By Any Other Name

Twenty Five

"I will leave you to your meal," the Duke spoke then, clearing his throat in discomfort as Briar realized she and Lord Huntington had been simply staring at each other over the tray in his hands all the while.

"Thank you," she told the man again as he made his way to the door, "for everything."

He gave her a smile and a nod before exiting her room, closing the door tightly behind him. Then they were alone. That was becoming a frequent state of being for them.

"You're serving me now?" She joked then, just to relieve the tension. It worked. He chuckled and set the tray down on a nearby table.

"I suppose it's only fitting," he replied, turning back to face her, lips quirked into a smirk, eyes boring into her.

"I should thank you but I haven't the slightest idea how," she confessed. "What reward is appropriate for a man who saved your life?"

"You owe me nothing, Princess. It was my duty."

"Don't," she said before she could process what she was saying. He stopped talking and cocked his head to the side in question. She sighed. "Don't call me Princess. Please."

"What should I-"

"Briar. Just Briar."

He nodded but did not say it. Something about that broke her heart.

"You're nearly engaged," he said then, voice so quiet it was almost a whisper. Briar met his eyes and understood. Her title was an issue as she had expected but the bigger issue, it seemed, was that Briar Aldrich was all but promised to another.

"Nearly," she agreed, "But not. Besides, I told you about him. My uncle is dead. The arrangement means nothing. I don't need the strength of Baliene. I need to win back the trust of my own people."

She left the rest unsaid. Winning back the trust of her people could begin with marrying one of them, maybe even someone she loved, maybe even him. She wasn't sure if he was following her train of thoughts but she thought the little spark of hope that seemed to ignite in his eyes at her words might have indicated he did.

"Baliene could protect you," he told her logically. She hated that because he was right and she couldn't deny it.

"And give the rebels what they want, taking me away from my country, my people. Baliene may keep me safe, but the love of my people could save me."

Lord Huntington chuckled wryly before muttering, "Love saves us all in the end."

Briar froze, jaw going slack at the familiar phrase coming from his lips.

"Where did you hear that?" She asked.

"Love saves us all in the end?" He queried. "They're our words. The Huntington family words. They have been for generations."

Briar couldn't help but laugh at that. His family words, the man she had fallen in love with, spoken to her so long ago by her uncle on his deathbed as he told her to find love herself. The irony was thick but something about it felt fateful as well. As if her uncle had somehow known or as if the universe had always meant for this to happen, for them to find each other. And then suddenly, nothing in the world felt more important than this.

"If you ask me, I will say yes."

The words were out of her mouth before she realized she was speaking them or the truth behind them. They caught him off guard for a moment and he blinked back at her in surprise. His confusion made her worry, for a moment, that he hadn't understood what she'd meant but then he cleared his throat and took a step backwards, in retreat.

"You should get some rest, prin- Briar," he told her and then he was out of her room, closing the door behind him, leaving her standing there alone after having bared her soul to him.

She fell onto the bed once he'd gone, determined to revel in her misery, to truly feel the foolishness at having declared her desires so openly when, it seemed, they were not to be returned as she had expected. Lost in her pity, she did fall asleep, unaware of just how tired she had truly been.

She was awakened some time later by raised voices in the hall just outside of her door.

"-won't let you disturb her, Adelaide," someone was speaking. She recognized the voice at once as belonging to Lord Huntington himself.

"She needs to know, Sterling," Adelaide's harsh response came.

"She will. Once she awakes."

"Get out of my way."

"Adelaide-"

"They are demanding she marry, Sterling! That's the latest from the rebellion according to Sir Alfred's letter. They are saying that if Princess Briar were to take a husband to rule as King, they will stop this infernal hunt for her and leave her life in tact. This could save her, Sterling! Why don't you let me tell her?"

"I will, Adelaide. But later. She is resting now. Lord knows she needs it after the week she's had."

"Their terms are that she marries, Sterling. They don't specify who."

Only silence greeted Adelaide's words.

"It could push her to marry you," Adelaide spelled it out for him, as if his silence was due to the fact that he wasn't understanding what she had implied.

"Is that how you think I would want that to happen?" He snapped.

"But you do want it to happen."

No response but the falling of footsteps as Lord Huntington walked away from his clever cousin came in return. And Briar smiled then, experiencing another thrill in this roller coaster of emotions she had been living since she'd met Sterling Huntington. Still, as she fell back into her slumber, far more peacefully now, she could not help but be silently grateful for Adelaide Griffith's meddling wit.