Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
The best way for me to give that to her? To get out of her life entirely, no matter how much it pains me.
CHAPTER
ONE HUNDRED TWO
MAEVE
"You're shitting me," I say to Daphne as she sews another bead onto the fancy dress. I can't believe what I'm hearing. "The evil praxiian prince is marrying a human?"
She looks up from the dress, a concerned expression on her face. "He's evil? How do you know?"
Oops. I wave a hand. "Not important. Tell me more about the wedding. I thought the powerful guys didn't marry humans? Other than Lord va'Rin? Isn't that why it was a big deal that he married Milly?"
I can't help but be hurt at this news. Didn't Zhur go on and on about how his people would hate it if he married a human? That it would be looked down upon? Is that true or am I just his dirty little secret? Is it me that's the problem and not that I'm human? Has he lied to me?
Oblivious to my tortured thoughts, Daphne shrugs and nods at the same time, as if she can't decide on her answer. "I know. It's weird, right? I think the vibe is that it's going to be a scandalous wedding and that Lord va'Rin and his wife are going to deliberately show that humans aren't the worst things ever."
Oh. Some of my hurt fades. All right, so it's not a “done” thing to marry humans no matter what. "When you said she was going to the wedding as an ambassador for humans, I didn't realize that the bride was human, too."
"She is. Isn't that wild? I wonder if we know her." She crooks a smile and glances over at me, still sewing. "They think all the humans know each other anyhow."
Well, here on Risda we kinda do, but this place is small. I watch her continue to work, and she starts to talk about some of the fabrics she's using for Lady va'Rin but I'm not really paying attention. My mind is focused on Zhur's brother. The evil, throne-stealing brother. If his position is so fragile, why is he risking things by marrying a human and making himself even more unpopular?
Something about this doesn't make sense at all. No matter how much I think about it, it's not adding up. Either Zhur is lying, or Daphne has the wrong information, or this is another ploy to flush Zhur out of hiding. Whatever it is, there's more here than what's on the surface.
"Here I am, rattling on about my work," Daphne says, finally noticing my silence. "Sorry about that. I've just been completely absorbed for the last while. What's new with you?"
A chance to talk about nothing at all? To relax and chat with a friend? Normally I'd be delighted, but today I'm distracted and I can't stop thinking about Zhur and the wedding. Zhur and his dastardly brother, Rem. This human woman, who probably has no idea that she's marrying a creature of pure evil.
"I would love to stay and talk, but I was coming by to ask about some tailoring. You're obviously busy so I'll come back next week." I manage a quick smile and head for the door. "Good luck finishing on time!"
And then I all but race back out to the street and Simone's stand, where I'm supposed to meet Zhur. He's not there yet, and I try not to seem too impatient when I talk to Simone, though I'm sure I glance down the street a million times looking for him.
"You two have it bad for each other," Simone says, leaning forward on the counter of her small stand during a quiet moment. "I'm glad this thing is working out for you two."
"What thing?"
"The whole 'buy myself a husband' thing," she says. "I didn't realize you were that lonely. Makes me feel like a bad friend to not notice something like that."
I feel guilty that she's blaming herself. "It wasn't you," I tell her, and I hate that I have to stick to the lies, but I can't sell Zhur out. So I keep up the story that we created, that it was all planned and I requested someone to send me an absolute stranger for a husband. "It was a spur-of-the moment decision. You know how I like my schemes."
"I think everyone on this planet knows about your schemes," she says with a chuckle. "Now if you were going to bake something as a gift for a friend, what would you make them?"
The way she slips that in so casually makes me smile. Is this Ruth-Ann again? "Like, a cake? For a birthday?"
She gets a squirrelly look on her face, picking up her tongs and arranging some cookies like it's the most important thing she's ever done. "See, cake makes me think birthday, too. I don't want it to give birthday vibes."