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“Just what I said,” Aria’s voice was crisp.
She continued. “The Crown Prince of Islandria currently has no interest in me nor I in him. I wish to postpone our wedding for a minimum of an additional three years. There is no need to rush into a marriage until we can agree on a mutually beneficial merger for our countries, particularly when our governments are run so differently. It is a political disaster waiting to happen.”
“Perhaps Your Highness would prefer an engagement to the other prince?” the nasal voice asked. I whipped my head around to look at the speaker. He was an ancient man with powder white hair and skin that looked as though his wrinkles had wrinkles. I held my breath as I waited for Aria’s answer.
“It is an option, I suppose,” Aria mused, and drummed her fingers idly on the table. Her attention flicked over to me. “Lady Truly, would you deliver a message to Prince Curtis? Tell him to meet me in the entrance hall tonight at sunset. I will see if he is a viable possibility.”
A viable possibility? She was talking about Curtis like he was a possession to be examined before purchasing. She didn’t know him at all. I left the meeting in a daze. I was stunned. How could I tell Curtis that Aria wanted to see if he was suitable husband material for her? I wandered around the halls, half looking for Curtis and half hoping I wouldn’t find him, because I was dreading the conversation we would have.
I came upon him telling one of his favorite jokes, the one about a bard who had one leg and three thumbs, to a group of guards. I hovered around the corner, not wanting to interrupt. When he finally finished telling the joke and laughing, I caught up to him.
“Curtis?”
He turned. “Truly! What—what is wrong? You look upset.”
I couldn’t meet his eye, and swallowed as a lump formed in my throat. Once all the guards were out of earshot, I muttered, “I am just delivering a message. From…Aria.” Suddenly, I didn’t want to use any of Aria’s titles as I should have when talking about her.
“What is it?”
The lump in my throat grew so speech became nearly impossible. I loathed each syllable that formed on my tongue. “She wants you to meet her tonight at sunset. In the entrance hall.”
“Did she say why?”
“She is thinking about… about changing her betrothal… to you.”
Curtis didn’t say anything. Why wasn’t he reacting? The hallway no longer felt warm at all. I felt cold goosebumps erupt all over my skin. “I was just in a meeting with the Avivian Council, and she suggested moving her wedding back a few years. Someone suggested you as a substitute to Hubert instead.”
Curtis remained silent.
I couldn’t think of anything else to say. Why? Why was it that someone else was making a bid for Curtis just a week after I had confessed my feelings for him? And I couldn’t compete with the beautiful crown princess of an exotic, tropical land. I looked up at Curtis. He didn’t seem disturbed by the news at all, merely contemplative.
“Well, I guess I will entertaining Her Highness this evening, then,” Curtis said finally, seeming completely unconcerned. “I best get ready.” He walked off, leaving me alone and confused in the hallway which suddenly felt dark and chilly.
I couldn’t understand it. I thought my friendship with Curtis was evolving into something more, but now, I felt cast off and betrayed. Was I simply an item to be traded in when a newer, fancier model became available?
I lingered in the far end of the entrance hall that evening, pretending to be engrossed in a document comparing wheat prices. But I kept watching closely for Curtis and Aria to meet up. I saw Aria appear first, then Curtis came out of the dining hall shortly after. He bowed and they exited through the golden front doors.
I couldn’t stand it! I hadn’t considered before today that other girls would be interested in Curtis. I had never considered that Curtis could return their feelings and enter a relationship that would take him away from me. I would lose my best friend. Why had I never thought of that before? He was handsome, he was funny, and he was a prince. Of course other girls would be interested in him. What was not to like? How had I been so stupid as to think that he and I would stay best friends forever, without anything or anyone else to get in the way?
I tried to inconspicuously peer out of the windows after them. It was difficult to track them in the dusk. I could barely make them out, shadowy figures walking along the same path that Aria had walked with me all those months ago.
Jealousy pulsed through my body. I thought Curtis cared about me. That just showed how shallow boys were. Ugh! I wished Comfort was here. I would be able to tell her everything and she would readily agree with me, be angry at Curtis for being so flighty. See if I cared! Who needed boys anyway?
I stomped up to my quarters. I paced back and forth, driving myself mad by imagining what Curtis and Aria would be doing right now. I thought briefly of going to wait for Curtis in the entrance hall, but discarded the idea almost immediately. I wouldn’t be the girl who was going to chase after someone. If Curtis wanted me, he would have to prove it.
Then I wilted. Why would any boy choose me? Aria had much more to offer Curtis than I did. She was rich, beautiful, elegant, refined… She would be the ruler of a scenic and successful country. I sat down heavily on the bed.
A soft knock on my door interrupted my thoughts.
“Come in,” I called, hoping against hope that it would be Curtis. It wasn’t.
Father poked his head in. “I didn’t see you at dinner, sweetheart. I brought you a plate.”
He brought over a platter with food and placed it on the bedside table. He looked closely at me. “Are you alright?”
“I think so,” I said, suddenly feeling like I wanted to cry.
“Want to talk about it?” he asked, sitting down next to me.
