Or I could ignore the will and still move to find out who my mother truly was, knowing that Isauros was going to be on my tail the entire time.
Or I could do nothing, plod through the years that would pass by quickly and come out of this with some sort of fancy degree to decide what the rest of my life looked like.
Well, if Isauros let me live that long. I wasn’t going to put anything past her right now. I was the thorn in her side. I had to be careful about how far I pushed her, for one push might be too much.
Chapter 18
Anna
I plodded through my next weeks’ worth of classes, surprised when neither Arthur nor Royce contacted me. It was a surreal feeling, especially since they had all but invaded my life for months on end. Even Johanna commented on how weird it was not to have one of the kings around us, and I found myself breathing a bit easier in that regard. My mind (and my heart) was all screwed up with the range of emotions that came with being near Arthur and Royce.
After my last class, I dressed warmly and walked outside for some fresh air, taking the snow lined path to the lake.
The best part about snow and cold weather?
Not too many people liked to be outside during this time, so I was pretty much by myself. Out here I didn’t have to worry about anything really, only that I kept my hands inside my parka and didn’t walk straight into the lake.
“Ah, so I’m not the only crazy one out here.”
I turned to see Max coming up behind me, wearing just a light coat compared to my parka. “Are you not cold?” I asked, my breath visible in the air.
He shrugged. “Not really. That is what you get when you live in a cold country already. Do you know that it’s wildly popular to go polar-bear-dipping naked?”
I laughed. “You can cross me off that list. There’s no way I am jumping into that lake fully clothed, much less naked.”
He quirked a grin. “Well then, shall we walk toward it? I promise not to throw you in.”
I shrugged and he fell in step beside me, matching me stride for stride. “You know I train in this sort of weather.”
“You’re crazy,” I answered, trying to picture him rowing across a frozen lake.
“Maybe,” he stated. “But it’s a good way to build up endurance for any sort of weather. My team travels all over the world to compete and no one fucking cares if it’s snowing.”
“That’s crazy,” I repeated, shoving my hands in my pockets a little deeper. “I mean, that’s some dedication.”
“Are you out here for a reason, Anna? Or are you trying to hide from someone?”
I blew out a breath. “Maybe hiding from someone.” Two someones, to be exact.
“Ah, I take it you’ve had some conversations with my friends then,” Max laughed as we took the curved path toward the lake, our boots crunching over the hard-packed snow. “Did you find out what you wanted to know?”
“Not really,” I answered honestly. “But if you could shed some light, I would be forever grateful.”
“You might think I’m telling you all their secrets to put me at the top of your list.”
I stopped to look at Max, tilting my head. “Are you?”
“Maybe,” he said honestly, a hint of a grin on his handsome face. “But at the end of the day, it’s still your choice, Anna. No matter how many times we try to coerce you to one side or another, there’s nothing that can force you into marrying any of us. You remember that and you will be just fine.”
“Why are you being so honest with me?” I asked quietly, surprised that he was being this forthcoming. The other kings had not.
“To shake things up, maybe?” he offered up. “I like shaking things up for shits and giggles.”
I believed him. “Well, I think that Royce is interested in my birthright so that he can vault his family to the queen herself.”
Max nodded slowly. “I would agree with that. The English royalty is getting up in years and with your backing, he could easily take the place of his cousins. Hell, he could probably buy his way into the crown then.”
That was my exact thought. I hated thinking that Royce was gunning for the crown like that, but it was reality in this world.
“And Arthur?”
“Arthur is too easy,” I said with a sigh. “He just wants some sort of elevation for his family and by marrying me, he has it.”
“Very good,” Max said. “Arthur’s family has long since lost its claim to any royalty. I’m surprised that they even let him into this academy, to be honest. Royce, I could see his family sweet talking their way in, but Arthur really doesn’t have a leg to stand on.”
Which was why Arthur was pushing me so much, both with the lessons and with his anger toward me not wanting to be exclusive with him. “He has the most to lose.”
“Yes,” Max said. “He does. Arthur is about to be just another face in the crowd when we graduate.”
I shook my head. “I really, really hate that I am the one in the middle of all this.”
Max chuckled. “Welcome to our world, princess. You are always in the middle of some shit you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel for. It’s a bitch, I’m not going to lie.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, looking out over the lake. It was partially frozen, the late afternoon sun glistening off the surface. Would anyone really care if I walked into the lake and didn’t stop? I mean, I didn’t want to kill myself,
