Why now? What was the rush to visit? If he took a liking to me, Morwenna would be all over me and the marriage date would shift earlier. Still, it was manageable. I knew Aurelian would solve everything once he read my letter.
Tamsin and the other servants were helping me get ready, dressing me and applying makeup while I held myself together, keeping my head straight. That was when Cassia appeared, stopping in the doorway.
"What are you doing here?"
I asked, a bit surprised. I could clearly see the anger on her face — no smile, just a cold stare. Her hair wasn't properly styled, merely combed. She had come in a hurry.
"I came as fast as I could when I heard about your marriage," she added. "But I came at an unusual time. I don't really care though."
Cassia… was somehow keeping her wrath in check. I could feel her honesty. I was still getting ready and the servants were nearby, so I couldn't talk openly. But that was alright. She had come in case I was at my breaking point. Her timing was perfect, and she could help me get away with Aurelian.
"They are here!"
A few moments later, one of the servant girls came running to inform us of the lad's arrival. They quickened their hands, giving the final touches to my makeup. I was wearing a green and white gown. It really suited me — I looked pretty — but for the first time, I felt no joy in it.
And now it was time to meet the lad Morwenna was pairing me with. I stepped out of my room and walked toward the stairs leading to the main hall, with Tamsin and Cassia following close behind.
"You don't have to worry. This is just a meeting. Not everything is official yet. Your grandma only wants you to think that it is."
Cassia said while walking beside me. I nodded slowly. "I know. I'm really glad you came."
"I had to. You're my best friend."
She grabbed my hand and smiled. Honestly, that simple act faded my worries for a second. Tamsin wasn't good at comforting with words, but she would gladly offer a shoulder to cry on and comfort you in her own quiet way. She was in a panic right now, but it was alright.
"You remember when my parents were forcing a marriage on me," Cassia added. "You helped a lot. So it's only natural I do the same."
But her family had simply been caught up in the moment and manipulated by relatives. My family itself was trash, being fed by the puppet master herself. This was going to be a difficult task.
I walked down the stairs and saw him. He was sitting on the sofa with Morwenna seated in front of him. I could only see his back. I wasn't even curious about what he looked like. They were sipping tea and discussing something.
My duty was to greet him first, then sit beside them and stay quiet until I was asked something. Like a pretty doll waiting to be bought. Acting all royal was really hard. I wished I could just punch him and get away from here.
But I did what I was supposed to do. I greeted him, and his eyes shifted to me. However, I wasn't ready to look at him. Cassia introduced herself as well, and we sat on the sofa beside them. Cassia was holding my hand tightly.
"As you know," Morwenna said, "she is my granddaughter, Lucia. She didn't properly introduce herself. She is a child sometimes. I apologise—"
"No, I think she did fine. The only thing that bothered me is that she didn't look at me. Perhaps she's shy."
Shy? His voice was deeper than I had imagined. He might be older than me, but his confidence was overwhelming. And the look Morwenna made when he cut her off — I didn't see it, but the feeling was so funny. Me, shy? Who was this man?
I shifted my eyes and took in his appearance. His face was clean-shaven, his jawline sharp and straight. He surprisingly looked better than I had imagined, but his whole look came down because his hair was pulled back tightly. It looked hotter on some men, but it didn't suit him. Plus, his clothes looked like they had been picked out by his mother.
Oh no. Was he a mama's boy like my father? God, please kill Morwenna. She thought I was dumb and that was why she was pairing me with this dummy. The confidence in his eyes was not good, and he wasn't even tall — only about ten centimetres taller than me. Aurelian was a Greek god compared to him. Why had I been scared of this guy?
"So you finally decided to lay eyes on me."
His voice shifted midway. It became something that held grudges. The confidence in his eyes switched to wrath for a millisecond before returning to normal.
My throat grew heavy. He could act. He was royal, after all — second tier at that. He could be dangerous. No, he is dangerous. Don't let looks deceive you.
"Oh, how rude of me. I'm Magnus Ravenscroft. Age twenty-two," he added. "I'm a bit older than you, but it will not cause any issues. I will treat you the same as a lady should be treated."
He made the words sound as sweet as if they were dipped in honey, but all of it was hiding something. I don't know — maybe I was overthinking. I wasn't even thinking about the age gap. He was only three years older than me. I didn't know what to make of it. If Cassia hadn't been here, what would I have done?
"So, what do you think of my granddaughter? Should I confirm things between us?" Morwenna asked, sweetening her tone.
"Yes, but I need to have a talk with her. Somewhere private."
And again, nobody asked the woman what she wanted. Were they doing her a favour by talking privately before marriage? They probably thought they were. Then again, what did he want to talk about?
"Why do you want to talk with her? I mean, you approve, so what is there to do?"
Morwenna said casually. She was probably freaking out inside. Like me — alone with him? She knew I had the potential to make him say no to the marriage. She knew I couldn't shut up when it was just one person. On top of that, I had Cassia by my side. Trust me, she would break him if he did something to piss her off.
"I still need to chat with her."
Magnus said, putting pressure behind his words, pushing her to approve. Morwenna looked at me for a second, rethinking.
"Alright."
With that, Cassia, Magnus, and I went to the pantry. It was a little more open than an actual room and close by.
"I said I want to chat privately. So you can leave."
Magnus said with a smile. Cassia seemed to be holding back too much. Still, she didn't do anything. She came closer to my ear and whispered.
"I don't think he's a good man. He is not for you. Remember that."
Cassia pulled back, looking at Magnus.
"I will be watching from the doorway. That's the only privacy you are getting."
Cassia said it straight to his face. Magnus kept the smile, but I noticed the little shift. She walked away and leaned against the door, staring at him. If he made one wrong move, he was done for sure.
Magnus gave Cassia a blank look, clearly annoyed by her. Then he turned to me, forcing a smile onto his face.
"So tell me about yourself. I did hear a lot from your grandmother, but I want to listen to what you have to say."
He spoke casually. If Morwenna had given him the details, they were definitely over the top. I doubted any of it was good. I kept my expression neutral and asked, "What did she tell you?"
"Well, she told me how annoying you can be, not following the adults and playing by your own rules…"
Magnus started gesturing with his hands, the overconfidence dripping from every word. The way he talked made me sick. He went on and on about me, and most of it came from Morwenna's point of view.
"And she also told me that you are not interested in me and want the marriage to end."
Magnus's gesturing stopped suddenly, and his tone shifted at the end. "Why?" He started, and that single word made me feel afraid for a minute.
"You should be happy. I'm a second-tier royal, after all. They say it's close to a miracle for a woman to get married off to someone from a higher tier. And you should be more than grateful because it's me — a man worthy of luxury."
Wow. This wasn't even overconfidence anymore. He thought so highly of himself it was pathetic. I could feel Cassia tensing up behind me.
I was right. Magnus was the type of person who followed every unofficial rule and warped fact this damned society had created. He was over the top, actually.
"Well… I'm not happy. And a lady decides if the man is manly enough to marry her or not. A man who forces a marriage on a woman is no man at all."
Magnus stepped forward suddenly, his eyes dipped in wrath, grinding his teeth. The sudden move made me lose focus and my mouth fell open. Was it this easy to provoke him? I mean, I had questioned his manliness, but still.
"Watch your distance!" Cassia warned Magnus, and surprisingly, he listened. He didn't lose his temper, though.
"A lady, huh? Are you one though?" He started. "A lady doesn't have a bratty mouth, you know."
Magnus was breaking every sentence into chunks and pointing at me as if he were giving orders. At this point, anything I say would provoke him even more.
"You say I'm no man. Alright, got it then. Prove to me that you are a lady then!!" he said, still pointing a finger at me.
Before I could reply, Magnus stepped closer — just a foot away from me — and looked straight at my face as he asked, "Are you a virgin?"