Page 50 of Once Upon A Bear

But that was not the same thing.

“It’s not quite the same, so I don’t know that I would count it. My mother will go all out, since they’ll be announcing that Caspian and Sophia are going to have a baby. And since the supposed reason for it is Kellan’s birthday, I have no doubts that she’s also going to try to convince him to announce that he’s searching for a bride.”

Guinevere’s head snapped up. “She can make him do that?”

“Not really,” Gideon said with a chuckle. “She will try, though, and that’s where the difficulty lies. Because while Kellan values his freedom, he also adores our mother, and he knows that the one thing she wants most in the world is to see him settle down.”

She also wanted to see Gideon settle down, but he wasn’t about to say that out loud—not to Guinevere, not when he had a sneaking suspicion that if he did, she would get scared and run off.

And he couldn’t have that, not when he wanted Guinevere to choose him.

“I have an idea,” he announced, as if he had suddenly come up with it for no particular reason. “You should come to the ball.”

“I can’t go to a ball,” Guinevere said automatically, with no hint of emotion in her voice, simply stating it as if it were a fact.

“Why not?” he countered.

“Because I am not nobility,” she said, holding up one finger. “Because I use magic,” she said, holding up a second finger. “And because magic is illegal,” she added, holding up a third finger and pointing all three of them in his face, “all of which make me the perfect candidate to get arrested at a ball.”

“You can’t actually think that I would let you get arrested,” Gideon said, sounding horrified.

“I don’t know. I don’t think you would,” she said, “but I also know that it is not entirely in your control, and if your father or your brother did not stop it from happening, it very easily could. And I have no interest in putting myself in that position.”

It made sense, in a sickening sort of way.

But how could she think that his family would let her be taken away?

“I understand your concerns about it,” he said gently, “but no one at the ball will have the authority to arrest you, aside from my father. And even if you ignored the fact that he wouldn’t do that, my mother and I wouldn’t let him, I promise. My family and I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, and I’m sorry that you don’t feel safe with us.”

It was understandable, if this was the way she lived, in constant fear of being discovered…but it made his gut twist.

She was right—as a second son, there was only so much he could do.

But he could talk to Kellan. They could investigate if perhaps there was a way to make magic legal again, if only so that Guinevere did not have to be afraid.

They did have a connection to the king…and he’d do anything to make Guinevere feel safe.

“Please come, Sunshine,” he said softly. “I promise you will be safe, and I want you there.”

Guinevere looked up at him, her hazel eyes filling with an emotion he couldn’t quite recognize—but he wanted to see more of.

“I don’t have a dress or know how to dance,” she said, but her conviction was wavering, he could tell.

“I’ll teach you to dance, and Beatrice will have a dress.”

If Beatrice didn’t, he’d find a way to get her one, no matter what it took. He didn’t want to face another ball without her by his side.

“Will you come for my sake?” he asked, reaching out to let his hand rest on top of hers.

She swallowed hard and his gaze dropped to her lips before returning to her eyes.

He shouldn’t be thinking about kissing her in this moment, not when he didn’t know how she felt about him.

“For your sake,” she said, the words soft. “I will come.”

Gideon smiled to himself as Guinevere turned back to her potion.

She’d said yes.