Page 172 of I Ran Away to Evil
“It’s not up to you, Henri,” Mother said slyly, casting a side-eye at Keith, my parents’ titles countering his own. “We drew up the contracts while you were still a minor. Any chance you had to argue was lost when youdidn’t come home.”
“She isn’t a minor now,” Keith spoke over my shoulder, hard and angry. “You have no power over her.”
“She has been promised by magical contract to me, Your Viciousness.” The marquess was sweating, failing to resist Keith’s title effect as he was driven to one knee. Despite this, his voice rang loud and clear. “Attack me all you want; there’snothingyou can do about it.”
A murmur arose among the crowd. I cursed. It was unfortunate that we were so close to the refreshments table.
I stuck up my hand to get people’s attention. “I could kill you?”
“And I could feed your body to the sirens of Lake Loria. Or use your flesh to feed my roses,” Keith told the man matter-of-factly, as if he were speaking of no more than the weather.
The marquess laughed a sickening giggle that made my skin crawl. “Destroy me, and you will only show the world how untrustworthy the Dark Enchanted Forest truly is, and it would still do nothing. The girl is promised to the Marquess Dorset—whoever that happens to be. If I fall, others will simply take my place.”
“I could exterminate your entire line. It would be effortless, like squishing bugs.”
My parents just stood there, looking for all the world as if everything was falling into place. My stomach dropped out from under me. There was something else going on here.
“Monfort,” the grand duchess whispered to Keith behind me, “while I understand, I need to ask you to move elsewhere if you are going to be threatening my other guests.”
“If Your Grace would allow us—” Keith’s voice was drowned out by my parents.
“There are other ladies vying for the position. This is an opportunity you will not squander.” my father told me. “It would be a shame if you became a second wife. Or a concubine.”
Queen Thalia tsked. “Just another way to embarrass us.”
“I refuse!” The words were ripped from my chest as a part of me rebelled against my parents. There were too many people fighting over my future, and I wasn’t going to sit back and take it anymore. Jacqueline stirred on the bed upstairs, and it was all I could do to prevent her from cutting a line clean toward me.
I took a deep breath and stated, “I will never marry you, Marquess Dorset. Not ever.”
“Oh, really?” The marquess managed to climb back to his feet when Keith paid mind to the duchess and drew in his kingly aura. The man patted his clothes a few times. “If you’re so inclined, Princess, then I would be happy to give you an option to withdraw your suit.”
That wasn’t what I’d been expecting to hear. “Really?”
He nodded, smiling a too-wide smile that made me unconsciously lean back into Keith’s chest.
“That is”—the marquess held out his hand—“if you’d allow me just one dance to try and change your mind.”
CHAPTER 106
Please Don’t Destroy My Palace
Keith
Keith wrapped his free arm around Henrietta protectively. His other hand still held a full glass of champagne. The stem was only slightly cracked.
“You can forget asking—”
“To be clear”—Henrietta tilted her head and observed the marquess—“if I dance one dance with you, then you will honor your word and annul any magical contracts between us?”
The marquess placed a hand on his heart. “Princess, if you give me one dance, I will try to convince you to marry me. If you still refuse, I will issue terms. But”—he stared at Keith, looming over her—“I will do so as respectable adults who speak for themselves. Away from your captor.”
“I’m not—”
“He’s not—”
The marquess cut off both Keith and Henrietta as he replied, “Do we have a deal or not?”
Keith wanted so desperately for Henrietta to say no. There were a million ways to break a magical contract if one knew the terms. There were always loopholes. Of course, they had no idea what those terms were, and he doubted the king and queen of Drendil had been foolish enough to bring the contract here, where he could easily steal it.
