Page 132 of The Promised Prince
Trev eased back into his chair, listening intently, hoping King Bryant’s words could somehow make him feel better.
“I know what Seran’s future with you would have looked like because I lived it with Queen Isadora. I was never able to love Isadora the way I loved Mariele, and it was an empty, sad marriage. I wouldn’t have wanted that kind of life for my daughter.”
“I didn’t want that for Seran either.” Trev could feel the emotion rising in his chest.
“I know.” King Bryant’s eyes were kind. “You made the choice that I myself was not brave enough to make so many years ago. And because of my own cowardice, I hurt the people closest to me.”
Trev sat forward slightly. “But you chose your country. New Hope would have suffered if you hadn’t.”
The king waved his hand. “New Hope would have been fine. My country didn’t need a marriage, it needed the benefits that the marriage provided. But we could have renegotiated our agreement with Northland and removed the wedding altogether. It might have been awkward, but with time I believe everything would have resolved itself.”
“I just hate that the last words Seran heard were the beginnings of me breaking off the marriage.”
“You need to forgive yourself for that. It takes a lot of courage to do what you were going to do, and it shows me that you’re strong and that you fight for what you believe in. Those are qualities a good king must have. I should have done what you were about to do. And now you have the chance to see it through to the end. “
Trev shook his head. “I can’t. It wouldn’t be appropriate.”
“Do you still love Renna?”
Trev hadn’t told anyone out loud how he felt. There was a long list of people who could easily guess his feelings, but he had never said it out loud. He had been writing her that list for months, but that was something he did to make himself feel better. Those were words he never planned to send her.
“I love her,” Trev finally admitted.
King Bryant smiled. “Then there is nothing left to talk about.”
“I’m not sure it’s that simple.”
“Ezra, it’s within your power to love your countryandto love Renna. A good king doesn’t need to choose. He can do both.” King Bryant stood, walking over to where he sat. He extended his hand to Trev. “Let everything else go.”
King Bryant’s words attached themselves to Trev. He couldn’t shake them off even if he wanted to. They were exactly what he needed to hear—the final key that unlocked the floodgates. Trev shook King Bryant’s hand then pulled the man into a hug.
60
Renna
It was unusually warm for the first of March, but Renna wasn’t complaining. The good weather made it easier to get things done around the farm. Today they were repairing the stone wall in front of the house. Mangum brought new rocks in by the wagon full. Renna sorted them, finding the perfect fit for the damaged areas. Preetis and Nellie worked to cement them into the wall. It was a job Renna had wanted to get done ever since she had arrived. The wall was the first thing people saw when they came to Wellenbreck Farm. Renna wanted to make a good impression.
“What in the jimmy-dickens is that?” Preetis held the palm of his hand up to his eyes, shading the sun.
They all turned to look at the row of transporters headed toward them.
“I suspect it’s the queen,” Nellie said.
It wasn’t her mother. Renna recognized those transporters.
“They’re from Albion.” Mangum’s eyebrows rose as he shot a glance at Renna.
Renna’s breath caught in the back of her throat.
The four of them watched in silence as the vehicles rolled to a stop. The door of the middle transporter opened, making Renna’s heart jump.
Trev stood, his hands on the door, and his lips curled into a timid smile. She thought she had toughened up, had gotten over him, but it was amazing what the heart remembered. It was amazing how just one look at him could bring her right back to where she had been all those months ago. Actually, itwasn’tamazing. It was annoying what the heart remembered.
Trev pushed the door closed and slowly walked toward her. His hair was long, and dark curls bounced freely with each of his footsteps. He had navy suit pants on, and a white button-up shirt, but the shirt gave his casualness away. It was rolled at the sleeves, the buttons loosened at the neck, the way it had always been in Albion at the end of the day.
“Oh child, he’s handsome,” Nellie said under her breath.
Renna swatted her hand in Nellie’s direction, shushing her.
