Page 42 of Acedia

Theon stared at me. “She’s right about that. I like her already.”

“She doesn’tneedthose things to be a princess,” I objected. “I don’t have them. My purpose is being the crown prince.”

Theon shot me a dark look and I felt a smidge bad about reminding him that I now possessed the title that he’d been given at birth. “In my experience, it’s a good idea to have an alternative purpose in life where that particular title is concerned.”

I grunted in acknowledgment because he may have a point there. I doubted there was any Shade who could pose a real threat in challenging me for the role—except perhaps Theon, though I was confident he didn’t want it anymore. But eventually, I would be usurped. Likely when Allerick and Ophelia had a child, whenever that happened. We had no idea what kind of strength a Hunter-Shade child would possess, but presumably it was significant, given how compatible our kinds were.

And besides that, we were trying to build a new world. One where we lived side by side in harmony. Having a monarch who representedbothwould be powerful symbolism. I wouldn’t be the most suitable for the position any longer.

“I don’t really have any other talents, though. Being the friendly, charming prince is the only skill I’ve mastered.”

“I was neither friendly nor charming as a prince. Surely you could apply those skills elsewhere,” Theon pointed out.

“I suppose so.” I couldn’t really see how, but perhaps there was a way. I drummed my claws on the bench, acutely aware that Theon’s eye was twitching in irritation the entire time. “Do youthink Iris’s rejection was a forever no? Maybe she’ll change her mind once she feels more settled here.”

“How should I know? I’ve never even met her.”

I sighed heavily. “I should have talked to Verity about this.”

“Probably. You’re more than welcome to now. Why don’t you leave my workshop and go find her?”

“Fine, fine, I’m going. Thank you for your advice. It was… well, I’m not sure I would go so far as to say it was helpful. I suppose it has given me something to think about.”

Theon grunted in acknowledgment as I headed out, running into Verity in the foyer.

“Was he delighted to see you?” Verity asked innocently, a sly smile giving her mischief away.

“You know he wasn’t. I wanted to talk to him about my failed marriage proposal, but I see now that it’s you I should have spoken to instead.”

She blinked at me, silent for a long moment. “You…proposed? To who? When? No, wait. Don’t answer—we need tea and cake and somewhere comfy to sit first. Please hold, caller.”

Verity headed off—a little less energetic than usual after her human-world trip—presumably to send for supplies, and I ambled into the downstairs drawing room, leaving the door open so she’d be able to see me when she returned to the foyer. From memory, this room had been closed up the last time I’d been here, but Verity was working her way around the manor, opening and cleaning out the dusty rooms so they were usable once more.

Lindow had felt like a dying estate before Verity had come here, and she’d brought it back to life with her presence. She’d brought Theon back to life too, in a very literal sense.

Was thatherpurpose? Did everyone need a purpose? All this thinking was making my head hurt.

If revitalizing Lindow and the Duke who resided here was Verity’s purpose, it certainly wasn’t some grand, unachievable goal. It was localized and defined, and Verity excelled at it. And it had benefitted her too—Verity had a confidence now that she’d never possessed when she lived at the palace.

I wanted Iris to find that sense of confidence in her place in the realm too.

I really shouldn’t have proposed.

Fuck’s sake. I could never tell Allerick about this. He had warned me to wait a month.

“Okay, okay, Aderith is bringing tea,” Verity announced, throwing a fluffy pink blanket at me and keeping one for herself. She sat in one corner of the sofa, pulling her legs up tightly beneath her and wrapping the blanket around her. “Tell me everything.”

I relayed the morning’s events to her, gratified to finally be getting the reactions that Theon had thoroughly failed to provide.

“Wow,” Verity said, sitting back in her seat and taking a sip of the tea she’d poured while I’d been talking. “And after all that… You went toTheonfor advice?”

“In hindsight, I can see that was a poor choice on my part. But I wasn’t in the mood to listen to Allerick and Soren scolding me for not taking it slow and whatever else they demanded.”

Verity nodded solemnly. “Very understandable. Absolutely no one wants to hearI told you so, no judgment there. What’s the plan now?”

“What would you do?”

“If someone rejected my marriage proposal? Leave the whole realm, probably. None of you would ever hear from me again. But you’re not as cowardly as I am,” she added hastily.

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