Expiration Date (Books 1 and 2)

50 What If I Had Married Her?

Colton~~

Gwen, the interim Tresais, and Riley, the Eta, present to the Order and their sisters what their research on agriculture in Elleany has unearthed.

I stretch out my legs as much as the space will allow. There isn't an immense amount of it between my throne and the desk's wall.

With Erik leaving and then the attack, how did the two of them have time to put this together?

I can't see Erik managing something like this but then he did help stage an attack alarmingly fast.

The Delta is seated beside me. His face is gaunt, his eyes distant. Enzo, the Douze, said August hasn't been sleeping. Arrietty was released from the infirmary yesterday. If she's what was causing this strain on him, I can't imagine why he'd still be affected.

Across the gap between mine and the Preeminence's throne, my brother takes notes, a mix of using a stylus on a tablet and a pencil on paper. Most of us prefer choosing one or the other. But not him.

Since discovering the Zeta's secret, the Preeminence has thrown himself into work, hardly leaving his office. Our cousin still hasn't revealed the twins to the Society; though, he told the rest of the Order and our sisters, and Jonas made sure we all knew we had to help with them. The Eta and Percy, the Iota, have already bribed their sisters to cover their shifts. Right now, though, their sisters are both sitting here in the Senate chamber, including the Undici's sister.

Iris is supposed to be watching the twins.

The Tresais and Eta finish their presentation, and the Preeminence announces we can break for dinner, which starts in ten minutes.

As we walk up the stairs, Eli and Tobias are behind me. "The Rosens are planning to be at dinner again," Tobias says, leading Eli to scoff.

"I don't know how they can keep showing their faces."

I roll my shoulders back. "Absence would show they're allowing Vienna's disgrace to get to them. They don't want to look ashamed."

"But they should be." Tobias steps into line with me, while Eli takes my right. "It's not as if you've paid your ex-future in laws any attention at any dinner they've attended since Kerrie-uh."

"We were never engaged."

Eli clicks his tongue. "Ring or not, proposal or not, everyone knew you two would marry and isn't that the same thing as being engaged?"

I scratch my forehead just above the brow. I want to eat and don't want to dwell on the marriage I could have had, one where I didn't know I was married to a traitor.

And I definitely don't want to consider who I will marry now. "I don't know, Eli. When you're in love and considering marriage, you let me know what you find out."

"As if I'll have time to fall in love before I have to be married."

"Jonas seemed to fall in love rather fast," Tobias says. "I wouldn't rule it out completely."

"And we all know it was useless. He has to marry on Amoris."

The top of the stairs is only a flight away.

"I think I'll ask him about eligible royalty or family of officials elsewhere in the world." Eli shrugs. "It's not as if I can meet someone on the street."

Tobias shakes his head. "I don't think anyone meets on the street."

We reach the top of the stairs. Now I just have to get to the dining room where eating will be a proper excuse not to talk.

"We can't all find beautiful beings sprawled in fountains." Eli side eyes me. "Do you think she'll end up with Erik?"

Tobias sucks in a breath while my vision narrows. "Epsilon." I step in front of him. The Order members behind us spread out, giving us a wide berth as they walk past us. "I didn't think this needed to be said, but if anyone so much as hints at that pairing, they are going to wish they had left with Erik."

Eli keeps his chin tilted up, his eyes meeting mine. "Are you still in love with a rebel?" Smirking, he steps around me and heads off to join the others.

Tobias sighs. "You shouldn't let others see that they can get under your skin." With that

admonishment, he follows after Eli.