Half of Ruby

Chapter 36

"What? No, Yvonne—"

"Yes, turn me in!" Yvonne's left hand cradled the base of her rib cage as she hurled her right into the air, sending her papers soaring into the night sky. "Arrest me, whatever! Jail will be better than what I'll receive in marriage." 

"What?" Stooping down, Ember grabbed one of the documents. 

Refreshment Order, read the top. 

Ember's eyes darted down the creamy sheet of paper, taking in the names of countless hors oeuvres, drinks, salads, finger sandwiches, cakes, and tarts to be served. 

"What is this?" 

"For the ball," spat Yvonne, shoving the papers away from her. "My accursed father moved the damn event to tomorrow night. Tomorrow night. And nobody complained—nobody ever dares to, in front of him." 

Ember stared at her. "I don't understand." 

"Yes, you do!" Yvonne lurched to her feet, grimacing. "Even you do, you little brainless whelp. I don't want the ball to happen. Who wants to get married to their step-brother? Who wants to spend the rest of their life in a loveless marriage, trapped in a foreign land? I had a life back at home! I had friends, if not lovers. And I don't need, nor want one—"         

"All right!" Ember held up her hands. "I get it. You don't want the ball to happen." 

"And do you?" countered Yvonne. "Do you want me to marry him? According to his father, he loves you." 

"I...no, of course not." Ember stared at Yvonne, who towered over her, strong and lithe like a willow tree. 

"And that's because you love him back?" 

"No," she said. "Because...because if he loves me...I don't want him to go into a loveless marriage." 

Yvonne paused. Silence ensued in the marketplace. And then she frowned. "But do you love him?" 

Ember swallowed. Her eyes flickered to Yvonne's cobalt gaze. "I...don't know." 

"No, you know. I want an answer. I swear I won't tell anyone." A grin flickered across her lips, as though they were two girls exchanging gossip. 

"I can't tell you." 

"Tell me. This matters, Ember. I don't want to wed him. I need you to tell me." 

She took a deep breath. Closed her mouth. Opened it. And then shook her head. 

"I can't tell you." 

Yvonne hissed in frustration. "If his life were in danger, would you save it?" 

"Of course." 

"At the cost of your own?" 

"Yes." 

Yvonne blinked. Ember paused. The gravity of the former's question seemed to crash down on the latter, the implications of it pressing against her mind. 

"I mean..." she said, "I—"

"No, that's fine," Yvonne said, waving aside Ember's response. "That was all I needed." She sighed, gesturing at the papers. "Will you help me pick those up? It hurts to bend over." 

Ember nodded, then dropped to her knees, shivering as she gathered up the papers. Refreshment orders, dress measurements, music and decoration...this really was the planning for the ball. 

She counted ninety-eight in total, though the number could've been more than a hundred and fifty. She stood up, meeting Yvonne's piercing gaze. 

"So," said the young woman, "you're cold. Walk with me; I need to talk to you."