Page 39 of Frozen Hearts and Death Magic

After a deep breath, she put the note in an envelope and sealed it, then stepped out of the room. A messenger was walking by, which was quite lucky.

With the most neutral and confident voice she could muster, she gave him the envelope. “A message for the Umbraars. Please deliver it right away.” The boy bowed and disappeared down the hall.

Leah sighed and got back into the room, her heart thrumming in her chest. She wanted to hold Fel again, kiss him, hear his voice, his laugh. Happiness was so close, so simple, all she needed was for him to propose. Perhaps she’d even run away with him if her parents opposed the match. But she had to know that he was serious about it, that he had meant it when he’d asked her to marry him. She had to know.

After some time, her mother came in, smiling, Mariana with her.

“Any news?” Leah asked. That was silly. It was way too early for him to have received the note and done something.

“Yes. I brought your cousin here to keep you company, darling. I think the visits are over for today.”

“Maybe not,” Leah said.

“We’ll see.” Her mother smiled and left.

At least Mariana Greenstone did not look in great spirits. That was an awful and selfish thought, but Leah would feel even more wretched if her cousin were leaping with joy. Selfish, selfish, horrible thought.

“How’s the day been treating you?” Leah asked.

“All right.”

“Any proposals?”

“Three. Now I have to choose.”

“You should be happy. Especially if your parents are allowing you to choose.”

Mariana shook her head. “They said no to one of them. Didn’t even let me see him. And the ones they approved, well…” She sighed.

“Who was it?”

“They want Carl, from Haven, but I would rather have someone with another magic, not greenbringing, you know? And he’s not an heir. Then there’s the crown prince from Zarana. No magic.” She looked away and took a deep breath. “I could go there and be a queen and see my magic wither and die, I guess.”

“It doesn’t sound bad, Mariana. Are they nice?”

“A little. But…” She looked down. “I don’t know.”

“Do you…” Perhaps it was too bold to ask that question, but Leah was worried about her cousin. “Do you love someone else?”

Mariana chuckled and shook her head. “Love is silly. But I wanted to be a queen in a kingdom with magic.”

“Do you have to decide now? Maybe someone could still propose.”

“My parents want to settle it now, while we’re all together.”

It was tough to make such a decision in such little time, but it had become a tradition of the gatherings. Leah tried to console her cousin. “Maybe one of them will make you happy.”

Mariana sighed. “Maybe. I just wish…. I mean, why can’t it be Cassius? And then, if Ironhold is too hard, why not the Umbraar prince, for example?”

Leah’s heart sped up. “Did you talk to any of them?”

“No, but my family could have pushed for it, you know? To make me a queen.”

“But Greenstone doesn’t get along with Umbraar.”

“Who wouldn’t want to have influence over another kingdom, Leah?” She then whispered, “But then, I heard that Prince Isofel is a cripple. Can you believe that?”

“He’s not a cripple. How can anyone say that?”

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