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With one hand propped under her head, her fingers ran up and down ht “You only get to et to bind your soul with another one tiation…”

I turned to regard her “Are you just realizing this now?”

“I’ve always known I just…never really thought about it before” She turned away, her eyes growing lost in thought “My father wanted to marry me off to a prince so we could be closer to the throne, and I always assuhtsacrifice” She turned back to me “Does that bother you?”

Atheir souls permanently—or, at least, until one of the because there was nothing that could be done to unbind the two souls—except death That was how soes ended, in murder, because there was no other option But even if it did, you couldn’t remarry at a later tiht I’d marry for love anyway, so it doesn’t matter to me”

She turned her gaze ontime

I held her gaze, expecting her to say so

She broke the trance and looked elsewhere

Then we sat in silence

After a while, she spoke again “Are you close with your sister?”

“Yes”

“What does she do in HeartHolme?”

“She’s a citizen”

“She doesn’t serve your mother?”

“No”

She looked at me, like she knew there was more to that story that I didn’t want to share

“Elora and my mother aren’t close”

“Why?”

I never answered

She didn’t press enda for tomorrow?”

“I’ll be gone all day”

“And you expect me to stay?” Her eyes flashed with accusation

“Yes But I’ll give you a tour in the ”