Page 38 of One True Love (Love Mark 1)

“No, no, you’re not manipulative. Not at all. You’re just…hmm…unassumingly persuasive when it’s for a good cause, and this…this, Vienne, would be a grand cause. Why, you’d be one of the poor unfortunate victims forced to listen to me if Yasmin ever requested I play a song. I mean, do you honestly want to live through such torture? Just think about that.”

I grinned at Nicolette’s overly dramatic argument. But it caused Vienne to draw out a long, tired sigh. “And you say I’m the persuasive one,” she mumbled in a worn voice.

“So, you’ll do it?” Nicolette sounded eager.

“You know she won’t be appeased until you learn to do something she finds acceptable. Hmm. Let’s see. You read quite well, don’t you?”

“Yes, I’m a marvelous reader. Why?”

“Maybe I can suggest you learn to recite poetry instead.”

“Recite poetry?” Nicolette screeched. “Why, that sounds almost as horrid as flute playing.”

“Well, we already know she won’t be satisfied with you reciting your multiplication tables, so it’s either poetry or we’re back to music. Would you rather sing than play the flute? Because I could probably—”

“Good God, n

o! Poetry would be infinitely less humiliating than singing or playing some nasty instrument.”

“Then poetry, it is. I’ll plant the idea in her head the next time I see her.”

“Oh, Vienne. You are the best. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“Yes, well… I believe you’re still supposed to be having your lessons now, aren’t you? So you should probably return to those.”

“Ugh.” Harrumphing out a disgruntled sound, Nicolette mumbled, “I hate my lessons. The tutor is an absolute bore. He’s always telling me what a young lady should and shouldn’t do. I already know perfectly well how to behave, Vienne. It’s as if he thinks I’m only ten or something. It’s such a bother.”

“I suppose you should keep skipping such bothersome lectures then, so he’ll be forced to tell Yasmin that you don’t attend any of your classes, and she’ll, in turn—”

“Dammit, you’re right. He would tell her, wouldn’t he? The terrible snitch. See… There you go, being all unassumingly persuasive again, trying to save me from trouble with the queen.”

Vienne chuckled before demurely answering, “Anything for you, Princess.”

Behind the curtain, I grinned and shook my head. There were hidden depths to this woman, I swear. I had worried at first that people might take advantage of her giving nature, but then I noticed a craftiness about her. She had the heart to share with others yet the intelligence to slyly remove herself from a situation before reaching the point of her own misery. I had to admire that.

Without the mark pointing her out to me, I was almost certain I would’ve overlooked Lady Vienne for a good long while. She had a way of coming across so that others didn’t get too curious about her. But since my mark was making me pay rapt attention, I was quickly growing fascinated. I had a feeling I could learn something new about her every day for the rest of my life and still never truly comprehend everything she had to offer.

As Nicolette bundled from the room, Vienne’s sigh followed. “She’s so impetuous and bright,” she murmured aloud. “I hope you’re like that someday.”

I frowned, wondering who she was talking to. No one else should be in the room, unless… Oh damn, I hope she wasn’t talking to me.

I peered cautiously out the side of the curtain to find her rubbing her stomach and gazing at it wistfully. “I hope you question the world and fight for what you’re passionate about. And I hope you get what you go after.”

A knot formed in my throat as I watched her talk to her stomach and draw shapes across it with her fingers. She was going to be the best mother.

I don’t know why that hurt so much. But it did. It was like a bittersweet, longing kind of pain. It could’ve been because I knew it wasn’t my children she would raise, or maybe it was because I’d never gotten to know my own mother. Allera barely remembered her, so she had few stories she could share, but ones she had told me had all been lovely memories, memories I would never have because I’d killed the woman who’d given birth to me.

It made me wonder if she had ever talked to me before I was born, if she’d dreamed about the kind of person I would become, if she’d be proud of the fact that I was sneaking about and spying on a poor innocent woman who didn’t deserve it.

A sudden shame filled me. I’d been so desperate to learn more about my one true love that I hadn’t even taken into consideration how much she probably wouldn’t appreciate how intrusive I was being.

Swearing to myself that I wouldn’t spy on her again, I lifted my face toward the ceiling and counted down the seconds until Vienne stood and left the room. Then I stole into the hall to return to my own bedchamber. I knew she was ahead of me, I could feel her not far away, but this time I wouldn’t follow her. I wouldn’t—

“Are you following Vienne?”

“Christ!” Jarring to a halt, I cursed fluidly and spun to face the young dark-haired princess who was peering at me from around a corner. “Where the hell did you come from?”

“I was waiting right here for you to pass by. I saw your reflection in the clear rock when you were hiding behind the curtains in the East Salon. So I thought I’d ask why you’re spying on Vienne.”

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