To Win the Prince's Hand

Chapter 26

26.

“I’ve changed my mind,” I announced when we were less than one day from the palace.

“Not an option,” Ethan replied, not even turning to look at me.

“This is kidnapping, you know that, right?” I told him, but he merely shrugged.

“We need to stop and get you a dress today,” he continued as if he hadn’t heard me. “I think it should be white, for your wedding.” He sent me a wicked grin with I countered with a scowl.

“Or black, for your funeral,” I muttered under my breath. He heard, though, and began to chuckle.

“Man, I really miss your humor, Dan,” he declare, slinging an arm around my shoulder.

“Dan?” I repeated.

“It’s your new nickname,” he said with another grin.

I wiped the grin off his face with a punch to the gut. We bickered the rest of the ride to the small town outside Eleyen. “You’re a lot more outspoken now that you’ve been normal for a while,” he observed as we pulled up the store.

“I just want to relish the freedom before I go back to normal,” I sighed and he gave me a sympathetic look.

“You know, even if this incident hadn’t happened, I think you would’ve ran away,” he decided in all seriousness. “You really needed it.”

“Really? What makes you say that?”

“It’ll make you a better queen,” he teased, quickly jumping out before I could hit him.

In the end, we ended up getting two dresses. I wore the lilac day dress, while a navy evening gown was draped over the back of the carriage. I had argued with him about this, but he said that I would probably not be able to go to my room before dinner.

He knew I was mad at him for convincing me to go. He didn’t seem to be sorry in the least, though. I had behaved perfectly in the dress store, and I had gotten to get cleaned up.

“What’s your favorite color?” he asked curiously.

“Green,” I answered after a moment’s pause. “Yours?”

“Red,” he replied. “Animal?”

“Dragon,” I said with a grin.

“Yeah, they’re cool,” he agreed. “Person?”

“Hmmm…” I joked, pretending to think it over. “Abigail.” He looked hurt.

“Well, mine would’ve been Sophia,” he retorted. “But really, who?”

“Promise not to get onto me about this?” I asked and he nodded. “Gabriel.”

He nodded as if he expected that. “You’re favorite color is his eye color, too,” he pointed out. My cheeks reddened.

“On a different topic…” I trailed off. “What’s life without me like?”

“It’s quieter,” he started.

“Wow, thanks,” I sarcastically remarked with a roll of my eyes.

“Abigail doesn’t spend as much time at the palace. She just mostly hangs out with Mark. Jasmine spends most of her time with Christian, and Gabriel?”

“What about him?” I asked.

“Well, I don’t really know. He’s gone most of the time. I don’t know where,” he admitted. “But when he’s around at meals, he’s very vacant.”