Chapter 5
Outside, snow covered the ground, with the holly standing out against the cold. Inside, the warmth from the fireplace made the room feel almost like spring.
Rayne stood by the window, a Bible resting in her hands.
"Rayne, I have a close friend who's dealing with a guy, and I was hoping to get your thoughts on it," I said.
"So, what's going on? Did the guy mess around and ditch her, or did your friend start falling for someone else?" Rayne asked.
I said, "Actually... I... She saved this guy's life, and now he wants to repay her by marrying her. She felt sorry for him, so she agreed and even accepted his love token.
"But she's been promised to someone else since childhood, and now both the guy she saved and her fiancé are pursuing her. She can't afford to upset either of them."
Rayne replied, "That's a tricky situation. There are two guys, but your friend is only one person.
"If I were her, I'd probably stick with my fiancé and honor the engagement. As for the guy she saved, if she has enough sisters, she could marry him off to one of them. That would solve everything.
"Since she saved his life, he'd probably treat her sister well. That way, everyone gets what they want."
After she finished speaking, Rayne looked at me, furrowing her brows in confusion. "You've just arrived in Jinlesburg. When did you even make a close friend? Which family does she come from? Why haven't I heard of her before?"
"Back from that small town!" I blurted out, waving my hands nervously.
Rayne suggested, "Tell your friend that relationships are always messy and hard to figure out. She should make a clean break and decide quickly. Engagements are usually arranged by parents or matchmakers, so she should try to get along with her fiancé.
"If the guy she saved comes from a powerful family, marrying off a sister could help forge a strong alliance."
Rayne's advice helped clarify things for me.
My engagement to Bradley had been arranged since we were children. Breaking it off would be nearly impossible. On top of that, he had the backing of the noble consort, and his uncle was the grand general of the country.
If I went against Bradley, not only I but the entire Garrison family would be at risk.
As for having one of my sisters marry Alexander, that could actually work. I had a twin sister, and Alexander had been following Rayne around since they were young.
Still, I needed to talk to Alexander and make things clear. Even if he yelled at me or hit me, I'd endure it, as long as he left the Garrison family and me in peace.
*****
To my surprise, only three days later, Alexander arrived in person to visit us. He brought a stack of gifts and a royal decree from the king himself.
He had made waves with his anti-corruption campaign, finally catching the king's attention.
As a result, he was granted the title of Prince of Anlense, and the childless queen took a liking to him, keeping him close. She even petitioned for him to marry my father's eldest daughter, my twin sister, Rayne.
Alexander had come for two reasons. First, the king wanted to reward me for saving Alexander back in the small town, and second, he was there to announce the royal decree and formally propose to Rayne.
His sudden visit disrupted Mercer and Omari's chess match and pulled Rayne and me away from watching on the sidelines.
Mercer took the royal decree and sighed. "Rayne is gentle and poised, and she's been close to Alexander since childhood. Their bond is truly unique. The queen has clearly put a lot of thought into this arrangement."
Was it really only about their connection, as Mercer suggested? Or was there some deeper scheming behind the scenes?
The queen, who had no children of her own, kept Alexander as her son, making him the official heir. This meant he had a legitimate shot at becoming king one day.
Meanwhile, I was engaged to Bradley, who also had a strong claim to the throne.
No matter which prince ascended to the throne, the Garrison family would be secure.
Upon hearing Mercer's words, Alexander smiled and handed the royal decree to him.
"The queen mentioned that I'm all alone at the temporary palace, and Anlense Manor is still under construction. Would it be okay if I stayed here for a while, Mr. Garrison?" Alexander asked.
Mercer agreed without hesitation, offering him the courtyard next to mine.
After bidding Mercer goodbye, I sent Alexander a note, inviting him to dinner at Craving House.
I had been concerned about how to get Rayne to marry him, but with the queen's arrangement and his clear infatuation with Rayne, he had finally gotten what he wanted.
I figured that as long as I talked things through with him today, we could laugh it off and let bygones be bygones.