drops his arms and lets his lips drift into a smile, nodding at me. “Theo, this is good news. The people love you, and the law doesn’t say anything about a spouse. You don’t have to marry Cara. You can become King without her.”
My smile fades as bitterness coats my throat.
That’s supposed to be good news? It doesn’t feel good at all.
The past three weeks have been the happiest weeks I’ve had in a long time. I’ve let myself imagine what it would be like to have Cara by my side. I’ve lived in a fantasy-land where everything turns out okay.
But the truth?
The truth is, she doesn’t want me. She was only playing along to help me out. If she wanted to stay with me, she wouldn’t have left yesterday. She’d have stayed by my side.
“You okay, Theo?” Dante pulls me from my thoughts.
The words are on the tip of my tongue. I want to tell him about these feelings swelling inside me. The fantasy of being with Cara, of living happily ever after.
But I don’t know what Cara wants. I don’t know if she feels the same way.
I know she enjoyed herself these three weeks. I know she feels happy when she’s with me, and that her smile widened and her face brightened over the course of our trip. I know she enjoyed singing with Prudence, and she started thinking of Argyle as a home, and not as a prison.
Is it enough, though?
She’d be giving up her dreams to be with me. She won’t have freedom if she becomes Queen. She’ll be chained to the duty of being a ruler.
I’m ready for that. I’ve been preparing my entire life for it. But asking someone else to give up their dreams for the sake of duty… It might be too much.
“Theo?” Dante arches his eyebrows, staring at me.
I shake my head, exhaling. “I’m fine. Just a lot to think about.”
“You like her, don’t you?”
“Who?”
“Don’t ‘who’ me, Theo. You know who. Cara Shoal. The woman you just spent every waking moment with for the past three and a half weeks.”
“Oh. Cara.”
“Yes, Cara. The social media analysis didn’t just talk about you, you know. Her name was trending in Argyle this week. You two caused quite a splash.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“Well, looks like your fake relationship was a little too convincing. There are dozens of blogs and videos dissecting every public interaction you’ve had with her. People are starting rumors that she’ll be the future Queen.”
My eyes widen. “They are?”
“You need to deal with this, Theo. You can’t keep pretending. Father needs to step down, and you need to take the throne whether it’s with Cara or without.”
“Did your data analysis tell you to say that to me?”
“More or less,” Dante grins.
Another seagull squawks above us and comes to land next to the first one. I stare at the two birds and let out a deep sigh.
“What do you guys think?” I ask, then pause for a few seconds. Turning to Dante, I pinch my lips. “They don’t know what to do either.”
Dante snorts, shaking his head. “Have you told her?”
“Who?”
“Fuck, Theo. Stop playing dumb. You know who. Cara! Have you told her how you feel about her? Have you expressed the feelings that are currently causing you to talk to birds? Have you explained to her that you don’t want this to end between you two?”
My heart squeezes painfully. Of course I haven’t told her. Last time I saw her, I was telling her good luck and goodbye, and watching her drive away.
How am I supposed to turn around and tell her I love her?
I shake my head. “I haven’t told her anything.”
“You should.”
“Are you the future King, or am I?” I snap. “When did you become so wise? Did you create a data analysis program for giving advice, too?”
Dante chuckles and puts his hand on my shoulder again. He shakes his head. “I’m not wise, Theo. You’re just being unbelievably stupid.”
20
Cara
I’ve been staring at my acceptance letter for hours. I barely slept last night. What sleep I did get was punctuated by nightmares.
I stare at the letter. The rest of the envelope contains information about the school and a few pamphlets about the voice program.
As the hours tick by, my decision doesn’t become any clearer.
A soft knock on the door makes me lift my head from the paperwork strewn around me.
“Come in!”
Cathy, my eldest sister, walks in. She lifts a cup of coffee and a muffin. “Breakfast.”