Page 108 of The Throne Seeker

“Oh, sweetheart, come on.” Her mother helped her stand. “Let’s get you changed and into bed.”

Rose let her mother help peel the wet dress from her body. Once she’d changed, her mother led her to the bed, where she crawled into the sheets without resistance. Her mother tucked her in and kissed her on the forehead, asking if she would like anything to eat or for her to stay the night, but all she wanted was to be alone. Her mother accepted her wishes and left, telling her she’d be back in the morning.

Rose thought perhaps Tristan might come to her room that night.

But luckily or unluckily, he did not.

CHAPTER 46

Rose’s mother kept to her promise and left her alone until morning. As soon as the sun rose, however, she came back in full force, ordering Thea to bring breakfast, insisting she be there to watch Rose eat.

Her mother waited until she took a bite before she spoke. “I was up all night last night—” just as Rose had assumed she would be, “—and I think that if we are going to find you another suitor, we need to do it quickly. I think we should find a resolution and leave—before the situation can escalate. Do you suppose Grant would still take you?”

Rose could barely stomach the thought of agreeing to marry someone else within twenty-four hours of ending things with Tristan, but time was not on their side. Her mother was right. The sooner they could leave, the better.

For everyone’s sake.

“I believe he would,” she said quietly.

“Would you consider him?” her mother asked. “I know he can be a little bit of apeacock, but I don’t think he’d treat you unkindly. You get along well enough, don’t you?”

Rose would normally have laughed at the peacock comment if the situation had not been so serious. “He certainly does thinkvery highly of himself, and he is arrogant in every way, but he’s never portrayed anything different. Which, oddly, I appreciate,” she admitted, playing out the scenario in her mind. “I think he’d let me be free to be who I am. But I don’t know if he—or rather his family—will accept me, especially once they learn about our situation.”

“He has plenty of money for the both of you. As long as they don’t find out, I believe his parents will accept you.” Her mother stood. Thinking. Pacing. Plotting.

“I can’t keep it from him. He knows me too well, and he’ll find out eventually. I can’t imagine he’d treat me or you very well after that. Married or not. He’s proven he can keep a secret. He wouldn’t tell a soul.”

Her mother gave a loud sigh, thinking. “Fine. What if you told Grant but no one else? Do you think he’d accept you?”

She thought about it for a moment. “He might… I guess there is only one way to find out.”

“Then that settles it,” her mother confirmed with a firm nod. “You’ll speak with him, and I’ll arrange to have tea with his parents to see how they’d feel about the union. In the meantime, I’ll continue finding other options if things go awry. There were others at the ball that would be happy to accept you.” Her mother’s brows furrowed at the expression on Rose’s face. “What’s the matter?”

“I’m just… surprised you aren’t angry with me. I was afraid you’d be disappointed in my decision.”

Her mother’s eyes softened. “I understand what it’s like to be in the wrong marriage. I never wanted that for you. I’ve only ever wished for your happiness. It pains me to think I’ve not done a better job of making that clear.”

Silence fell over them.

“Do you think he’ll do it? Sign the treaty?” Rose asked, more to herself than to her mother.

Her mother tapped her nails on the wooden vanity. “I don’t know. For Vallor’s sake, I pray he does. I don’t know if we all could bear sending our men to another war so soon.”

Rose nodded, looking down at her hands.

“Now, no more sulking,” her mother instructed, standing up to gather her dress. “We have work to do. There will be plenty of time for that after you’re married.”

Rose went to look for Grant in the grand hall. Compared to the past few weeks, it was somewhat empty for breakfast. She could only assume many visitors had already left for home since the end of the succession.

He wasn’t hard to find, sitting at the far left table, eating alone, his father and mother nowhere to be seen. That fact made her wonder if her mother was already making good on her plot to speak with them.

Rose approached the table with clasped hands, her long, midnight-blue dress flowing elegantly behind her.

Grant gazed upward, discovering her making her way to him. He stood up to greet her, his eyes flashing with surprise. “Rose. I didn’t see you come in… You look nervous.” A slight smirk grew on his lips.

Her cheeks burned—she didn’t know how to do this. She wasn’t smooth like him. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t… Would you care to take a walk with me?”

Grant raised an eyebrow in surprise but nodded. “Of course. After you.”