“I am pained to hear it,” Alain replied.
“So… Does that mean the engagement is off?” Becka asked, attempting to keep her voice level.
Both Hanna and Alain looked at her, their confounded expressions like someone who’d tasted salt when they’d expected sugar.
“Why would you think that?” Hanna asked. “House Hawthorne understands you’ve been through a trial. Yes, you need all the support we can give, but it’s not as if you’re a lost cause. The circumstances aren’t even your fault, you poor thing.”
“Support?” Becka asked, fearing the answer.
Alain cleared his throat, and having appeared to collect his emotions, his countenance was once again placid as a meditation pool.
“House Hawthorne is dedicated to upholding the contract with House Rowan. After Tesse’s passing, my father spoke with the seers at House Reed concerning the change in heirs stated in the original engagement contract. Their foresight deemed our collaboration as the most fortuitous pairing of our generation. Hawthorne is thus committed to carry on.”
“Really?” Becka exclaimed, interrupting his train of thought. Why couldn’t she catch a break? “Collaboration is an odd wording, isn’t it?”
He shrugged. “House Reed is often peculiar in their phrasing. We both have excellent pedigrees and, although I am not as potently gifted as you, I am considered one of the premier fire elementalists of my house.”
“Of course you are.” She wasn’t surprised Alain was so focused on how advantageous the engagement contract was for his house, but she couldn’t suppress her woe. When, if ever, would he see her as a person?
“Indeed, I am,” he replied, oblivious to her sarcasm.
“The good news is, I’m here for you, Becka,” Hanna said, leaning towards her, eyes full of hope.
Becka shot Hanna a side-eye. “Thanks?”
“Don’t mention it,” Hanna replied.
“Okay…”
“No really, I’m drenched in your emotions right now. It might be easier for me if you could try to temper things?” Hanna’s suggestion hung in the air for a few moments, her raised eyebrows and expectant smile frozen in anticipation.
Becka shrugged and shook her head. “You know, some people find my blunt honesty endearing.”
Hanna’s expression fell, her lips pursed in a slight frown. “As you say.” She turned to Alain. “I need you to give Becka some space.”
Thank the gods!
Would she get a reprieve from Alain? Perhaps Hanna wasn’t as bad as Becka had feared.
“I have been giving her a wide berth, Hanna,” he replied, his back ramrod straight.
“And now you will give her even more space. For the time being, you will only interact with Becka at times I deem fit. Preferably also when I am present.”
Alain clenched and unclenched his jaw. This wasn’t the outcome he’d been hoping for. “As you say, cousin.”
Becka placed her glass on the table and rose to leave. “Alain, Hanna, as fun as this conversation has been, I’m afraid I need to call it a night.”
They both rose.
“It was wonderful to see you again, Becka. I look forward to working with you.” Hanna inclined her head in respect.
“Working with you?” Becka replied. “What do you mean?”
“Why, I will help you to identify your blocks to joy and find ways to move past them.”
Becka half-expected Hanna to give her a brochure with that phrase embossed on the cover. She was frankly too worn out to argue further.
“Fantastic. I can’t wait,” Becka replied, hearing the sarcasm in her tone she couldn’t quite seem to keep out. “Good evening.”
“Fair evening, Becka. Until we speak again,” Alain said.
Becka gave them a quick nod and then fled the room, Saige and Luce close on her heels. She feared what Hanna mean by “support.” Yet Becka was grateful for the reprieve from more tedious time with Alain and the further delay of their engagement. She hoped working with Hanna wouldn’t be as tiresome as she feared.
When they arrived at Becka’s quarters and were safely behind closed doors, Saige and Luce walked through the room, searching for anything out of place.
A piece of paper lay on her bed, which Luce picked up, read, and then held out to her. “It’s your itinerary for tomorrow, from the duchess.”
“What’s it say?” she asked, knowing Luce had already scanned it.
“It lists a council meeting for you to attend in the morning, an afternoon tea party with Hanna and other ladies of the court, and then a pre-dinner meeting with your aunt, Elder Alaetha.”
Becka didn’t look forward to the meeting with Alaetha, fearing how Vott’s sister would view the niece who’d accidentally poisoned her own father.
“It’s the new schedule she promised,” Becka replied. “I almost wish the poison had worked.”
Luce waved it in the air towards her, a wisp of a smile on her lips.
“Can you leave it on the sofa table?” Becka replied. “I’m crashing. Please inform whoever swaps out with you to let me sleep in.” Not even bothering to change her clothes, Becka flopped down onto her bed, exhausted.
She heard the guards whispering, but it soon faded into blackness as sleep claimed her.
Chapter 9
The night’s restless sleep left Becka feeling slow and groggy. Her guards had swapped out overnight, and although Shamus and Lorelai had come in to check on her when her breakfast had arrived, they’d politely stepped out when she’d asked.
Becka tried to sleep in, but there was too much on her mind fighting for attention for her to fall back asleep. The room echoed memories back to her. Before Becka had returned to House Rowan, this had been her sister Tesse’s room. But before that, it had been her room. Even before that, it had belonged to an aunt who’d long since married and moved to another territory. Becka wasn’t sure of the provenance of the space before that.
When she’d first inherited the room, Becka had updated the bedding, added a few pictures, and had picked out the forest green couch everyone liked to sit on. After it went to Tesse, her sister had added the divan and the roses lining the wall of windows and changed out a couple of
