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"Just tell me if you want me to be here or not," I whispered "Please"

He lowered his head, as if he wanted to kiss me, but he pulled away at the last second "What I want should never dictate what you do I want you to be happy, and so long as you are content, I will be, as well" That wasn’t an answer and he knew it, but I def lated and followed Henry into the bedrooht, either I knew things weren’t going to be perfect, and in with, or maybe it was the reminders of Persephone everywhere I looked, but all I wanted was a little reassurance A touch A kiss A word

Anything

I brushed ainst the jeweled f lower in h for now

"I presume Ava showed you the closet," said Henry "You h as the cere dressier than you ht," I said softly "Can I ask you so?"

"Of course"

I hesitated Did he love me? Was he still in love with Persephone? Did he even want me to be crowned his queen, or was I simply a stand-in for my sister? Why hadn’t he come to see e it took forto f ind soined the inevitable six months of tension and loneliness if I didn’t, but I came up empty Every piece of me was drenched in sick fear that Henry didn’t wantwith it because my mother and the rest of the council had forced him to That I would be to Henry what he had been to Persephone: nothing but an obligation So I copped out

"Which dress do you prefer?"

As Henry led owns, I reached for his hand, but the moment I touched hiown I’d admired before "What about this?" Nausea washed over me Maybe he’d simply reached for the dress and hadn’t realized I’d been reaching for hi to make before I did Nothat he’d done it on purpose

But continuing to f ight would only give hih of that for one day Tonight, after the cere was settled, then ould talk, and I wouldn’t give hi a smile I took the dress, but before I couldechoed froer

Ja short when he sawthere with Henry His shoulders slus, and I could have sworn I saw a f lash of resentone, replaced by the same blankness that had been there earlier

"There’s been another attack"

Henry stiffened, and any hope I had of an afternoon with hiown and handed it to me, and one moment he was beside me, and the next he was in the bedroom