The Crown (The Selection #5) - Kiera Cass Page 0,64

he was here. But after about fifteen minutes of him lingering along the case, it was pretty obvious what he was looking for.”

“And did he seem drawn to anything in particular?”

“He had me pull out at least a dozen different rings, and when nothing was quite what he was looking for, I told him we could design a piece for him if he liked, and he lit up. I’m hoping he comes back soon.”

“So would you choose Marid over, say, Sir Hale or Sir Kile?”

“Oh, goodness! I really can’t say. All I know is, Queen Eadlyn is a very lucky woman to have so many eligible men fawning all over her.”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I turned off the TV and fell with a huff onto the couch.

“I should have known,” I said. “Silence seemed smart, but now he’s made this huge.”

Mr. Rasmus grunted. “We need a plan.”

“We have a plan,” I snapped. “Is there anything we really could have done besides marrying me off faster?”

General Leger stood with his back against a bookshelf, still staring at the blank screen. “We could kill him.”

I sighed. “I really don’t want that to be my go-to move.”

Sir Andrews was angry, too, but for all the wrong reasons. “You shouldn’t have provoked him.”

“I’ve done nothing,” I shot back.

“You were actively ignoring him.”

“Calm down, Andrews.” Lady Brice paced behind the couch, enraged. As I watched her, I caught Josie standing in a corner. She must have missed her opportunity to escape and was now trapped, looking afraid of the loud voices and anger that surrounded her. “We have to shut him up, once and for all.”

“The only way to do that is to get Eadlyn engaged,” Sir Andrews stated.

“Yes, we’re aware,” Lady Brice agreed in a tired tone. “But she shouldn’t be rushed into this. How can she have anything close to a successful marriage if she forces it?”

“It’s her duty to make it successful!”

“Duty? She’s a person,” Lady Brice argued. “She’s agreed to do this, and there’s no reason—”

“She has never been just a person!” Andrews reminded her. “From the second she was born, she’s been a commodity, and we need to—”

General Leger was moving toward Andrews. “Say that again. I’m not afraid to make death my go-to move.”

“Are you threatening me, you little—”

“Stop,” I breathed. And it was amazing. With the quietest of commands, the entire room came to a standstill.

I’d known it was coming for me. And I really had come to terms with it. Marid had shown how much influence he truly had, and I had to fight him off. I couldn’t help worrying that even marriage wouldn’t keep the people on my side, but it was all I had left. “Lady Brice, if you would, please, bring Fox to the office. It’s time we said our good-byes.”

“Are you sure, Your Majesty? Once you narrow it down to three—”

“I’m not narrowing it down to three.” I swallowed. “Please send Hale soon after. I’ll be making my final choice this evening, and we will do a live broadcast tomorrow night instead of a Report. No doubt, after this week, everyone will be watching.”

“Absolutely, Your Majesty.”

“There, Sir Andrews. You have your progress. My official engagement announcement will come from the palace tomorrow afternoon.”

“Are you sure we ought to wait that long? If Marid—”

“If Marid pulls another stupid stunt, it will be shot down in less than twenty-four hours. That is good enough for me, sir, so it is certainly good enough for you.”

I stood. It was done.

I was certain something would give me away, convinced that everyone in the room would see that a part of me had lost oxygen and was suffocating then and there. In my head, I watched Eikko pack his suitcase and disappear from my life forever. It was a new kind of pain, pressed into this doomed heart of mine.

EVERYONE LEFT IN A HUFF for lunch, and I stayed in the parlor, craving solitude. In truth, I craved Eikko, but there was no way I could get to him without raising suspicion. Gritting my teeth, I turned the TV back on. I muted it, watching the images of Marid play across the screen.

Maybe the people were right. Maybe I should step down now. If we trained Kaden for the crown, that might save everything. It would be humiliating for me to abdicate after less than a week, but it might at least keep the rest of my family from being shamed.

“Your Majesty?” Josie snuck up on me.