Page 11 of House of Blood and Roses: Vol. 2

Pip barks and jumps into the air to try and catch something invisible.

"What has he been teaching you?" Linc asks.

"Mostly the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. I'm glad I have some knowledge of all three, otherwise, I'd find it frustrating. I really wish I'd learned as a child."

"You're learning now, that's the main thing," he responds.

"True. He's also been going through some history and politics lessons. Lord Fallmartin says that I can make requests for what he'll teach me, but I don't really know where to start on that."

"Wherever you want, I'd think."

"I do want to know more about the history of House Rothorne, but I think maybe Lord Fallmartin would be the best person to ask about that. But would he even have that conversation with me?"

"I don't know," Linc responds. "Has he said anything else about helping us since Bastian's wedding?"

I shake my head. "Nothing. Other than the tutor. And the ball, I suppose. Though I'm not really sure how that's helping me. And I may have made a mistake already."

"Oh?"

"I asked him to invite the Vermatchis," I admit. "I didn't say anything about why. I panicked and said that Lord Luca is a good dancer, so now I probably need to dance with him just so that makes sense. I know that's not good..."

"You can dance with whoever you want, Bea. There's no secret court rule that you can't."

I frown. "Really?"

He nods, shaking some of the snow out of his hair.

"But you get jealous when I dance with others."

"I was jealous, but I don't need to be any more. It was hard for me to watch you dance with others because I thought one of them was going to be your husband, and knowing you, that would mean you'd at least give them a chance. I worried that you were going to fall in love with one of them."

"I don't think that's possible."

"I know that now." The way he looks at me makes me think that there's slightly more to the statement that he's not saying out loud, but I don't know what it is.

"Would you tell Marcus to tell Lord Lucas to ask me to dance?" I ask. "I don't know if I'll see either of them before the ball." At least that will ensure that my ruse stays intact.

"Of course."

"It's probably good if I get to know him better anyway," I muse, ducking to avoid a low-hanging tree branch. "If he and Marcus are going to continue to spend time with one another, then I'm sure our paths will keep crossing."

"More than likely," Linc agrees. "But please save me at least one dance."

I laugh. "Do you think either of our fathers would allow me not to? They'll probably want us to open the ball or something." Which I'm not opposed to. As much as I prefer to spend time with Linc alone, I know that we're not going to be able to do that all the time, especially not when we're married and everyone will expect us to do whatever it is that royal couples are supposed to do. No one has been entirely clear on the expectations on what I'm supposed to do after the wedding.

"I'll dance with you as many times as our fathers insist on and once more for good measure," he promises me.

Pip runs back towards us, running in a circle and then disappearing ahead, weaving amongst the trees. I don't worry about her getting lost, she probably knows these woods better than we do at this point.

"Speaking of expectations for the ball..."

"Mmm?"

"I'm not really sure how to put this without it sounding like I have expectations," I admit. "Lady Ermentrude made it sound like you'd be expected to give me a gift at the ball."

"It is your birthday, Bea," he reminds me.

"So it's true?"