Page 60 of The Rejected King
Fennish put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure glad we wrote that letter of recommendation. Look at all you’ve accomplished.”
Emree swallowed back the lump in her throat. He wouldn’t be glad when he found out that what she had accomplished was falling in love with the king and ruining the Promenade.
She forced a smile. “Thank you.”
“Now that the Promenade is over, have they offered you a permanent position at the castle?” Fennish asked.
Well, Davin offered me the job of Queen of Enderlin. Is that permanent enough for you?
“Uh, no. We need to get through tonight’s ball, and then I’m sure we’ll figure all of that out.”
“Miss Duston?” A servant rushed over. “We have a problem. An entire case of the glass cups we’ve been using is missing, and we’re almost out of glasses for the guests. What should we do?”
Emree smiled at the Kemps. “It’s so good to see you, but I better get back to work.”
She walked away with the servant. Glass cups? That wasn’t a problem. A problem was the king of Enderlin choosing Emree as his wife.
27
Davin
“No! I won’t let you do this,” Davin’s mother’s voice shook with worry as she paced the length of his suite. Her golden ball gown swirled and twisted with each turn back and forth. “Have you even thought about the consequences?”
Davin nodded as he sat on the raised armrest of his couch. He watched his mother, hating how much stress he had caused her.
“If you choose a working-class woman—a woman who wasn’t even a part of the Promenade—to be your queen, the entire kingdom will be in an uproar. You’ll lose everything.”
“Maybe not,” Davin said. “Maybe the people will respect my decision.”
His mother paused, leveling him with a razor-sharp glare. “When has the kingdom ever respected your decisions?”
Davin sighed. “Never.”
“And let’s not forget the wrath of the high rulers when they find out you’ve completely disregarded the law. Just because youcanmake exceptions doesn’t mean you should, Davin. No one ever has. They’ll move to send your reign to the people for a revote, and we all know how the people will vote.”
“So what if I’m not king anymore? At least I’d be with Emree, and I’d be happy.”
“Do you even hear yourself? What will you do if you’re not king? What will I do? I’ve lived in the castle for almost thirty years. Do you want me to be kicked out of my home?”
He hadn’t thought about how his decision would affect his mother. Truly, he’d only made the decision to choose Emree a few hours ago. There were still a lot of details to figure out.
Davin pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t want you to be kicked out of your house, but I also don’t want to base my major life decisions on what makes everyone else happy. Don’t I deserve to have love and happiness?”
His mother tried to bite back her emotion, but her eyes filled with tears anyway. “I know you can find love and happiness with Patrice. The Promenade works. I went through it. I was the daughter of a high ruler, the childhood sweetheart of your father’s. Your father and I were happy. I know it could be the same for you and Patrice.”
“It wouldn’t be the same. I love Emree.”
Tears rolled down his mother’s cheeks. “I don’t understand why you are doing this. Miss Dutson is a lovely young woman, but Davin, she’s not worth ruining your future over.”
His jaw hardened. “That’s the thing, Mother, it’smyfuture. I get to decide if she’s worth it.”
She let out a soft moan and buried her face into her hands.
Davin walked over to her, putting his arms around her shoulders. “I didn’t tell you this beforehand so that you could change my mind. I told you because I love you, and I didn’t want to blindside you downstairs. I wanted you to have the chance to wrap your head around it away from the newswriters and all the guests. My mind is already made up.”
Millar knocked on the door twice then opened it. “Your Majesty, it’s time.”
Davin gave his mother one last squeeze. “Come on; we can do this.”
