The Heir (The Selection #4)(52)

“Here, Butterscotch!” I walked up to her, and she flicked her tail.

Ean masterfully mounted his horse, and I was happy that he was as competent as he’d led me to believe.

“Forgive me, but that seemed a bit staged,” Ean said as we trotted toward the edge of the lawn.

“I know. But allowing them to capture staged moments means that I get to keep the candid moments private.”

“Interesting. So, was that scene with Kile staged or private, then?”

I smirked. Wow, he was quick.

“Last time we spoke, it sounded like you had something you wanted to talk about,” I reminded him.

“I do. I want to be honest with you. But that will require you being completely honest with me. Can you do that?”

Looking into his face, I wasn’t sure I could give him what he asked for. Not today.

“That depends.”

“On?”

“Many things. I don’t tend to divulge my soul to people I’ve only known two weeks.”

We trotted on for a few minutes in silence.

“Favorite food?” he asked, a satisfied smile on his face.

“Do mimosas count?”

He chuckled. “Sure. What else . . . favorite place you’ve ever visited?”

“Italy. Partly for the food and partly for the company. If they come here, you have to meet the royal family. They’re too much fun.”

“I’d like that. Okay, favorite color?”

“Red.”

“Power color. Nice.”

He stopped quizzing me for a moment, and we continued on our path around the palace. It was kind of peaceful. We passed the front gates, and the gardeners stopped their work and bowed as we went by. Once we were out of their hearing, Ean brought his horse closer to mine.

“I could be very wrong, but I’m going to take a guess at some things about you.”

“Go ahead,” I dared.

He hesitated. “Hold on. Let’s stop over here.”

Along the palace wall there was a lone bench, and we pulled up to it.

I hopped off Butterscotch and sat on the small space with Ean.

“Your Highness.”

“Eadlyn.”

“Eadlyn.” He swallowed, showing the first chink in his super-confident armor. “I get the feeling that the Selection isn’t something you truly wanted to do.”

I said nothing.

“If it was, perhaps it’s not what you thought it would be, and now you’re in a situation you don’t particularly like. Most women would die to have dozens of men at their beck and call, but you come across as distant.”

I smiled kindly. “I told you. I don’t open up to people I just met.”

He shook his head. “I’ve seen you on the Report for years. You seem above something like this.”

I inhaled deeply, unsure what to say.

“I come to you with an offer. You may not need it at all, but I want to present the option all the same.”

“What could you, sir, offer to your future queen?”

He smiled, seeming sure of himself again. “A way out.”

It was risky to ask what he meant, but I couldn’t help being curious. “How?”

“I would never hold you down. I would never hold you back. I wouldn’t even ask you to love me. If you choose me, you can have a marriage free of conventional restraints. Make me your king, and you would be free to reign however you see fit.”

I brushed out my dress. “You would never be king.”

He tilted his head comically. “Not your type?”

I rolled my eyes. “That’s neither here nor there. Any man who married me would never be king. He would be a prince consort, as no one can hold a title higher than mine.”

“I’d take that.”

I leaned on the arm of the bench. “Out of curiosity, why make such an offer? You’re very charismatic, quite handsome. I’d assume you could have a marriage filled with happiness, which makes me wonder why you would commit yourself to one you just admitted would be loveless.”

He nodded. “That’s a fair question. Personally, I believe love to be overrated.”

I couldn’t help but smile.

“I come from a large family. Six children. I’ve managed to scrape by, but I don’t want to live that life forever. The chance at a comfortable life with an agreeable woman is better than anything else I can hope for.”

“Agreeable?” I raised an eyebrow. “Is that it?”

He chuckled. “I like you. You are yourself at all costs. I certainly don’t consider marrying a clever, beautiful, powerful woman settling. And I can offer you the means to an end if you find no one suitable in this group. Honestly, I can tell you, the majority of these guys are jokes. And you can give me something I’ve never had.”

I considered. So far the Selection hadn’t been anything I’d expected. It had opened with people assaulting me with food, complaining about my first elimination, and judging my kiss with Kile. Even though I was just figuring out that, for me, there was something inherently unappealing about getting married, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d take someone simply for the sake of making Dad happy. Every time I looked into his eyes, I was more and more aware of how tired he seemed.