Page 29 of Royal Resistance

She turns to face me, with a rueful smile and a roll of her blue eyes. “What do you think?”

“Well, the fact you’re laughing at his name…”

“Thirty minutes after I informed him that I would no longer be succeeding my father, he found an excuse to break the engagement,” she says. “The premise of the engagement, because it wasn’t until it was over that I realized he had never actually asked me to marry him. It was just assumed. I don’t even remember what he said to end it. Those few days were a bit of a blur,” she confesses.

I fight the urge to take her hand. “He only wanted the throne.”

“Oh, yes. And I should have known. That’s the only reason anyone wants me.”

My heart sinks. I’ve done this all wrong. I’ve been so wrong.

“Selene—”

She holds up her hand. “Please don’t think that I’m some sort of shrinking violet that can’t see her own worth. Darren did not break my heart, nor did he even remotely destroy me. I’m simply embarrassed that I never let myself see his agenda when it was so obvious to everyone else.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you,” I tell her out of necessity to say something.

“Don’t be. I’d be more sorry if I had actually married him. It’s ironic, really, that in the past, the only men who saw my value wanted to be king to my queen. And now, when that’s not possible, someone finally wants me to be their queen.”

I can’t tell from her voice if she thinks that’s a good thing or not.

“An arranged marriage,” she says after a long pause. “That’s what you’re offering?”

“Convenience,” I correct. “Calling it arranged makes me feel like we’re back in the 1800s. I’m sorry,” I repeat. “You deserve to be swept off your feet by the love of your life, but I—”

“I never expected that. I’ve always known my marriage would be more of a business transaction,” Selene says. I wonder if she realizes how sad she sounds.

I wince. “I like to think this would be more than that.”

“Would it?”

“Yes,” I say firmly. “It could be. We could learn to care for each other. I’ve never actually been in love, so I don’t really know the rules,” I confess.

“Neither have I. I thought I was, but I can see now that it wasn’t love that bound Darren and me together.”

“Was it his silly name?” I ask.

She smiles again. “Really, who names the son of a baron Darren?”

I put a hand on my chest. “I would never.”

“I’m so glad to hear that. I suppose we’ll eventually have to talk about names for our blue-eyed children.”

I catch my breath.

“I suspect there are rules for this, but I have a feeling you’re the type of man who likes to make their own rules.”

“Wow. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours, but you’ve already got a read on me.”

This time her smile is one of satisfaction. “There are many reasons why I would have made a very good queen.”

“I have no doubt,” I assure her. “Which is only one of the reasons we’re having this conversation. We can make our own rules. Whatever you want. Whatever makes you happy. Because—” I take her hand since this moment seems to deserve a touch. “Your happiness is of paramount importance to me.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re important. That’s how it should be. How it will be.”

She studies me with those eyes, and I have no idea what she’s thinking. She has the ability to mask any and all emotions.