Page 30 of One True Love (Love Mark 1)

I would’ve taken my snack back because I knew I could wrestle it from her with ease, but I had more important things on my mind than taking up chase and possibly running her off.

“Well?” I demanded. “Have you talked to her yet?”

It was best that she not know I’d eavesdropped on her conversation with Lady Vienne. She’d no doubt warn me away from such a risky move, which would be useless advice. I’d keep doing it no matter how much she lectured, so I decided to save her the speech and keep that part to myself. I was too eager to hear her opinion to wait through an entire lecture, anyway.

“Yes, I did, actually,” she reported, finishing the last slice of grumpacker. “And I must say, Brother. She honestly doesn’t seem like your type.”

I frowned, not expecting to hear this. But seriously, how the hell could she say such a thing to me?

“Oh?” I said, darkly. “And how did you determine that?”

“Well… She seems pleasant, sure, but quite standoffish.” After tossing the fruit’s leftover peeling on a nearby table, Allera sent me a flippant gesture. “She’s really kind of boring. Not at all reminiscent of the bold, viper-tongued girls you chased back at—”

I didn’t like thinking about anything I’d ever done before Vienne, and besides, “How the hell could you possibly say that about her?” I cut in. Then I waved a hand. “Never mind. I don’t wish to hear your opinion of her character any longer.” Because, frankly, it was all wrong. “I just want to know if she seems happy to you?”

“Oh, yes. She seems quite content,” Allera went on, earning another scowl from me, because I wouldn’t have gone so far as to say quite content, though she hadn’t seemed necessarily miserable.

“Whenever I asked about her baby, she lit up with so much excitement.”

Pain pierced through me to even think about the baby, the child who belonged to my one true love…and another man. But it was a bittersweet pain, because even though this increased the likelihood that I could never be with her, I also liked to hear she would be a good mother. Since I’d never known my own, I’d always been fascinated by mothers and how they could love so wholeheartedly without even meeting their children first, and all without having a mark encouraging them to do so. Vienne obviously loved her baby already, which endeared me to her all the more.

“And her husband?” I pressed. “She… She likes him?”

I had my own perception of that answer, but I was curious about Allera’s take on it.

My sister shrugged dismissively. “She seems to, I guess. It was an arranged marriage, of course, so it wasn’t a love match or anything, but she doesn’t talk ill of him or seem frightened by him. She seems accepting, though maybe not head over heels in love or anything.”

I nodded, deciding we shared that observation, at least. I wasn’t sure if I was happy about it, though. I wished Vienne could be more content than anyone in all the realms, yet the idea of her loving another man hurt, bitterly, so I was also happy she didn’t have a great romance with him, which meant, honestly, this outcome was probably the very best I could’ve hoped for… That is, if I couldn’t have her for myself.

Which I couldn’t.

“What does she like?” I asked, wondering how much Allera had kept talking to her after I’d left to fetch grumpackers. “What does she not like? What are her biggest dreams and fears? Is there anything she needs?”

“Good Lord, Urban. I talked to her for maybe fifteen minutes. That’s not exactly the kind of thing you open a conversation with.”

I shook my head, not caring. “But I have to know.”

Allera sighed. “Okay, then, fine. I’ll find out. Eventually. I have a feeling Lady Vienne is going to become my new best friend.”

“She better,” I warned. “She’s more important to me than anyone in all creation. And if I can’t get near her, then you better become closer to her than her own damn husband is.”

Allera groaned and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. “My God. You’re going to be quite annoying about this, aren’t you? But fine. Fine. I’ll befriend her. Better her than her sister, anyway. I wouldn’t trust leaving a venomous, spitting-mad python near that beast. The queen has fangs, Brother. She hides them behind her pretty smile, but mark my words, I wouldn’t cross her if I were you.”

I frowned, confused. From the conversation I’d overheard in the East Salon, Queen Yasmin had seemed vain, and inconsiderate, and full of herself, but nothing so smart and devious or concerning as Allera made her out to be.

“I have no idea why I would ever need to cross the queen,” I said dryly. “Now, can we get back to the subject of her sister? I want to know everything.”

“Well, there’s just not that much to tell. Lady Vienne wasn’t exactly forthright with her personality. She holds back. Observes. Getting her to share with me won’t be an easy task.”

Yes, I’d noticed that as well. I liked it about her, though. I’m not sure why, because I’d always been pretty open myself, but I did. It just seemed like someone of her temperament could complement someone of mine or help to mellow some of my more impulsive decisions. We’d make a good team.

Not that we’d ever be teaming up.

Not that we’d ever do anything together.

Depressed by that notion, I glanced toward my sister. “In other news, have you discovered anything we can do around this place to keep ourselves busy?”

I wasn’t made for a life of indolence. Allera and I had always managed to stay occupied at High Cliff. I’d go crazy if I didn’t have something to do here, as well. Extra crazy since I had a certain woman to pine over and obsess about on top of everything else. Besides, this place was important to my one true love, so I might as well do my part to help upkeep it.

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