Beauty and the Magician (Tales of the Red Witch Book 1)

Chapter 40 - Prince charming

"What?" Annika, Eben and Toby all exclaimed at once.

Annika was sure she could have been knocked over with a feather at that moment. Well, they probably wouldn't even need a feather. A short puff of air could probably have done the job. She felt faint. Her knees were trembling. And it wasn't completely because she had received a nasty bump on the head. It was at least partially because a real live, handsome-as-a-sunset prince had just proposed to her in a very romantic way.

Granted it was in a dungeon after a terrible fight with a nasty witch and he was half dressed and the room was still spinning uncontrollably and she still had a pendant in her hand that was thoroughly evil. And the man she was head over heels in love with was standing just a few feet away looking as though he was in a great deal of pain and going to be sick.

Annika would be lying if said she didn't consider it. She did, very briefly. She could be a princess. She would just need to say yes...

No, she shook her head. She had never been the type of girl to seek out an advantageous marriage. If she had, then she would have gladly accepted Valdimar and none of this would have happened. No, Valdimir, Prince Andri... neither of those pompous peacocks were the one she wanted. Neither of them truly knew her. None of this was right.

"You cannot possibly mean that, your highness. The witch must have addled your brains! Look at me. I am a cat, the people will never want me. They will think I bewitched you!"

"Your looks are... well... furry... but cute...in a way... maybe a new dress? I am certain we could make the best of it. It matters not to me. What matters is that I must have you as a part of my life. You are so remarkable and kind, the most compassionate of women."

Kind and compassionate? Did he know who he was talking to? Annika fought to hold in the string of very foul curses running through her head.

She took a deep breath and tried to look at the situation logically. He seemed like a really sweet man... at least when he wasn't accosting shopgirls... and he made an incredibly sweet pig. And this was likely the last proposal she would ever receive, but it was clear that what he felt for her wasn't that fall-down, weak-in-the-knees, unconditional love that she knew to be real. She knew, because she felt it. She just didn't feel it for him.

Her eyes drifted over to Eben. He was staring at her, waiting for her answer as he hugged a charred arm to his chest. She expected him to show some emotion. She had hoped that he would step in and object while fiercely proclaiming his own love. But instead, his face was blank. His brow just slightly furrowed. If only he would say something. If he would give even a small glimmer of hope that he returned her feelings for him then her decision would be made.

But did it really matter what he thought? If there was one thing she had learned over the last month, it's that she couldn't let other people dictate her decisions or her life. She needed to make this decision for herself.

She sighed and glanced up to the ceiling. She knew what she had to do.

"I'm extremely flattered, Your High---"

"Please, call me Andri." His eyes seemed to sparkle and his extremely charming smile almost made her reconsider. Almost.

"Andri, I'm flattered. Really. But I cannot marry you. I do not think I could marry anyone while I remain like this."

He wrinkled his forehead in thought and his smile slowly shrank. It was clear that he was trying to process her refusal. It was as if he couldn't fathom such a thing. Annika thought he should be used to it, she had refused him twice now. She just hoped that this time, she wouldn't require a bouquet.