Rowans Choice

Chapter Twelve- Formalities

"What happened this morn in the forest was a direct attack from Thistle... and whilst Andromeda is lacking in details we know from witnesses and sources on the border...that this appears to be Merrin ... Queen Sorchas youngest daughter"

"It was Princess Merrin" I ask. "Since when did she join the fallen"

My father doesn't even acknowledge me as he stands and walks to the map on the wall with the counsel following close behind him. He looks over the map silently before placing his finger down on the outskirts of Olamoore, to an area that lead to the roads to the North. "She breached the veil defences here" he informs.

"It doesn't appear she did that alone" Reed adds.

Arden shakes his head "there is darkness in Olamoore... Fae that hide in plain sight and plot to destroy us from within"

"That there is" my father adds "Find them" he orders.

"And the army" Reed asks. "Should we send them North"

"Not yet... I don't want to start a war so close to Rowans crowning... it's exactly what Sorcha wants us to do. To have us approach her borders so she has an excuse to come for us and halt it altogether. We must be smart. The Assassin has left our lands... the seekers followed her trail out of here... and Andromeda and Rowan are both safe. Our priority is finding the traitors, and bringing forward the wedding to secure the future of the crown. Rowan can then have her coronation the day of her twenty first birthday, and nothing holds us back from there... if we should have to go to war"

"But father I'm not ready ... we are not ready for a wedding"

My world spins on an axis to consider how I would have to drag Andy down an aisle right now to wed me. I thought I had two months to make this less frigid and hellish for us both. There was also the small fact that my mate had made a deal to harm me... in exchange for Lunas safety. It seemed she had made herself perfectly clear in that moment...

I didn't want to force my mate to love me. Those torturous moments that Sycamore and I had listened over the forest to the back and forth of Merrin and Andy... I had a flicker of hope for a second that she indeed cared, enough to not betray me. The second we had approached her and she had lied to me... I wanted to buckle under the intense agony of her choice, to take the deal of a Fae who threatened to remove me from the throne. Cricket had suggested it, that she would come for the crown, but I never in a million full moons would have thought it.

I didn't want to take Andy for a mate, not any more than she did right now, and for the first time since I met her as a child...I didn't recognise her... or even want her.

"When" I ask a little desperately "when will we wed"

My father finally acknowledges me, turning and running his large hand over his fair beard "the night of the next full moon"

"But father that's three weeks away"

"Then you better get planning" he returns without a care, looking back to the map on the wall and focusing on the counsel.

"But what if I made a mistake..." I reveal quite hurriedly and panicked.

I can feel myself shrinking under their judgmental stares as they all turn back to me.

"A mistake" my father chuckled and his laugh becomes louder and more manic "my daughter made a mistake... did you all hear that"

The counsel look at me as if I am a stupid little girl with no idea what the hell I am doing.

"Can I not pick another..." I ask "surely it's up to me ... it's not as if we are bound yet ...within the book"

My father shakes his head angrily "you had one choice that was your own... and you made it Rowan. It's done. Andromeda will be your mate"