Rosalind held her breath as she slowly turned to look at Alaric.
The faint smirk on his lips only made things worse, and she could not tell whether he meant what he said or if he had simply said it to unsettle her. Marry her? Make her his wife? The thought alone felt suffocating.
That would mean being bound to him for life, and Rosalind wanted no part of that.
Even Rowan had stilled behind her, his heart dropping at those words. His hands curled tightly at his sides as his gaze fixed on the king.
... It could not be her. Not Rosalind...
His jaw tightened as Alaric stepped closer to her, his eyes narrowing slightly as he leaned in, studying her reaction. "You seem rather shocked," Alaric said, his voice calm, almost amused. "Perhaps even annoyed… instead of happy."
Rosalind blinked, quickly forcing her expression back under control. "Tell me," he continued, "don't you want to be queen?"
The answer came to her immediately... NO.
