Page 23 of A Court Bright and Broken

Mareth made a scolding tut-tut sound. “There is a lady present.”

Pharis craned his neck one way then another in an exaggerated search. “Where? You should have told me sooner. I’d have prepared my favorite appendage.”

Mareth rolled her eyes. “You’re disgusting. And you two make marrying a beautiful noblewoman sound like a chore. Just wait, you’ll probably each meet your perfect match at the First Night Ball and fall madly in love.”

“I seriously doubt that,” I said.

The human girl I’d met this morning was the closest thing I’d ever found to perfection, and she was thoroughly off limits.

“The matchmaker will probably point me toward some shrill harpy who’s the daughter of whichever lord Father is trying to make an alliance with at the moment,” I said.

“But don’t worry, I’ll do my duty and put an heir in her,” I assured Mareth. “What choice do I have?”

“There’s always a choice,” she said. “If you’re willing to take a risk and accept the consequences.”

She gestured to the settee. “You could walk away from the throne and let Pharis have the crown.”

Our brother held both hands up in front of him in a defensive posture and shook his head rapidly.

“No, no, no thanks. Leave me out of this. Stells is right.”

He stretched then settled more deeply into the cushions.

“I prefer my life as the indolent ‘Prince Redundant.’ Grand Star forbid that Father actually start to takenoticeof me. I’d have to clean up my horrid reputation.”

Mareth laughed at his antics then turned to me. “I just want you both to be happy.”

Pharis snorted.

“I am happy,” I said. “Why wouldn’t I be? I have a brother who makes my bad behavior look like innocent child’s play…”

Pharis dipped his chin and folded forward in a facetious bow.

“You’re most welcome.”

“I have thekindestsister in the land,” I continued. “And someday, oh a few centuries from now, when Father finally tires of unlimited power and decides to step down, I’ll be King of all Avrandar and Supreme Ruler of the Sixlands. Until then, all I have to do is marry a woman I don’t even know and possibly won’t like and do everything the King orders me to.”

She gave me a knowing look. “You’re miserable. You’re missing your own life. You need to start standing up to Father. Stop letting himuseyou to enrich and empower himself. Believe in the value of your own desires and will and judgement. You’ll make a far better king than he’s ever been.”

A slithery sense of shame worked its way down my spinal column. I was nowhere near as wise and powerful as my father, and I never would be.

“Well there’s nothing I can do about it now. Youknowhis glamour—and you know mine. I wish I had a harmless glamour gift like yours.”

Mareth’s mouth popped open, and she huffed an offended laugh. “You think me harmless?”

At that moment, a large raven flew through the open window and rapped me atop the head with his beak. My sister broke into peals of laughter, rocking back and forth on the bed, holding her sides as the bird flapped around my head, swooping in to peck me again and again.

“Fine, fine. You’ve made your point.” I reached overhead, shooing the bird away. “I guess I should be grateful it wasn’t a dragon.”

As quickly as it came, the raven flew out the window.

“Don’t be silly,” Mareth said. “No one can control dragons—not even me.”

She got a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “A tiger on the other hand…”

I held up my palms in surrender, the safest course of action lest I see a tiger come strolling through the doorway.

“I take it back. Your glamour is the fiercest of them all.”

---