Chapter 12

A short while later,a soft knock sounds at my door before it creaks open, and Asha steps into my bedchamber. She crosses the room and settles into a chair near me. The warm, honeyed light of the afternoon sun lingers across her face, highlighting the determined set of her jaw and the keen intensity in her eyes as she leans forward and fixes me with an unwavering gaze. "So, what did you think of Lord Kendrick?"

I swallow and shift to face her fully. "He's kind."

"Just kind?" The lines near Asha's mouth deepen as she frowns. "What else did you think about him?"

"He seems nice enough."

"Nice enough?" Asha rolls her eyes at me. "Come now, Rora. Lord Kendrick is one of the most eligible bachelors in all Bakva. Any woman would be lucky to catch his eye."

Then, she should marry him.

I quickly school my features into a contrite frown, ashamed at my pettiness. Asha means well, and she only wants what's best for our house and for me.

"Ash," I begin, desperate for her to see things my way. "I don't want to marry Lord Kendrick. I know you think it's a good match, but I don't feel any spark between us."

Her frown deepens. "I already told him you would accept his proposal. Before you get angry with me, Annora, remember who you are, and to which house you belong."

I bite my lip, trying to rein in my frustration. Of course, I know my duties to House of Silver, but why can't Asha understand my hesitation? This marriage affects my entire future.

"I know what house I belong in." I rip my veil from my face in a rare show of defiance. The fabric flutters to the stone floor between us. "But I will not marry him. I know you want what's best for our family, but please, you must listen to what I want too."

Asha's eyes flash, but she remains silent, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Please, Ash. D-don't make me do this," I beg, my voice cracking under the strain of my emotions. "I can't marry him. I can't spend the rest of my life with someone I don't love."

"I have given up everything to lead our people, and you refuse to do the one thing that is your duty as a woman from House of Silver. Don't you care about the future of our house?"

Of course I care, but marrying Kendrick feels like sacrificing my entire future.

Asha stands and presses her hands together as she studies me. "Our mother is weak. Our father has abandoned us." She steps closer, her voice hardening into threads of steel. "You and I, Annora, we are the needles that must stitch our people together again. We cannot let our house unravel and fade away."

Asha holds up a hand before I can respond. "No. You must stand with us. You must be strong, as I have been strong. In two days' time, you will marry Lord Kendrick, sealing an alliance that will ensure our people's survival."

I open my mouth, but I find no words. None that agree with her demands or refuse her wishes.

Even if I did find the words, what would I say? That I do not wish for this marriage to a man I've scarcely met? That my ambitions are not the same as hers?

Asha has always been decisive. While I remain the gentle stream, flowing where the ground takes me. But she is right about one thing. Our house and the silver threads that bind us frays a little more each day. If this marriage can mend it, make it whole again, is that not my duty?

Asha's expression softens as she reaches out and squeezes my shoulder. "You care deeply for our people. I know you will not fail them."

She doesn't wait for my response. Instead, she leaves me, closing the door behind her with a definitive click.

I exhale and bury my face against my hands. I don't want Lord Kendrick. How could I when my heart longs for Jasce?

But Asha has sacrificed so much for our house and for me.

I cannot disappoint her.

I glance up at the closed door, the dark wood like a wall separating me from the future I wish I could have. A future where Jasce isn't chieftain of the House of Crimson. Where our houses aren't locked in generations of hatred and bloodshed. A future where I can follow my heart instead of stifling its whispers for the good of others.

Unfortunately, my wishes don't change my reality. I must do my duty, even if means giving up my hopes of happiness.