from.”
Wow. I’ve been engaged for maybe forty-eight hours, and I’m already looking at what colors should be on the invitations and what color the bridesmaid dresses should be. The food. Drinks. It’s a lot to take in.
I’m offered a cup of tea, which I gladly take. It gives me something to concentrate on.
“Tell us what your dream wedding would be like, Lila?” the queen asks as the other women nod enthusiastically.
“I haven’t thought about it.”
There’s an audible gasp throughout the room.
“You haven’t thought about colors or food… or even the dress?” the queen asks before looking around at her minions as if I have sprouted a second head.
“If I’m honest, I never thought I would have a choice.” I give a small shrug of my shoulders. “That whoever I was betrothed to would make all the choices.” The queen’s face softens in understanding. In this world, women are commodities for our families.
“My mother-in-law was like that,” the queen whispers. “And I vowed that I would never do that to my daughter-in-law-to-be.” She gives me a genuine smile. “We all know…” as she looks around the room, “… that not all of us are lucky to marry for love.” The women nod. “That doesn’t mean you can’t have the wedding you so eagerly desire.”
“The only thing I thought about was my sisters being my bridesmaids and my mother walking me down the aisle,” I explain.
“That’s a great start,” she praises me as a staff member behind her writes that information down on a regal-looking pad with their royal emblem embossed on the top.
We spend the rest of the day looking at color samples and materials. We sample food until I’m utterly exhausted by the end of the day. Eventually, the other ladies exit the room, leaving the queen and me alone together.
“Thank you for today.” She sips on her glass of champagne. We upgraded our drink of choice as the day progressed. “I enjoyed our time together,” she tells me as she reclines back against the chair, looking a little more relaxed.
“Thank you for including me.”
She nods her head in acknowledgment. “May I ask a personal question?” she starts.
“Of course.” I take a small sip of my champagne.
“Is my son gay?”
Umm, this was not the question I thought she’d be asking.
“Or does he truly like both men and women?” Her blue eyes widen with curiosity.
Okay, well, this is awkward.
How do I tell my future mother-in-law that her son likes eating pussy as much as he enjoys sucking dick? Also, how do I explain to her that I have slept with him and his bed friend?
Silence fills the room while I try and work out exactly how to explain our scenario.
“I don’t want to push my son into something he doesn’t want because of social conventions,” the queen adds.
I can see she’s grappling between being a mom and being a queen.
“Augustine loves Greyson with all his heart.” I tell her honestly.
She smiles. “Do you think if he were allowed to marry Greyson, he would have?”
“I’m not sure, but I believe they would.”
Her face falls. “Well, thank you for being honest with me. And thank you for…” she struggles to find the words she’s looking for, “… for putting your love life on hold for my son’s.” Emotion swims behind her blue eyes, and they shimmer under the light.
“I believe it will be hard not to fall in love with your son…” turning the champagne glass in my hand, this seems to perk her up a little bit, “… or Greyson,” I add. This makes her frown.
“I don’t want to pry any more than I already have,” she starts. “But could you explain more about that?”
Well, okay, this is the territory I didn’t want to delve into, but I guess we are going there.
“It is early days, and now that Greyson has been sent away, I am not sure how it will work, but—”
“Greyson has been sent away?”
This is news to her? I would have sworn she would have known about it.
“Yes. He said the king asked him to go to the Winter Palace till the wedding to give Augustine and me time to grow together without distractions.”
“Oh, that man,” the queen grumbles while shaking her head. “I’m going to tell you something, and no one knows…” She looks around the room to make sure we are alone before moving forward toward me. “The king, Joss, and I grew up together,” she explains. “My mother was the queen’s best friend, and Joss’s family