Aside from Lina’s raspy wheezing, the room had gone silent.
Nobody moved a muscle.
The tension between Rouche and Callis became unbearable.
At last Rouche broke the silence.
“It has been many years since the last Sterne wedding was held here.
The sanctity of the marriage vows ought not to be disrespected.
I shall entrust the Saint to the priestesses and to you, Marquis Hanneton.
I expect no more disturbances.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” answered a murmur of voices.
Callis and I stared at each other, searching for clues as to how the other was feeling.
What a mess this had turned into.
As Rouche turned to leave, he extended his arm in my direction.
“Lady Seria, come with me.
The Saint needs rest.”
“Ser—” Callis finally seemed ready to speak when Lina let out a low moan.
Instead of finishing my name, he turned to her.
He had chosen.
A mix of emotions welled up within me.
I tore my gaze away from Callis and turned back to Rouche, placing my hand on his extended arm.
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
Without a backward glance, I left.
When we got to my room, I gave Rouche a respectful nod goodbye before closing the door and collapsing onto the bed.
I buried my face into the pillow and did my best to hold back the tears.
Part 2.
A Temporary Marriage
The next day I ran into Sir Elliot.
“Lady Seria, you look as though you’ve hardly slept at all.” Judging from his sympathetic expression, I guessed that the rumors had already spread throughout the castle.
“Where might you be headed?
I can go in your stead.”
“That will not be necessary.
I was just on my way to fetch some silver laurel.”
He looked at me for a moment, then nodded understandingly.
“Then I shall go ahead and prepare our horses.”
I thanked him, my guardian angel, and continued on to the Green Garden Vault.
It was a vast, musty storeroom where all of the rare and expensive implements necessary for inspecting the glacier were kept.
The vault was guarded round the clock by several servants.
As I reached for a silver laurel branch, I heard light footsteps behind me.
“Lady Seria Sterne.”
I turned around, surprised.
“Your Grace, you startled me.”
He stared at me with those intense red eyes.
“Will you be able to carry out a glacier inspection after what happened yesterday?”
I was dumbfounded.
Was that really Rouche’s only concern?
“Would it not be better to remain in your chambers resting rather than running off to the glacier?”
“You need not worry about my ability to perform the inspection,” I said.
“I shall be as thorough as always, I promise you.”
Just as he was about to say something more, yet another voice rang out from behind.
“Seria!
Are you in here?”
Of course.
It was Callis.
Just what I needed.
To be honest, I didn’t particularly want to see either Callis or Rouche at the moment.
Or anyone.
I wanted to be alone, but not stuffed away, hiding in my room.
The cold, fresh air was good for me.
Being useful and fulfilling my duties was good for me.
And yet, there we all were.
The three of us.
“Marquis Callis Hanneton.” Rouche’s sarcasm dripped from his words.
“Imagine, for a moment, what it must be like to feel invisible in your own castle.”
“I apologize,” Callis answered in haste, “but I have been looking all over for my fiancée.
I certainly never expected to find her here with Your Grace.
This place is usually deserted.”
“Yes, indeed.
And who gave you permission to enter?
I do not recall granting you access to the vault.”
“Again, forgive me, Your Grace.
I lost sight of my senses, and I appear to have committed an indiscretion…” Callis suddenly looked tense.
“As soon as I return, I shall immediately pay the customary fine.
If you have a different amount in mind, please name your price, and I will gladly pay it.”
“Gladly, you say?
Your audacity is astounding.”
“I am not audacious.”
Rouche stared at Callis with an icy gaze.
“Unfortunately, the punishment is not for you to decide.
We follow well-established traditions around here.”
“Traditions?”
“Yes.
And for this particular indiscretion, the traditional penalty is a severed hand.
Left or right, you may choose.”
Callis glared at Rouche.
Rouche glared back.
And there I was, stuck right in between them.
I could hardly believe what was happening.
Callis broke first.
“Is it your wish to start a war between our two houses?”
“It seems to me that the one who has visited my lands seemingly intent on causing trouble is the one begging for a war,” Rouche retorted.
What exactly were these two trying to prove?
A petty war in the middle of winter would achieve nothing other than scores of pointless deaths on both sides.
“Your Grace,” I pleaded.
“Although my fiancé has acted inappropriately, starting a war over such a matter would only be a punishment on the knights.
They have it hard enough with their glacier duties.
I implore you to extend the same generosity you have shown to me as a Sterne and let this pass.”
I could have sworn I detected a hint of a smile as Rouche scrutinized me.
I continued.
“Marquis Hanneton will vow never to commit such a blatant breach again.
He will apologize, isn’t that right?” I said, turning to Callis.
Callis was still glaring at Rouche, his lips forming a tight, unmoving line.
“Right, Callis?” I insisted.
Finally, he bowed his head.
“I have been extremely discourteous, Your Grace.”
“Your fiancée, on the other hand,” Rouche replied while still watching me, “displays the courtesy of a true noble.
She is truly extraordinary.”
Rouche abruptly turned and left, leaving Callis and I alone in the vault.
“Seria…” Callis grabbed my wrist.
“I have no words for you.”
Like a moth constantly flitting before my eyes, the image would not leave me—Callis clasping Lina’s hand and looking at her with that pitiful, distraught look in his eyes.
My heart ached, my eyes stung, and my throat felt swollen.
“If we call off the engagement by midnight, we won’t have to hold the damned wedding at all,” I said.
“Call off a Sterne wedding?” he snorted, incredulous.
“Seria!
How can you say such a thing?”
“Why not?
It seems to me like the only thing to do.”
“No, you cannot mean that.
Your anger has gotten ahead of you.”
“Has it?”
“Please, Seria, allow yourself to calm down.
This is simply because I took care of the Lady Saint in her convalescence, is it not?”
“Indeed, you “simply” rushed to the bedside of another woman.”
“She had had a terrible shock.
That, and she is no ordinary person.
She was sent by the gods from a completely different world, and she has no one to rely on but me.
Can you not understand that?”
“Oh, I do.
I understand better than you could ever know.”
“You understand?
And yet, in your anger, you dared to walk out on the arm of another man?
Without even a glance back at me?”
“That was because of how you were acting with the Lady Saint.”
“I am Lina’s guardian!
She was sick!
How can you equate the two?”
“Let go of my hand,” I demanded.
I tried to twist my hand free from his grip, but it was futile.
Damn him!
I clenched my free hand into a fist.
Before I knew what had come over me, I banged it hard against the nearest wooden shelf and wailed out in pain.
“Seria!”