The Heir Apparent - a historical why choose, rh, poly, MMF, spicy romance ✅

Chapter Nine

Anevay

I felt ready to fall asleep standing up by the time I got through being measured and consulted about fabrics and styles of dress, about designs for the crown, then the menu, and the guest list I needed to approve of.

By the time I even made it to the ballroom where the ceremony was to be held to practice with Tolliver, I was regretting my choice to forego dinner in order to fit more things into the day.

Perhaps if I had eaten, I would have more energy.

I was accustomed to staying up a bit later than was appropriate for a lady. I liked to read beside the fire, get lost in worlds and lives I knew I would never be able to live, since my future was to be a wife and mother in a desolate residence with nary a friend in sight.

But it must have been nearing half-past-nine when I walked into the ballroom to find Tolliver standing there, hunched over a table with three other men.

One, by his robes, I could tell was a priest. Another was the bookkeeper that had been at my home as well.

The third, I figured, was another official to help with the ceremony.

"There you are," Tolliver said, a note of frustration in his voice that had the other men's eyes widening.

"Be at ease, gentlemen," I said, giving them a reassuring smile. "I have entreated Tolliver to be frank with how he speaks to me."

"Are you sure that was a wise decision, lady?" the other politician asked, giving me a knowing smirk, clearly intimate with his colleague's temperament.

"I may yet regret it," I admitted, looking over at Tolliver, finding him attempting to hold back a smile. Because, heaven forbid, he not appear so grumpy all the time. "My fittings and plans ran longer than expected," I explained. "But I am ready to learn about my ceremony."

"It is a very complicated ordeal," the priest said, looking down his nose at me, reminding me of the rumors I had heard about the clergy in the larger cities, and in the court in particular.

They hate women, you see, I had overheard one of the servants declare after she had been moved from the city to our parish.

More like are afraid of what is between our legs, one of the kitchen servants had responded, making everyone laugh heartily.

I had never given it much thought before. Father Brooks had always been disapproving of me, but I had always attributed that to my strong will and quick mind, often asking questions of him that he found himself without answers to, then annoyed with me for making him appear uneducated.

I never stopped to consider that my sex might be what made him dislike me.

But it was clear distaste on the face of the priest in the castle right then.

Whether he genuinely disapproved of women as a whole, or simply having one on the throne, was unknown.

But I did know that I did not like the way he was looking at me.

"You will find I am quite adept at remembering things I have heard or read. Would you like me to demonstrate?" I asked. "Pick a passage from your holy book there, sir, and I shall recite it back to you. Or shall we move forward and assume I am brighter than you believe I am?" I asked, getting a raised brow from Tolliver and the other younger man standing there.

"Sir, we have not been introduced," I said when the priest scoffed and looked away. I had not made a new friend in him, I could tell, but at least he would know not to talk down to me moving forward. As he would never think of doing so to a king.