“Does she? I thought this was a done deal,” Posey says passively. She snaps at a waiter and demands a drink. The poor waiter looks like he wishes he could turn to stone because he doesn’t have what she wants immediately. Posey seems to think she has more important things to do than be here for this ball.
“Sister, while Essos can make his decision, it’s ultimately up to the girl to decide if she will have him,” Galen says, admonishing his older sister. Helene’s eyes flash to Galen, and Kai stands up taller, ready to get involved. “In fact, why don’t we get this show on the road? Everyone knows the real party is going to start once that happens, so let’s just do it. Where is Essos?” Galen shouts, causing the music to halt.
Helene grips my upper arms, pulling me toward her and Kai, shifting her body between us.
Cat grabs my hand and pulls me to one side while Galen walks to the musicians to make them stop. He’s shouting, looking for Essos relentlessly. Zara and Finn are off to the side as well, both looking worried. I glance at the floor to see that Galen has found Essos, and I don’t even get a chance to ask them why they’re so worried.
“We need to talk,” Cat whispers desperately. “You can’t do this. Don’t listen to Galen.” My eyebrows crease. Cat is trying to take me to Finn and Zara as covertly as possible, but Galen has us in his crosshairs. Cat stops moving once she realizes he’s looking at us. She’s utterly pale and still, her fingers digging into my arm.
“King Essos believes that he has found himself a new bride, but I want to tell you that I have been fortunate enough to have foundmyselfa bride!” Galen shouts to the room, raising a glass. “So, while I know this is big brother’s night, I think he’ll do the right thing and let me have one teeny moment first, won’t you, big brother?” He doesn’t wait for Essos to respond before barreling forward.
The Galen that I’m seeing right now is the same Galen that I saw the night before, and I’m not a fan. Essos is seething. He doesn’t want to look away from Galen, but his gaze travels to Xavier and Posey, whose faces are blank. Only Posey gives him a response, a subtle shake of her head, so small I’m not sure I actually saw it.
“Thanks for your silence. I’ll take that as acceptance, because accept you must!” Galen is frenetic, the crowd stepping away from him to give him space. “I have fallen in love with one of the beautiful creatures that you have brought to your home, and I happen to know that she feels the same way. Daphne, dear, please step forward. Daphne!” he shouts.
I hesitate, not liking how this is going down. I wanted it to happen quietly. My body moves of its own accord, compelled toward the two brothers. I feel Cat grab my arm, not wanting to let me go, and I don’t want to go. She squeezes my arm, holding tight to me. Galen’s eyes flick to where she holds me, and my skin burns, prompting her to release me. A muscle in Essos’s jaw flexes when he sees Cat, and I wince. It’s not a dangerous burn, more like when you accidentally touch a hot pan that’s been out of the oven for only a few minutes, still hot enough to cause an instant reaction.
I am no longer sure of this decision, and, frankly, want to tell them both to fuck off. Cosmically, though, I am stuck. My fate has led me here, to this room. I have already lived among these gods once, and I will do it again. I know that my options are limited at this moment. I have seen what my life with Galen was and can be. I am sure that his actions now and of late are due to finding his love murdered by his brother. I can’t imagine the anxiety he must feel, knowing we’re both in the same room. The threat that Essos could hurt me again is all too possible.
“Daphne, darling, do you have feelings toward me too? Do you want to stay here with Essos, or do you want to come away with me and find freedom? You know how I feel about you—we need to let everyone know.” Galen reaches a hand toward me, beckoning me to him. “The time is now, my love. Now. So, do you want me, too? You have to say it.” I nod my head, unable to find my voice. “I need to hear you use your words. You need to verbalize it, otherwise, no one will believe you.”
The words are stuck in my throat, but he waves his hand at me, urging me forward.
“Yes.” My voice cracks on the word. I can’t tear my eyes away from Galen. The room is silent, not even a murmur from the crowd to interrupt what’s happening. I think everyone around me can hear my heart beating in my chest.
“Good girl. Now come over here. We have to seal it with a kiss,” Galen says, all eyes on us. My eyes flick to Essos, who has gone utterly still. Something terrifying burns in his eyes as he looks at me, and it’s overwhelming. He doesn’t say anything but looks at Xavier and Posey again for something before meeting my eye. The muscles in his neck are straining like he’s trying to move butcan’t.
I swallow nervously, crossing slowly to Galen. When I reach him, he grins and whispers to me. “I’ve never been happier than I am at this moment.” His tone is not that of a man who has just found his long-lost love. His tone is angry and bitter, and it hits me a moment too late that I have made a terrible, terrible mistake. I start to pull back, gaze flicking around the room for an escape.
He slides his hand in my hair and pulls me closer to him. I meet his eyes a moment before his lips crash into mine, hard. I have a small modicum of hope, expecting there to be fire and love behind it the way there was in the memories. Instead, there is just pressure. Never have I been kissed like this. When we break apart, my lips feel swollen and bruised, and not in a good way. I shove him back as I risk his ire, dragging the back of my hand across my mouth, smearing my lipstick. I don’t get a rush of memories like I hoped, or even a spark of anything. If my memories are inaccessible, that may just be something I have to live with, because I’ve decided that even if I chose Galen right now, I’m notchoosingGalen.
No one in the room dares to breathe, standing still and silent as I face the crowd. I catch sight of Finn, who looks furious, and Cat, who looks heartbroken. But it’s Essos’s eyes that tell me what I’m afraid to know. I see grief on his face, weighing him down so much that he falls to his knees. Zara rushes forward and grabs him, the confusion on her face mirroring mine.
“How does that feel, big brother?” Galen shouts belligerently. He nudges me forward. “Go give him a farewell kiss. A first and last. A parting gift.”
I frown at him, pulling back from his grip. “Don’t be cruel, Galen,” I scold, but this only makes him smile more.
“You don’t even know how cruel it will be. Go give him a kiss.”
I cross my arms, shaking my head, unwilling to move.
When I don’t budge, his entire demeanor changes. “Now, Daphne.” His tone is flat, devoid of emotion. He grabs my upper arm and yanks me forward. I stumble, and Essos moves as if to catch me, but it’s a halfhearted attempt; he doesn’t manage to even get on both feet.
Startled by this change, I walk to Essos, my shoes on the ground the only sound to be heard. Zara helps him stand, still looking confused. She’s hoping I can provide an explanation, but I can’t. Essos can barely look at me. Behind me, someone smashes a glass to the ground, causing me to jump.
“I SAID KISS,” Galen screeches, and another glass breaks.
Essos has started to gather his wits. The mask he wore comes down, and to see the full might of his fury is terrifying. His jaw is clenched as he twists to look at Xavier with a murderous glare in his eyes. He looks ancient, pained, as he reaches for me, giving his brother a withering look over my shoulder. None of that anger bleeds through when he touches me. Essos’s hand is gentle, his fingers barely grazing my skin as he brushesa stray tendril of hair out of my eyes.
“I am more sorry for this than you will ever know,” he whispers. I think there might be tears in his eyes, but I never get a chance to really look before he closes them. He leans down and presses his lips to mine. I’m not even sure he truly kisses me, as his touch is featherlight, but then it feels as if a door inside my mind slams open, and the memories pour in.
I see my first time meeting Essos, him pulling me from the streets of Solarem before I’m trampled by a chariot. I see us dancing under the stars on the beach, pressed cheek to cheek with only the moon to guide us. Gone is the Essos dressed in black all the time; in his place is a man always smiling with a brightness to rival the sun.
I see us adopting Spot and Shadow, and I hear his laughter as I name Dave. I see him get down on one knee in the park where he first saw me, before we even met. I see our wedding day, before the citizens of Solarem, both of us beaming, him looking sharp in a black tux with a stargazer lily pinned to his lapel, and beside him, I glow in a white dress with gold detailing around it, a tiara with sun rays on my head. I see him open a gift from me—a sun pendant. It’s the same sun pendant that I saw him wearing when this all started. My name was engraved on it before it was worn away by centuries of rubbing.
I see us working together as partners and equals to rule our domain together. Neither one of us is more important than the other. Mixed with all this joy, I see the heartbreak we shared, awful decisions we had to make, and the loss of a pregnancy. I see the fights we had, some small, some large, but we always found our way back to one another.
I see familiar memories—ones that previously had Galen in them are replaced with Essos, the truth in them shining through. All these memories are brighter, the colors perfectly right. They’re not oversaturated or greyed out or in black and white. Galen wasn’t lying when he told me that he had the ability to pull forth memories, but he could also twist them as he needed. All the signs were there, and I missed them.