Page 34 of The Forgotten Queen
“You have no clue who she is?”
“Of course I knowwhoshe is. I just don’t knowwhereshe is.”
“You were kissing her, and now you’re marrying me?”
He let out a long sigh, his minty breath filling the air around her. “It would appear that way.”
“Why are you marrying me?” she asked, finding some confidence.
“I’m being forced as well.”
She paused, taking in his words. “Who’s forcing you?”
His stare shifted to the door. “My father.”
“And I’m being forced by my uncle.” And Otis and Edmay, but he didn’t need all the details. She didn’t even know if the details were true.
So it wasn’t Marx who had paid for her. It was his father. The fact that he was a victim like her changed things. Sydria found herself feeling sorry for the man, sorry for whatever was going on in his life that had made his father arrange a sudden marriage to a complete stranger.
“I’m glad it’s you,” he said, looking into her eyes. “I mean, I don’t know you, but anyone who cares that much about marine life can’t be that bad of a person.”
A slight blush heated her cheeks. This wasn’t the direction she needed the conversation to go.
“And,” he continued, “I like knowing that you’re being forced into this marriage like me. It puts us on the same side.”
She studied the green in his hazel eyes and the way his lips twitched as he spoke, as if the words he’d said had made him a little nervous.
Sydria needed to end this now. She glanced down, swallowing as she tried to gather the words.
“I need you to trust me,” he said, pulling her gaze back up to his. There wasn’t a hint of joking in his eyes. “Trust that I’ll find a way for us to get out of this marriage.”
Her brows drew together. “Are you suggesting that we actually go through with the ceremony?”
“What else would we do?”
Suddenly, Sydria didn’t know. Could King Marx figure everything outafterthe ceremony? For some reason, that seemed a lot easier than her causing a big scene. If they went through with the wedding, that didn’t mean any of it was real. If the king didn’t want it and she didn’t want it, maybe they could find their way outtogether. That kind of resolution might be better for her in the long run than her trading her future away to be a servant in the castle, which was what she had been prepared to do.
But could she really trust King Marx?
Sydria peered up at him. “What man are you?”
His eyebrows raised. “Excuse me?”
“Are you the man who shows up late to your wedding, or are you the man who frees the fish?”
It was a silly question but his answer would tell her a lot. Her maid had implied that King Marx was irresponsible in some way. Could Sydria trust a man like that? She’d had her own experience with him on the beach. She couldn’t explain it, but the man she’d met that day hadn’t seemed like a guy who would break his promises. Her gut told her that if he said he’d get her out of this marriage, then he would.
Something serious crossed through his eyes. He shifted his weight, causing his leg to brush up against hers, sending a warm feeling down to her toes.
“I’m the man who frees the fish.”
They stared at each other, both considering their options until Sydria finally spoke. “Then I agree.”
His lips twitched, but he didn’t release his smile. Instead, he offered her his hand. “Shall we?”
She looked down at his hand, knowing that she should feel more nervous than she did. She was trusting her own instincts. The same instincts that told her Otis, Von, and Edmay weren’t giving her the full story. She nodded, placing her fingers in his. The warmth from her toes funneled up to her chest at the softness of his touch.
King Marx opened the door to the closet and escorted her back to the dais. Sydria could feel the weight of every eye on them as they walked, but she didn’t have the nerve to meet any of their stares. The situation was too embarrassing.
