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“Hmm, an orphan,” my father scoffed, even though I was sure he already knew everything about her past. “Interesting how you, with no power, were the only one to survive. A fire, wasn’t it?”
Scottie looked up from her plate, her eyes wide, probably wondering how he knew it was a fire. But I knew Synder had shown him her files. She nodded her head.
“Were your family nixes as well?”
“Maverich,” my mother interjected before I could say anything.
“What, Katherine? I’m just trying to get to know the girl better. After all, she is going to join our family,” he declared as he stared directly at Scottie. “I was told that you were trying out to be a guard before you were selected for my son.”
“Yes, I was,” Scottie replied softly.
“You believed that was possible? Achievable, I mean, for someone like you?” he asked her with such calmness, it sounded like he was discussing the weather, not belittling her. “You didn’t consider being a servant?”
The food in my mouth turned sour. I slammed my fist down on the table, rattling the dishes. My father smiled at my tension before adding, “You see, that’s the problem with this arrangement. Rank zeroes should never be Queen. You shouldn’t have to marry my son. It’s very unfair to you, Scotlind, that they are giving you a job you are incapable of succeeding in. Our High Council owes it to our society to place our people fairly among their rankings. It’s the reason the Trials were established. They truly did you and Sie a disservice.”
My fists clenched the arms of the chair I was sitting on. “That’s enough.”
“It’s not too late,” he ignored me. “Sie, you can help her by renouncing this marriage. You should marry someone of a high rank. Someone who is fitting of your status. Think of your future children. If you reproduce with her”—he gestured to Scottie who was frozen in her seat—“your kids will be weak. Her blood will taint their power. It’s a waste of your rank five. I’ll make you both a very generous deal,” he said with a smile. “Son, if you agree to marry Reagan, I will welcome Miss Rumor here with open arms at our estate.”
Greyland and my mother both shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Still, they didn’t say anything, as if they were expecting this conversation to happen. Greyland looked at my future wife and gave her a tentative smile.
“Scotlind will not be a servant here,” I said through gritted teeth as I pushed my chair back. “She will be my wife, and you will show her respect as your future Queen.” I turned toward her and pulled her by the arm, lifting her out of the chair. “Come on, let’s go.”
My blood was boilingas I led Scottie to my old room. It took every ounce of self control I had not to go back downstairs and punch my father in the face. I couldn’t believe he’d said all of those things in front of her,toher. This was exactly what I wanted to avoid by not coming here. I knew how much he despised rank zeroes and believed they were beneath us. My father devoted his time to making me powerful, so that one day I would be King. I was living out his dream. He sought out any opportunity for the Noren name to rise. A part of me was happy that Scotlind had no powers, that I could defy him in this. That some part of his plan wasn’t going his way, but a bigger part of me was worried for her. I knew my father was serious about her working here.
Scotlind trailed wordlessly behind me as I guided her through the house. She had been incredibly calm during dinner. I stole a glance behind me to look at her. Her eyes were glued to the floor, her head down. How many times in her life was she talked down upon to be able to maintain such composure? The thought made my blood heat.
I waited until we made it to my old chamber and locked the door behind us before I said, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she replied quietly, still looking at the ground. “I’m used to it.”
A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I ran my hands through my hair. That was what I figured she would say. I slumped down into the chair closest to me as I gestured toward the bed in the middle of the room. “Sleep,” I told her.
Her eyes flared. “In here? With you?” she asked as she finally looked up at me. Those beautiful, damn eyes that made me lose my train of thought. Such a bright blue that I felt like I was drowning, and I would be happy to die if it meant I could continue to stare at her.
“What were you expecting?” I shrugged as I stretched my legs out in front of me.
“I just… I thought we weren’t allowed to be together until we were… you know.” She didn’t finish her train of thought, but I knew what she was thinking. We weren’t supposed to be alone together until our wedding, until we consummated our marriage.
I smiled, noticing her shyness on the topic. “Technically, that’s true,” I said, enjoying the way she fidgeted with her hair. “We aren’t allowed to,yet.”
“Then why am I in here with you?” she bit down on her bottom lip so hard I thought she might draw blood. It was an effort to force my attention away from that lip. I couldn’t stop thinking about that night in my bathing room. Fuck. Staying in the same room with her was going to be harder than I thought.
“I told you that you wouldn’t leave my side while you were here and I meant it.” When I realized she wasn’t satisfied with that answer, I added gently, “Remember when I told you that some Advenians will go to great lengths to not have a rank zero be Queen?” She nodded her head. “Well, my father is one of those Advenians. He believes in the ranking system to a fault and feels that rank zeroes are beneath everyone else. I don’t trust him with you, and I don’t want you being alone here. You’ll be safer with me.”
“Why are you going to marry me then?” she asked, still gnawing at her lip. “I don’t understand. If you were brought up to believe rank zeroes are nothing, that I am nothing, that I’m inferior to you, why would you agree to marry me?”
I looked at her, trying to gauge how much I should tell her before I settled on saying, “My father believes that. He believes rank zeroes are only good as servants. I think being a servant is a better position than he would like. He would prefer them to be slaves. He wants to take away all their rights. The people serving in this estate are not treated well, Scottie. I would never wish that upon anyone. And I don’t trust him here with you. Just because my father is that way doesn’t mean that I agree with him and share his beliefs.”
She took a small step backward before sinking onto the bed. I noticed her hands clutching the necklace I’d forced her to wear. “Do you want to change things then?” she asked softly. “Will you change things? Get rid of the ranking system and let Advenians have a choice in their lives instead of being told what to do?”
The look she was giving me tore at my soul. Her eyes were wide and waiting, staring right into mine. Her chest unmoving, holding her breath, waiting for my answer. “The Trials at the end of schooling gives Advenians a fair shot, and last I checked, everyone is free to try out for whatever they want.”
Her brows furrowed. “You believe that? That it’s fair? You told me yourself I would have been a servant if I wasn’t selected into this. That it was decided at my ranking before my Trial. You watched my fight. Was I not good enough to be a guard then?”
“That’s different.”
“No. No, it’s not,” she seethed. “Answer the question. Should I have been a servant?”
