Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Thirty-Six: Radiant

"All in due time, dear." He told me before striding off. I stood in the throne room with a fuming look before I spun around and stalked out of the chamber. Gracefully stomping back to my room, I slammed the door behind me and began to pace.

He wanted me to marry, but a nagging feeling told me he wanted something else. What did he mean by a promise of a Dragon Rider? He wanted me to marry someone that the green egg would hatch for?

I let out a growl and dug my fingers into my scalp. All this talk of marriage, and here I was pining after Murtagh.

"Your highness?" I looked at the door to see Lydia peeking her head into my room. "I heard you slam your door..."

"The suitors turned out to be imbeciles," I explained with a sigh before flopping myself into a chair. "I am tired of conversations that provide absolutely no stimulus."

"That bad?" Lydia asked. I nodded.

"They are trying to win my favor by throwing out how much influence and money they have."

"But that is not the way to your heart, is it?"

"No, it isn't." I sighed again.

"Your heart has already been taken, your highness," Lydia said quietly. "no matter who tries to win your favor, your love has already been claimed."

I looked up at Lydia and shook my head.

"I don't even know what love is, how do I know if someone has stolen my heart?" Lydia smiled at me and said no more.

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Days passed, and there was still no sign of Murtagh. Whatever fight he'd been sent to must be a long and bloody one. I found myself aimlessly wandering the halls and library. When I was not left to my own devices, I hosted tea parties with the court ladies.

My only real friend of the bunch being Tolme, both of us spent most of the time talking about our childhood experiences and memories.

"Your highness?" I blinked rapidly and looked at Tolme. "Are you alright? You've been spacing out several times today."

"My apologies, I'm finding myself consumed with a problem I don't know how to handle."

"Really?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "And here I thought you were all-knowing."

I sent Tolme a scathing look before huffing.

"Not all-knowing, well-read." I corrected her as my fingers played with my empty teacup. "Anyone who is claiming to be all-knowing is a liar."

"Well, that makes a liar out of several women I know." Tolme mused before taking a sip from her teacup.

"That doesn't surprise me," I sighed out.

"Your highness," Tome asked, I looked up at her. "The word amongst the ladies of the court is that your getting married. Is there any truth to it?"

"Partially," I answered. "My father is searching for a suitor, yes. But I refuse to marry anyone that can't provide me with some mental stimuli."

"I take it that most the suitors in Ûru'Baen are out then?" Tolme said with a raised eyebrow.

"I get a better conversation from my horse than I do from the suitors," I grumbled. Tolme snorted on the sip of tea she had taken. I handed her a handkerchief which she accepted and dabbed at her mouth.