after…" Breathe . "Last time I saw you, I punched you in the face."
A grin quirked at his mouth. "Ah, yes, well, no damage done." He gestured to his face.
"Not on the outside, at least," I said.
He just looked at me, his grin still in place.
I wrung my hands together. "I guess I'm not sure how these things work."
"What things ?"
"Marriages." The word felt awkward in my mouth. "Proposals. Arrangements."
His eyes moved around my face, and his little flame of hope burned brighter. "So, you came all the way here—in the middle of the night—to ask me how marriages work?"
I stopped wringing my hands, squeezed my eyes shut, and let out a frustrated and very unladylike groan. "No, this is all coming out all wrong…" I opened my eyes again and looked straight at him. "I came here because I understand that your father would like to ally himself with Valdon through a union between you and me, and if that proposition is still valid, I came here to tell you that I accept."
My words hung in the spaces between us, and Danton stood there staring at them. And staring and staring, and then he walked forward, right through my words, step after slow step, to where he finally stopped just a few close feet before me.
"I don't want a union, Daria." His voice was too intimate. "I want a marriage. Can you give me a marriage?"
"Marriages are built on trust, Danton, and considering my experiences with you, I'd say calling it a union is more than generous." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I covered my mouth with my hand. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean…"
Danton shook his head as if shaking off my apology. "Now, there is the young woman I remember from the rooftops." Warmth glinted in his cold blue eyes, making him look less aristocratic and more…human. "No, I know I deserve that, just as I deserved that impressive right hook you delivered, and I probably deserve much more still. But for a moment there, I thought maybe the regency had…changed you."
"Oh, it has," I said. "Believe me, it has."
He studied me a moment, and then said, "And by that I assume you're referring to your being here now."
I opened my mouth and shut it again. This was not at all going how I'd planned. I was supposed to come here and tell him that I would marry him. Not remind him why I didn't want to.
"Look," I said. "You and I both know what our respective titles demand of us, and you know this better than I do. You even said it that night on the roof. Since then, I've accepted it. I won't pretend it's been easy. I didn't grow up knowing my life would be arranged for me, like you did, but I really have accepted it, Danton, and that's why I'm here. Willingly."
"But you still don't trust me," he said.
"I'm not sure why that's relevant."
He took a small step closer. "I want you to trust me."
"Well, you've never given me a reason to." My words landed harder than I'd intended, but he didn't look offended.
"I know I haven't, Daria," he said, "and I am sorry for that. I hope…I hope that in time I can help you see why I've done what I've done, but I want you to know that I would choose you. Never mind what the kingdom expects from us, as powers in this world. I would choose you, for you ." The intensity in his gaze made me uncomfortable, and I shifted. "You are as smart as you are beautiful, and I believe we have a lot to learn from each other. If I am to be married to one woman the rest of my life, I thank the spirits the one chosen for me is someone who has the mental faculties to contribute her own ideas."
"Once you hear my ideas, you might not think that anymore," I said, wanting to lighten his words. Wanting to ease the intensity of his eyes. Wanting so desperately to push him back.
"I don't know," he said. "I can appreciate a good challenge, and I definitely value new insight, when the point is valid, and I know your points usually are."
" Usually ," I teased. "You've been paying attention."
"Daria, what I mean to say is…" He
A grin quirked at his mouth. "Ah, yes, well, no damage done." He gestured to his face.
"Not on the outside, at least," I said.
He just looked at me, his grin still in place.
I wrung my hands together. "I guess I'm not sure how these things work."
"What things ?"
"Marriages." The word felt awkward in my mouth. "Proposals. Arrangements."
His eyes moved around my face, and his little flame of hope burned brighter. "So, you came all the way here—in the middle of the night—to ask me how marriages work?"
I stopped wringing my hands, squeezed my eyes shut, and let out a frustrated and very unladylike groan. "No, this is all coming out all wrong…" I opened my eyes again and looked straight at him. "I came here because I understand that your father would like to ally himself with Valdon through a union between you and me, and if that proposition is still valid, I came here to tell you that I accept."
My words hung in the spaces between us, and Danton stood there staring at them. And staring and staring, and then he walked forward, right through my words, step after slow step, to where he finally stopped just a few close feet before me.
"I don't want a union, Daria." His voice was too intimate. "I want a marriage. Can you give me a marriage?"
"Marriages are built on trust, Danton, and considering my experiences with you, I'd say calling it a union is more than generous." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I covered my mouth with my hand. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean…"
Danton shook his head as if shaking off my apology. "Now, there is the young woman I remember from the rooftops." Warmth glinted in his cold blue eyes, making him look less aristocratic and more…human. "No, I know I deserve that, just as I deserved that impressive right hook you delivered, and I probably deserve much more still. But for a moment there, I thought maybe the regency had…changed you."
"Oh, it has," I said. "Believe me, it has."
He studied me a moment, and then said, "And by that I assume you're referring to your being here now."
I opened my mouth and shut it again. This was not at all going how I'd planned. I was supposed to come here and tell him that I would marry him. Not remind him why I didn't want to.
"Look," I said. "You and I both know what our respective titles demand of us, and you know this better than I do. You even said it that night on the roof. Since then, I've accepted it. I won't pretend it's been easy. I didn't grow up knowing my life would be arranged for me, like you did, but I really have accepted it, Danton, and that's why I'm here. Willingly."
"But you still don't trust me," he said.
"I'm not sure why that's relevant."
He took a small step closer. "I want you to trust me."
"Well, you've never given me a reason to." My words landed harder than I'd intended, but he didn't look offended.
"I know I haven't, Daria," he said, "and I am sorry for that. I hope…I hope that in time I can help you see why I've done what I've done, but I want you to know that I would choose you. Never mind what the kingdom expects from us, as powers in this world. I would choose you, for you ." The intensity in his gaze made me uncomfortable, and I shifted. "You are as smart as you are beautiful, and I believe we have a lot to learn from each other. If I am to be married to one woman the rest of my life, I thank the spirits the one chosen for me is someone who has the mental faculties to contribute her own ideas."
"Once you hear my ideas, you might not think that anymore," I said, wanting to lighten his words. Wanting to ease the intensity of his eyes. Wanting so desperately to push him back.
"I don't know," he said. "I can appreciate a good challenge, and I definitely value new insight, when the point is valid, and I know your points usually are."
" Usually ," I teased. "You've been paying attention."
"Daria, what I mean to say is…" He
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