“Do tell the story,” says Shadow.
Cal taps a finger against his cup. “It was almost as if she just appeared in my room one day, out of the blue.”
“Oh! Who is she?” cries the duchess.
“A lady I met in Renovia,” he answers, as Shadow’s cheeks burn. “In a castle.”
“Renovian,” says the duchess with distaste. “What is she like?”
“Shadow is about to answer when Cal cuts her off. He looks right at her when he speaks. “She’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met. Brave, courageous, loyal. In all the kingdoms of Avantine I have never met her equal.”
“And how did you propose, brother? Seeing that you had sworn off marriage and children to look after Mother’s estate,” says Shadow softly.
“Ah, but she too had vowed not to marry,” Cal answers. “So we promised to be unmarried to each other, but together forever.”
“What an atypical arrangement,” says Shadow, not quite meeting his eye.
The duchess was fully agitated by now. “Sworn off marriage and children? How strange! What kind of engagement is this?” She takes an aggressive bite of toast.
“A promise between two souls,” he says, but he only has eyes for Shadow.
“A promise can be broken,” Shadow replies.
“Not mine,” he says, so quietly that he’s not sure she can hear him.
“Nor mine,” she says, which means that she did.
They catch each other’s eye, and Cal wants nothing more than to reach across the table for her hand and to pull her to him. But they are at the Duke and Duchess of Girt’s table, and must conform to propriety.”
―
Melissa de la Cruz,
The Queen's Assassin
