Chapter 48: The Proposal Beneath Politeness
744 Words
The evening settled into something calmer.
Or at least—
It appeared that way.
The grand hall had emptied, the formalities of arrival completed, leaving only a more intimate gathering within the inner chambers of the palace. Here, the air was quieter, but no less heavy.
Diana wasn’t meant to be here.
Which was exactly why she was.
She moved silently along the corridor, her steps light against the polished floor as she approached the slightly open doors ahead. Voices filtered through—low, controlled, deliberate.
She paused.
Not out of hesitation.
But instinct.
Inside, the kings and queens of two powerful kingdoms sat across from each other.
And they were discussing something important.
“…the bond is already evident,” King Alaric was saying.
Diana stilled.
Bond?
King Herald’s voice followed, steady. “We are aware.”
“Then you understand the advantage,” Alaric continued. “This is not merely coincidence.”
Diana’s brows furrowed slightly.
Advantage?
Queen Maltida spoke next, her tone softer—but thoughtful. “We will not rush her.”
Diana’s chest tightened faintly.
Rush… what?
Seraphina’s voice slipped in smoothly.
“No one is suggesting force.”
A pause.
“But alignment,” she added.
Diana stepped closer to the door, just enough to hear more clearly.
“Their connection strengthens both kingdoms,” Seraphine continued. “Politically. Strategically… and otherwise.”
Silence followed.
Not disagreement, consideration.
Diana’s fingers curled slightly at her sides.
They weren’t speaking vaguely anymore.
They were speaking about something specific.
Someone.
“…Diana,” Herald said quietly.
Her breath caught.
Maltida responded immediately. “She has just found her place again. I will not take that from her by placing expectations too quickly.”
A brief silence.
Then—
“She is already standing in expectation,” Alaric replied.
Diana’s chest tightened.
That… was true.
Seraphine leaned forward slightly, her tone measured.
“Our son does not oppose it.”
Diana froze.
“…Dylan?” Maltida asked.
“Yes.”
Something shifted in Diana’s chest.
Not surprise.
Something else.
Something more complicated.
Alaric continued, “He has made his intentions clear.”
Diana’s mind flashed briefly—
His words, his confession, give me a chance, he said
Her breath slowed.
“…And Diana?” Herald asked.
Silence.
Then—
“That,” Seraphina said, “is where your concern lies.”
Maltida didn’t deny it.
“She is not bound by duty in this matter,” she said firmly. “If this is to happen—it will be because she chooses it.”
Diana’s chest tightened again.
Choice.
The word lingered.
Alaric leaned back slightly, his expression unreadable.
“A union between them would secure more than alliance,” he said.
“It would solidify legacy.”
Legacy, bloodline.
Everything circled back to that.
Diana stepped back slightly from the door, her thoughts racing now.
This wasn’t just conversation.
This was planning.
Positioning.
Her future—
being discussed like strategy.
She turned—
And froze.
Dylan stood at the end of the corridor.
Watching her.
He didn’t look surprised.
Just… aware.
Of course he knew she was here.
Diana exhaled softly. “…You heard all of that.”
“Yes.”
No denial.
No attempt to soften it.
She crossed her arms slightly. “And you didn’t think to mention it?”
“I was going to.”
“When?”
“When you were ready to hear it.”
That almost made her laugh.
“…And you think I’m ready now?”
Dylan stepped closer.
Not too close.
But enough.
“I think you already knew,” he said.
Diana held his gaze.
“…That doesn’t make it easier.”
“No.”
Silence settled briefly between them.
Then—
“You don’t have to agree,” he added.
That caught her attention.
“…You’re not pushing it?” she asked.
Dylan’s expression didn’t shift.
“I meant what I said.”
A pause.
“I want you to choose it.”
Diana’s chest tightened again.
Not from pressure.
But from the absence of it.
And somehow—
That made everything more complicated.
Her voice dropped slightly.
“…And if I don’t?”
Dylan didn’t hesitate.
“Then I’ll accept it.”
A beat.
Then—
“And still stay.”
Silence.
Diana looked away first this time.
Because that—
That wasn’t strategy, that wasn’t politics.
That was something else.
Something she wasn’t sure she was ready to face.
- Writer
