Page 70 of House of Blood and Roses: Vol. 1

I nod, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. "He told me this morning."

"So did mine."

"What?"

"I'm betrothed too."

I drop down into one of the chairs. The words seem foreign to me, and I can't process them properly. He told me his father was considering it for him, but I didn't realise it was so imminent. "But, the kiss..."

"I'm sorry, Bea. I promised myself I wouldn't be close to you and then we wouldn't be tempted to...well..." He gestures to the door.

I nod in understanding. The kiss shouldn't have happened, but I can see how it did. "You're betrothed," I whisper.

"Yes. Father told me last night after I got back."

"And I'm betrothed." My voice cracks.

He nods.

"So this has to end?" I try to say it as a statement, but that doesn't really work. Not when it's so far from what I want.

He nods.

I take a shaky breath. It turns out that Bella was right all along, this was always going to lead to heartbreak, and I was a fool for thinking otherwise.

Because the world of politics is always going to win, and I'm nothing but a pawn in other people's games.