Page 3 of Will You (Not) Marry Me

“How lovely for you,” snapped Eva. She sank back into the sofa and folded her arms tight across her chest, glaring at her mother, who simply pursed her lips.

“It’s unconventional,” Andrea said. “I’ll admit that, certainly. But you’re all about the unconventional, aren’t you?” She waved a hand at Eva’s clothes and hair. “And besides, darling, Prince Finn isknownfor being a gentleman—”

“Yeah, because people are always exactly like their public personas behind closed doors.”

“And I’m sure,” continued Andrea stubbornly, “that if you just give him a chance, you’ll come to find him a wonderful husband.”

Eva laughed, and it was almost a cackle, with a bout of hysterical giggles nudging at the edge of her brain. “Wait, wait,” she said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “When did I say I was going to just go along with this?”

Now it was Andrea’s turn to blink in confusion. As if the possibility of Eva saying no simply hadn’t occurred to her. “Darling—”

“No,” Eva interrupted. “Don’t ‘darling’ me. Did you seriously think I would just agree to get married to a literal stranger just because you said so? Are you out of your mind?”

“We don’t really have another option,” Andrea said quietly.

“Who’s we? If he’s that great, someone else can marry him because I’m certainly not going to!”

Eva went to stand to escort her mother out of the apartment, but quick as a lioness catching her prey, Andrea’s hand flew forward and snatched Eva by the wrist, holding her in a vise-like grip.

Eva froze, beyond furious, and her mother knew it. They sat there, both of them completely still.

“It’s not that simple, darling,” Andrea said, her voice soft and… apologetic? “Just hear me out. Please.”

Eva had never seen her mother like this. Near begging. If nothing else, a hint of curiosity emerged through the anger and disbelief. She looked down pointedly at the hand clutching her wrist. Andrea let go immediately, looking embarrassed at her reaction.

“I want to know,” said Eva, talking slowly and calmly as if to a child throwing a tantrum, “exactlywhat’s going on. No garbage about it being a good match for me. No nonsense. Just the truth.”

Andrea sighed and collected herself.

“Your brother hasn’t exactly been on his best behavior lately,” she said, avoiding eye contact.

“Is that supposed to be a grand reveal?” Eva snorted. “When has Magnus ever been well-behaved?”

“This time it’s all a little more serious. His pictures are all over every newspaper and website, and the press are tearing us apart.”

Once again Andrea’s emotions, usually tucked away so neatly, had risen to the surface. She picked at her skirt nervously, still refusing to meet Eva’s eyes.

“So let him face the consequences of his own actions,” Eva said coolly. “And maybe he’ll learn.”

“The problem is, Eva, that the consequences are affecting all of us.”

“So you’re going to drag me down for good measure?”

“Not down!” said Andrea, exasperated. “Up, if anything. Prince Finn has aspotlessreputation. Here, I’m sure you’ll know him once you see his face.”

With that, her mother pulled out an honest-to-goodness printed photograph from her purse and laid it out on the coffee table.

The first word that sprung to Eva’s mind was “impeccable.” The man looking out of the photograph was gorgeous. Dark, reddish-brown hair and blue eyes; neat as a pin but somehow effortlessly relaxed looking. Anyone could see he was king material. Was he handsome? Yes. Eva wasn’t blind. But she wasn’t going to go and skip off into the sunset to be someone’s political trophy wife because her brother had gotten some bad press.

Her mother took her silence as agreement.

“Trust me, darling,” she said, pushing the photograph towards her another inch. “Sometimes arranged marriages are for the best. It takes all the stress out of dating and trying to find someone on your own, and weren’t you complaining that when you first moved here, people took advantage of you for being a princess? Honestly, marrying within your own sphere will make it so much easier on you. And your father and I grew to love each other tremendously, so it’s hardly a death sentence.”

“No,” Eva said as slowly and clearly as she could. “Tell them there will be no engagement. It’s not happening.”

“Oh, darling, the engagement is already underway. Your father and I agreed on your behalf.”

Eva’s lips felt numb as the blood drained from her face. “Then I’ll call them myself—their head secretary,whoever—and tell them not to get too excited because there won’t be any wedding.”

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