“Oh sister, I'm most displeased to hear that,” Cyler said in a menacing tone that reminded me of his darker side. “Of course, this means that the terms of our contract are breached,” Cyler continued.
“Oh yes, I’ve considered this” Josiah said with a mock sigh. “Which is why I’ve concluded that I should take Ashleigh back with me to Galla. I feel that although it’s an unfair trade, it’s a sacrifice I'm willing to make for the sake of goodwill between our provinces. The success of the empire relies heavily on our alliance.” Josiah’s voice was so proper that I almost missed the insult he threw my way.
“I completely agree,” Huxley said. He was leaning against the wall at the entryway to the meeting room. The dark circles under his eyes gave him a rugged, terrifying look. He began walking towards where Josiah and Jules sat, and before speaking, he bent over to whisper near Josiah's ear. “It would be a very unfair trade.” His voice was low and full of meaning. Was Huxley defending me?
I considered the options before me. I knew that the Black Family would allow me the opportunity to choose what I wanted. For my entire life, I’d wanted Josiah to pick me. To show the world that I wasn’t someone he hid in the shadows of his home, but someone he was willing to go to hell and back for.
But, now that I had his full attention, it felt wrong. Bravely, I stood up and looked around the room. I locked eyes with each of them, gathering whatever strength I could. Lastly, my eyes landed on Huxley. He nodded a bit, and I took that as encouragement to say what I needed to say.
“I would hate for it to be an unfair trade. Until better arrangements can be made, I suggest that Jules travel back with you. This could be an opportunity for you both to reconsider the engagement and for us to find an equal opportunity to revise the contract. The resources in the Dormas province are quite impressive, and I’m sure we can come to some agreement.” I borrowed the arrogance that Mistress Stonewell used daily and forced myself to sound reasonable during my speech. I expected Josiah to scowl, but instead, I was rewarded with a small smile. Maybe the old Josiah was still somewhere in there.
“I see,” was all he said. “Well, I guess Jules and I will need to pack for our trip. We will put a hold on all trade until a more suitable agreement can be made.”
I looked over at Jules, and her mouth was hanging open in pure shock and rage.
“But . . . but Cyler, surely I can stay?” she pleaded.
“I’m sorry, Jules, you know how politics can be,” Jacob said with a smirk. He was practically bouncing with enthusiasm, and apparently, happy with our little meeting.
Everyone made their way to the entryway. I watched as the Black family built a wall between me, Josiah, Jules, preventing them from speaking to me. Once outside, I pushed through to give Josiah one last hug. Regardless of my decision, I still cared for him in ways I didn’t quite understand. We had a toxic love, but there was love between us, nevertheless.
I heard Cyler practically growl when I pushed through their wall of bodies. I called after Josiah, and when he turned around, I cautiously put my arms out to hug him, not caring about my status or what anyone thought. He crushed my body to him, and I relished the warmth and familiarity of it. I knew deep in my soul that this wasn’t the end. I’d see Josiah again.
“This isn’t over,” he whispered to me.
No, no it wasn’t.
Chapter Twenty-One
Josiah and his men left within the hour. The Black brothers wasted absolutely no time at all in getting rid of them. Something nagged at the back of my mind that this was too easy, but I assumed it was my natural disposition to be the skeptic.
Jacob spent the rest of the morning trying to cheer me up. He helped me bake the cake for the Solstice Festival, and occasionally the others would visit us in the kitchen to check on me. I was treated like a porcelain doll, and part of me was annoyed by it, but the other part, thankful. As always, Maverick was most perceptive to my heartbreak, and instead of trying to cheer me up, he corralled everyone out of the kitchen so that I could work alone and in silence.
I had almost completed a four-tiered cake and was putting the finishing touches on it when Huxley and Patrick entered the kitchen.
Maverick didn’t immediately kick them out, so I wondered what they needed. Huxley plopped down at the kitchen table with a frown, but Patrick bounced up to me with a broad, flirtatious, grin.
“We got you something, beautiful,” his voice rang.
I politely smiled, but the emotion didn’t fully reach my heart. Huxley pulled up a brown sack and threw it over at me carelessly, causing both Maverick and Patrick to frown at him.
“Here. I don’t know if it’ll fit you, but you needed something nice for the festival,” Huxley said with a shrug.
I opened the bag to find a long, olive-green dress made of thin material. It was strapless, and the top was cut in a heart-shape with the fabric gathered in ruffled bunches. The rest draped delicately down in a straight line. It was beautiful. Stunning. Way too nice for me.
“Oh, I can’t possibly–” I began.
“Hush!” Patrick interrupted. “Don’t go back to being the martyr. You needed something nice, and we got it for you. Huxley even picked you out a nice necklace to match,” he said in a teasing tone.
I dug further into the bag and found a necklace draped loosely at the bottom. It was three cords of thick pearls braided together into a beautiful necklace.
“Thank you” I whispered.
After thanking them again, Maverick ushered the twins out of the kitchen so that I could continue to be alone. The silence was comforting and allowed me to think about the decision I made and the repercussions that would follow. It was so strange to think how someone that was once my entire life had now become a stranger, someone that I could no longer be with. As the day ended, I convinced myself that this wasn’t a matter of me choosing my new family over Josiah. Ultimately, it came down to the freedom and friendliness of the Dormas province. It was the opportunity to bake, to paint. To spend my free time how I please.
I decided that I loved myself more than I loved Josiah. I decided that I wasn’t willing to give up on the opportunity for happiness to have a lifetime of being with him. The fact that I got to spend time with my new family was merely a bonus.
While I cleaned, Maverick got up from working on the computer and helped me wipe down the counters and dry the counters.
“Feeling better?” he asked.
I nodded in response. “Thanks for knowing what I needed,” I said.
“You're like me,” he began, “You like to process things alone. My brothers have good intentions, but they don’t understand.” Maverick grabbed my hand and squeezed it. I looked up at him and then leaned in for a hug, resting my head against his chest and listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. I felt his lips touch the top of my head, and I moved away before the affection led towards something more than brotherly.
The next day, I put the finishing touches on my cake, and Patrick and Kemper brought it to the bakery to be stored in their vast freezer before tonight. I felt proud of it and hoped that everyone would enjoy all the work I put into the large dessert.
Becca came over in the early afternoon to start getting ready. I didn’t feel like pampering would take that long, but I assumed her intentions were more focused on getting an eye-full of the Dormas Leadership Council than on helping me get ready.