Page 111 of A Queen's Game
“I do, and it’s surprising that you know it, that your mother remembered it enough to teach you.” Sylas was quiet, his face settling into a scowl. “He’s obsessed with you.”
She smiled, looking down at the letter. “And he still wants to marry me?”
“For now,” he said, considering his words. “Obsession isn’t love. It holds no assurance for tomorrow.”
Elyse nodded, her smile faltering. Obsession wasn’t love. “You’re his friend. Aren’t you supposed to tell me things he wants me to hear?”
“If he brings you to Chorys Dasi and grows bored, I’ll be the one to pick up the pieces.”
The words stung, ripping right into Elyse’s heart. “Ah, selfish motivations cloaked in kindness. Thanks for the lecture. You can go now.” Elyse gave him a leveling stare, gesturing to the path.
“It’s the truth, no matter how much it hurts to hear. I’m not your adversary.”
“Sure, but you are an ass, and you can leave.”
Sylas rolled his eyes, stalking back towards the path. He stopped between the boughs. “When can I get your response?”
“Response?”
“Brynden’s expecting you to write him back.”
“I didn’t realize that,” she said, biting her lip. Her love of reading didn’t translate to a love of writing. Gods, what would she say? Her heart raced at the thought of talking to him again, though I would be just through letters.
“Usually when someone writes you a letter, they expect a letter back.”
“Give me two days, and I’ll meet you here, under the willow.” That should give her enough time to figure out a response.
“Under the willow,” he said with a nod. “I’ll see you in two days, Elyse.”
Chapter Forty-Four
Marietta
Marietta sat at her vanity, quietly working on her hair and face as Keyain hovered behind her, pacing. “Are you sure you want to go back to the temple today?” he asked.
“Gods, for the last time, yes.” Marietta closed her eyes with a sigh. “Don’t you have meetings or something else to do with your time?”
“I rescheduled them for later so I could see you off,” he said, the sounds of his footsteps approaching.
“Of course you did,” she grumbled, already in a sour mood from Keyain’s fretting.
“And there are handmaids who can—”
“Keyain,” she snapped, turning in her chair. “You need to stop.”
He stood with his arms crossed, lines bracketing his mouth. “I’m allowed to worry,” he said. “This is something perfectly worth worrying about.”
“Well, keep it to yourself.” Marietta turned back to her vanity, hooking a simple pair of gold earrings through her ears. “You already have how many guards coming with Amryth and me?”
“Four.”
“That’s four more than necessary.”
“It’s not nearly enough, considering you’ve insisted on walking to the temple.” Keyain approached, setting his hands on her shoulders. “You should at least take a carriage.”
“I want to see the city.”
“You can see it from a carriage.”
