or simply the fact that he was born with a penis. ConsideringIhad been born with everything but, I already knew the answer.

He stepped forward, taking my hands in a way I was sure was calculated, even as part of me wished it wasn’t. “Your mother would have been pleased to see you find youranima.”

I hid my bristle with another dip of my head as he quickly dropped my hands. It was all I could do not to clench them into fists. Howdarehe use her to sway me? As if I hadn’t heard him lament my mother’s ‘weakness’ that had led to her death during my birth, leaving my father with only me as his heir and not the male copy of himself he had always dreamed of—a fact he often shared whenever he found me lacking.

My magic crackled within me, and I knew if I raised my gaze, he would see the evidence of my fury.

I needed to calm down; to find some semblance of the control that was usually second nature to me. Yet, somehow, it evaded my grasp.

One day, I would be High Queen, and I would be free of the males who thought they knew better than me. It wouldn’t be long until I no longer had to play this game.

But I couldn’t help but add, “I haven’t given Adrian my response yet.”

“Well of course,” he sniffed. “But now that I’m certain he’ll be accommodating?—”

He thought my decision hinged onhissay so. I might have laughed if I didn’t feel like I wanted to cry.

“Then I should tell him.”

My father blinked in surprise. I realized too late that I had cut him off as his mouth tightened. “I think not. Perhaps after the bonding ceremony, and after we know his allegiances haveshifted to our own ends. After all, we cannot simply trust an outsider?—”

“An outsider who’s meant to be my soul bonded.”

My father’s gaze narrowed. “It seems you have grown too used to your intended’s kowtowing to remember your manners. I will forgive it, given the circumstances. But do not test my patience a third time.”

I could feel my light demanding an outlet, my fingertips heating not at the insult to me, but at the slight to myanima?—

There was a knock at the door. My light seemed to settle as I stepped toward it. I felt it practicallypurras I opened the door to Adrian’s dark eyes, that ever-present smile curving his lips. “I thought I’d check on you, Princess. After all, we have places to?—”

Adrian cut off when he saw my father, then bent in a formal bow. “Your Highness.” He straightened. “My apologies, if this isn’t a good time?—”

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