Page 86 of Beacon

He clutched my hand more tightly as he faced his father. “I’ve come to know Marisa very well this past month. While there are countless traits I admire about her, in this moment it’s her bravery I value the most—her courage to speak up even when silence might be the easier path, no matter how difficult the words might be. That is a bravery I hope to display now.”

With a steadying breath, Owen evenly met the king’s gaze.

“Despite your wishes, I will not marry Princess Lavena. Not only am I uninterested in the match but I don’t welcome you creating the arrangement without my consent. In speaking with the princess, I’ve come to discover she’s uninterested in me as well.”

The king made no answer as he studied his son with a serious expression.

“I regret the difficulties you’ll face with my refusal,” Owen continued. “Just as I regret that I cannot live up to my duty as a prince to create a beneficial alliance. But there is a duty I will always be true to: my heart. Despite how our relationship began, I truly love Marisa and want no one but her. If she fulfills my hopes in marrying me, I promise to be true to my other responsibilities as a prince, even if I’ve failed you in this regard.”

A long silence followed Owen’s words, broken only by the king’s heavy sigh as he finally lowered the quill. But despite his clear disappointment, a different emotion filled his gaze as he looked at his son—one both fatherly and proud. “You’ve finally found your voice.”

For a moment Owen appeared shocked by his father’s words before he nodded. The king smiled gently before turning towards the Queen of Lyceria, who was now looking at me, her obvious anger making it difficult for me to meet her gaze.

“My desires to strengthen our alliance caused me to treat my son unfairly; it was wrong for me to prepare an arrangement without his knowledge. Despite my position as king, I could never force him to obey my dictates. Thus, I’m afraid we must withdraw from the verbal agreement. I understand the gravity that comes from such a decision and will do all I can to restore your trust in our kingdom.”

Anger pierced the Queen of Lyceria’s attempt at poise. “I cannot believe you allowed your son to usurp your authority as king and cause you to back out of our agreement. Our trust will not be so easily reparable. To withdraw from such a promise reflects poorly on Bytamia.”

The king’s shoulders slumped, but he quickly regathered his regality to straighten. “I acted in haste according to my own judgment, disregarding that of my queen, my heir, and my son. It’s a lesson I will always remember, considering the cost I paid to acquire it, making it one I hope I never repeat.”

“A high cost indeed,” the queen said stiffly.

The king nodded gravely. “I pray that even without this coveted union, the alliance we forged years ago can still stand, considering the benefits maintaining it will bring to both our kingdoms. I hope that with time we can rebuild our lost trust and remain on good terms in the years to come. I trust that Ronan will honor this wish when the time comes for him to ascend the throne, as will Crown Prince Nolan when he inherits the Lycerian crown.”

By the queen’s twisting expression, she clearly had more that she wanted to say…but her decorum as well as the honor of her kingdom’s current agreement with Bytamia seemed a strong enough force for her to hold her tongue. She pursed her lips.

“Such a decision is not entirely up to me. I cannot speak on either my husband’s or our heir’s behalf. We will return home immediately and begin discussions on how to proceed.”

She stood and swept elegantly from the room, leaving a tense silence in her wake. I found myself silently wishing her the best, hoping that their family could find a solution that would benefit not only their kingdom but allow Princess Lavena to find peace as well.

The moment the door closed behind her, the king’s regal presence faltered. He sighed and rubbed his temples.

“I’m sorry, Father,” Owen said. “I understand the position I put you in.”

“This situation is one entirely of my own making for not consulting your wishes earlier…or your mother’s.” He lowered his hands and forced a smile, one that while tight still maintained his usual warmth. “Bytamia has faced many setbacks over the years, most the result of the many mistakes I’ve made during my reign. We’ve managed to push through each time, and this will be no exception.” He reached across the desk to rest his hand on Owen’s shoulder. “At least I can be assured of your happiness.”

Emotion filled Owen’s eyes, and for a moment he seemed too overcome to speak. “I will be happy. Thank you, Father.”

The king gently squeezed his shoulder before glancing kindly towards me. “I’m genuinely pleased by your match…but I do want to be certain: do you consent to this union, Miss Marisa?”

He clearly expected me to nod, as was my usual habit. But if Owen had summoned the courage to find his own voice, I could do the same, especially after Owen had used his to fight for me. The time had come to speak to someone other than him. What better opportunity than to fight for him in return.

I took a steadying breath. “I…do. I…love Owen. I want…to be with him.”

The king’s gaze rounded in astonishment at my words. “You…can speak?”

Shyness robbed the rest of my voice, so I only nodded. The king continued to stare, all while Owen looked on with a smile that was both proud and incredibly tender. He squeezed my hand and I squeezed it back, and in this position we remained as we spent the rest of the morning working out the details of our marriage with the king and later the queen, conversations that would allow us to finally, after all this time, keep one another forever.

CHAPTER31

Ifrowned worriedly at the gathering grey clouds, growing ever thicker against the darkening sky, even as the anxiety I usually felt during an approaching storm knotted my stomach. It had been storming on and off for the past several days, leaving my nerves taut, and this one promised to be more fierce than the rest.

Despite no longer being charged with the responsibility of the lighthouse—a loss I no longer felt as keenly as I once had, thanks to my new role as Owen’s fiancée—I still had cause for concern, considering there was a ship I awaited out on the water. It’d been several weeks since Captain Farrell had set sail to search for Father. If he’d found him, they’d likely be sailing back on this increasingly churning sea, one that the foreboding weather promised would soon become turbulent with the storm.

The sound of the gathering wind was only punctuated by the bells ringing from the palace, announcing the birth of the new heir to the throne, the future crown prince who Princess Seren had just given birth to this morning. Such news should have been a cause for joy, but I was too anxious to join the royal family’s celebrations. Instead I remained on the balcony in order to monitor the churning ocean.

My growing unease was only somewhat abated by Owen’s arrival; only his soothing presence kept me from completely sinking into my escalating worry.

“I think I’m already the favorite uncle,” he said, greeting me with a wide smile. “Ronan and Seren’s son didn’t cry at all when I held him but did for both Jaron and Damon. And if I’m the favorite uncle, you’re sure to be the favorite aunt when you finally meet him.”

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