Page 10 of The Throne Seeker

She scolded herself for even giving a damn.

Her mother’s face fell. “Rose? What is it?”

She hesitated, wondering if she should even honor his memory by speaking of him. “Is it odd to wonder what he’d do if he were here?” Her tired eyes met her mother’s in the mirror’s reflection.

Her mother stared back at her, knowing who she spoke of. Surely surprised that he was on Rose’s mind at all, especially since she insisted they never mention him. “No… no, it’s not, sweetheart.”

Her mother’s reply didn’t make her feel any better. “It’s just as well.” She glared into the mirror. “He’d have only auctioned me off to the highest bidder.”

Her mother took a step toward her, determination radiating in her eyes. “He was a fool. A fool who couldn’t see the things he had, only the things he didn’t.”

“Why was I never enough for him?” She allowed her pent-up anger to surface.

Her mother gazed at her with a strength she was sure she’d never possess. “What he did can never be forgiven by mere mortals. It’s natural to hold onto hate. But you’ll discover that the greatest revenge you can ever hope to have is to be happy. There are two roads you can take. You can either go down the road that keeps you crippled and let him destroy every happy day for the rest of your life, never to escape him… or you can free yourself from the poison and decide to be happy—genuinelyhappy—and give yourself the life you deserve.”

Rose paused, allowing the words to sink in. Clinging to her hatred was only crippling her. Not her father—her. It was a poison she kept choosing to drink. And only she had the power to set down the glass.

She offered her mother a tender smile, forever grateful for the strength she instilled in her each day. “Thank you,” she murmured, allowing a tear to escape.

Her mother gasped. “Rose, your makeup!” She rushed to catch the tear with a handkerchief.

And just like that, the moment was gone.

“There.” Her mother carefully extracted her hand. “No harm done.” Stepping back, her mother scanned her one last time. “You’re ready. Now let’s go show you off—Blast, where did that fan go?” She searched around, retracing her steps.

Rose gathered her skirt to take a look with her until a distant noise came from the balcony door. She strained her ears. Itsounded like… carriages—a great deal of carriages. Intrigued, she forgot about her mother’s missing fan and went to the balcony, ignoring the crisp evening chill threatening to seep through her dress.

She peered through the faint glow of the twin moons as their light filtered down to the grounds. It didn’t take long to find the source of the commotion.

A multitude of men swarmed the long road to the castle. Some walked, while others rode on horseback. Their red and gold uniforms gave them away immediately—the soldiers.

A wave of warmth washed over her at the sight of so many returning home. Although she knew she shouldn’t linger, her feet were rooted to where she stood. She watched as they approached the castle doors, eager to enter. They all appeared to be in high spirits, undoubtedly pleased to have a good meal and a warm bed to sleep in tonight.

One soldier in particular stood out to her above the rest. He wore a different uniform than the others, and though it was hard to see through the darkness, she gathered he was a broad man, with dark, wavy hair that reached just below his ears. He spoke with two castle guards while pointing and directing them. He didn’t seem as eager to enter the castle as his fellow comrades.

Her eyes shifted away from him, searching the crowd for any trace of Roman, but it was futile. The night’s darkness obscured any recognizable faces. She returned her gaze to the soldier, who, this time, met her stare.

She inhaled sharply as her limbs stiffened, unnerved by the unexpected connection.

In that instant, something dormant inside her stirred as if a long-lost part of herself had been jolted awake. The unfamiliar feeling swelled within her, struggling to seize control of her limbs. She pinned her arms to her side, trying to take steady breaths.

The soldier gradually removed his hat, maintaining eye contact as he let the faint moonlight shine on half of his face. Although his hair resembled Roman’s, he was far too muscular to be him. Roman was merely a boy; this was clearly a man. They stayed trapped in each other’s eyes until another soldier drew his attention away.

Set free from the daze, Rose regained control of her limbs and quickly backed away from the balcony.

She returned to the room’s warmth, swiftly closing and locking the door behind her. Her heart raced as she pressed her back against it.

“Rose?” her mother said, reminding her that she was still waiting. “What were you doing out there?”

“Nothing,” she replied at once.

Her mother shot her a strange look but dismissed it. “Well, come on then, or we’ll be late!”

She followed her mother, hesitating at the door. She glanced at the balcony one last time, shaking off the lingering strange feeling, before shutting it behind her.

CHAPTER 5

Rose surveyed the crowd from the balcony above the ballroom, taking in the colorful array of gowns and tunics below. The turnout was far better than she had expected. Men and women from every corner of Cathan had come to celebrate, with some traveling from as far as the eastern cities. A few familiar faces belonged to the king’s relatives, but most attendees were soldiers, proudly wearing their red uniforms embroidered with gold accents and the sun emblem.