Tiger Wings

Chapter 14

Quinn didn't respond. She told them to go away. She wouldn't take the covers off her face or answer their questions about why the wings were torn off her dress. She stated she was fine and just needed to be left alone.

Tevra didn't believe her, though she shooed all the rest of the sister's out of the room. She knew that if Quinn would tell anyone, it would be her, but she also knew her sister's room was a wonderful place to hide from Klyde if he decided he wanted to talk about last night.

"Quinn?" Tevra tried again.

"Go away, everything's fine."

"Quinn, you're still in your bed and the sun is already high in the sky; everything's not fine," Tevra said reasonably. "You don't have to tell me, but I'm going to stay if you decide you want to." She took a seat in the chair nearest her sister's bed.

After a short while a muffled Quinn sniffed, "It's like he's already married."

"Who? What happened to you last night?"

"I had to talk to Jravic."

Tevra couldn't understand why that was so bad. "And it's like he's already married?" she repeated, uncertain. "What do you mean?"

Quinn sat up and threw the blankets down. Her eyes were red from the tears wet on her face. "He asked somebody else, Tevra. Was it you?"

Tevra's mouth dropped open. "No," she breathed.

"They said no," Quinn explained, wiping at her face. "Who could it have been?"

"It could've..." She bit her lip. "Do you think he would have asked Claretta?"

Quinn froze as she thought about it. "It... it could have been."

"What did he say? Did he know it was you?"

"No," she hiccuped, "but he will now with this blubbering."

Tevra watched her a moment. "Well, he can't hear you. He never has to know unless you tell him or he wants to figure it out badly enough. And if he does, it's a good thing, right?"

"No!" Quinn exclaimed. "I can't marry him now. I'll always think of... her. I'm not the one he chose, Tevra. I can't ever be the one he chose. I'm the one he... replaced her with." She fell back against the bed post in an attitude ready to burst into tears, but she must have cried them all.

"I'm sure that's not true," Tevra said firmly. "He probably just thought it was best because it would strengthen our two countries even more. Are you telling me if he asked you to marry him, you would refuse?"

"If Claretta could I can't see why I can't," Quinn complained childishly. "But no, I'm just a princess and it's my duty to do these things."

"Quinn," she admonished. "I'm sure it's not as bad as you're thinking it is."

"No, but my thinking this way makes it just as bad as I think it," she answered stubbornly.

Tevra frowned. "Well then I'll give you some time to cool off and then we'll see what you're thinking." She didn't move, she just fell silent and leaned back in her chair.

Quinn's gaze turned to glare at her. "I'm cool. I'm thinking this is his duty and I'll marry him and serve him dutifully and probably be in love with him but it doesn't matter about that, as long as duty gets accomplished."

"Why do you keep talking about duty? If I was in your place you'd tell me duty wasn't any reason to marry."

"Sure, sure," Quinn muttered darkly. Then she burst out anew with considerable anger. "If his king told him to marry Winoa, he would, you know. He just happens to prefer me to Winoa. I'm not saying anything's wrong with Winoa, but Tevra, you have to see what I mean. It might be true love but it's not romantic and if it's not, what's the point."