The Switch

Till Death Do You Part

The Switch

Chapter 4

"How did you manage to get him to propose so quickly?" Saffiro asked you as you were in your room about to go to bed and he came to say his goodnights to you in person.

"I gave him the illusion that he had a choice. And that all I wanted was to be his friend if at all possible, married to him or not. Which that part was true. But, that- I wasn't going to force him to marry me if he didn't like me and couldn't get along with me. And that if he really didn't like me, Papah and his own be damned. That he didn't have to marry me if he didn't want to. Which gave him quite a bit of relief and took all the pressure off. Without the pressure, there was no need to be anxious, no need to force myself into liking him and no need for him to push himself to like me if he didn't naturally feel inclined to be. And it gave the poor guy some breathing room and assurances that I wasn't his worst nightmares incarnate. Because he walked into the house last night, absolutely convinced that I was going to treat him and view him the way Millie really did." You confessed.

"Which- it still doesn't make sense that we're related to her at all." Saffiro admitted sarcastically which made you smile.

"Well Kragan didn't know that. He just assumed the worst. Even though I tried to write to him and reach out to him and his family, he thought that either I was forcing myself to try to make this work or that Papah was twisting my arm or had me at knifepoint or something. He just assumed the worst and until I could show him and prove to him otherwise, he had every reason to assume what he did. Especially the way they've been received into the King's Court, or so Papah and yourself have told me anyway. He thought I was going to be just like everyone else. And when I showed him and proved to him that I wasn't, and he put aside his assumptions and just took me as I was, he warmed right up to me." You revealed.

"And then from there, I just tried to find a common ground to build a friendship on. And then I told the disastrous hunting trip with Ron- story. Which broke the ice, made him laugh, which was crucial. But it also really impressed upon him just what kind of person I was. And from there, a friendship easily and quickly bloomed. And a surprisingly genuine one too. And he's...he's a lot like you in the best of ways. He has struggled in his own way, he continues to struggle in Solowardian high society. And when I asked about his title as Baron. I found out Dad and the King, have been double playing him and his family." You admitted.

"I was wondering how long it was going to take you to figure that out." Saffiro confessed lowly as he folded his arms over his chest and looked down at the floor as his shoulders sagged and his cheeks flushed with shame.

"Let me guess, Pahpah 'forbade you from telling me'?" You guessed with a heavy sigh as he nodded in confirmation as his cheeks flushed harder.

"There was already so much at stake, he didn't want to chance you finding out the truth and mucking up all his plans." Saffiro admitted.

"But a hundred and fifty gold bullion for only twenty acres of forest on the side of a hill? Wasn't that a bit excessive? Papah is already leeching fifty thousand gold bouillon out of them, that wasn't enough?" You asked.

"Actually, once the gentry found out who and why land was being bought, that really was the only land to be found and that price was the lowest the Danvers would go. Even now, tall fences are trying to be put up around it and right now they are all fighting which side gets to have a road built to it because no one even wants to share a road with them." Saffiro revealed.

"Oh." You frowned.

"Well they are already getting the short end of the stick with me as it is. And then that 20 acres is like rubbing salt in the wound that will be inflicted once I pass. I doubt the Salgrias will really settle here after I pass." You gently warned.