“I was only thinking that what I did was to save Stephanie from having to – marry you and now that she is safe because the Grand Duchess is dead you do not – have to take a – wife from Ovenstadt.”
The King laughed and it was a very tender sound.
“I know exactly what you are doing, my darling,” he said, “You are safeguarding yourself against any reproaches I might make in the future about being pressurised into marriage by you or by magic.”
He laughed again before he added,
“But that is exactly what is happening and you or gypsy magic, it does not matter which, have made it utterly impossible for me to marry anybody else. So the sooner you fulfil your part of the bargain the better!”
He raised her hand to his lips as he went on,
“We are already married according to gypsy law which, wh
