Page 79 of The Artist
“Mason, stop. You also told me in the cabin that your family wants you to marry a Northlander. It doesn’t matter if you like me. I’ll never be the right woman for you and I’m not going to play a pretend game.”
Taking her hand, I kept it pressed tight in mine so that she didn’t let it go. I might not be as smart as Victor but I understood that a war is won in a series of battles, and the first I had to face was getting the French to accept that there was no way in hell they were getting Belle back. My woman had said she wanted to stay. She might not feel ready for me to call her my woman out loud, but in my mind that’s what she was… mine!
Victor was in the library when we found him. Standing by a bookshelf, he quickly closed the book he was holding and put it back. His gaze lowered to our linked hands before he spoke in a level tone. “I gather there is a result.”
“Belle is pregnant and she’s choosing to stay with me.”
With an arched brow, Victor pushed his dark hair back and let out a whistling sound. Looking at Belle, he spoke in French and the two of them barked back and forth at each other without my understanding anything.
“English please.”
“Whyplease? I didn’t think you people had that word in your vocabulary. The Motlanders are courteous and use it all the time, but you Nmen just take what you want and now you think you can take Belle from us without any consequences.” Victor’s English was more accented than usual, which told me how upset he was.
“This was always the fear of our government, that one of us five would want to leave. Do you know the effect it could have on our society if more people decide to go and explore the world?”
I stepped forward and lowered my voice to a threatening sneer. “Then don’t tell them she left. Say that Belle died in that avalanche.”
As Victor was about to answer, Freya walked in with three books in her hands. She tilted her head and came to join us by the bookshelf in the corner.
“I heard angry voices, what’s going on?”
“Stay out of this,” Victor warned her, but as the daughter of a former council member and a fierce ruler she ignored his warning and looked at Belle.
“Let me guess, you’re pregnant.”
“Yes.”
“Ah.” Freya turned her head to Victor. “Have you informed your government yet?”
“No, but they will demand that I return with Belle immediately. We were hoping there was no pregnancy so that we could leave all of this behind us.”
“And do what? Continue like nothing had happened?” Freya asked.
“Pretty much. Except for Belle being excluded from any future summits. I think we could have found a way to forgive that you kept her here a week longer than intended, but now…” Victor’s gaze glided over all three of us and landed on me. “Our government will not let go of their demand to have Belle back.”
I started lashing out and making threats, while Freya waited with a worried expression next to me. Once I was done, she simply looked at Victor and asked, “Do you have a solution that doesn’t involve Belle going back?”
“No.”
“No?” She tilted her head. “But you always said that you’re brilliant, and yet you can’t think of a way to solve this problem?”
“The solution is that Belle and I leave right away. She can say goodbye to Mason, but she’s coming with me.”
I growled, telling him without words that he could forget that plan.
Freya kept her tone calm. “May I suggest that we explore other solutions?”
“There are none!” Victor’s usual stoic façade began to crack, with a slight tic around the edge of his eyes.
“You don’t think you would be able to persuade your government to let Belle stay here?” Freya asked him.
“No.”
She sighed. “I guess I’ll just have to do it then.”
“You?” Victor snorted. “What makes you think our prime minister will listen to you?”
“What makes you think he won’t?” Freya had that discreet smile that always made her look a bit smug. With her smooth and scar-free skin Freya had always stood out among us Northlanders, not least because she never exploded in anger like the rest of us. Freya was a thinker with an expertise in wrapping people around her finger without their even noticing.
