Chapter 6 #2
Father moved around to his side of the desk but didn’t take his own seat. Instead, he loomed over me in that way he’d perfected when Amelia and I were children. The way that made you feel small and insignificant and painfully aware of every way you’d disappointed him.
“Would you care to explain what that performance was about?” His voice was deadly quiet, which was somehow worse than if he’d been shouting.
“I was being a supportive brother,” I said, keeping my tone as neutral as possible. “Sharing information about Amelia’s... unique qualities.”
“Unique qualities.” He repeated the words like they tasted bitter. “You mean the lies you just told about your sister in front of some of the most influential families in our social circle.”
“Were they lies, though?” I asked, tilting my head slightly. “Amelia is independent. She doesn’t like being told what to do. And she did break that guy’s leg last year, though admittedly it was during sparring practice, not some random act of violence.”
Father’s jaw tightened. “You know exactly what you were doing, Archer. And you know exactly why the Pemberton family connection is important to us right now.”
“Because we need to distance ourselves from the Voss scandal,” I said. “You’ve mentioned that several times.”
“Then you understand why sabotaging a potential alliance is not only foolish but actively harmful to this family’s interests.”
I stood up, no longer able to sit still under his disapproving stare. “Maybe Amelia doesn’t want to be sold off to the highest bidder. Maybe she wants to make her own choices about who she marries, if she marries anyone at all.”
“This isn’t about what Amelia wants,” Father snapped, his carefully controlled facade cracking slightly. “This is about family responsibility. Something you seem to have forgotten exists.”
“I haven’t forgotten anything,” I shot back, feeling my own control slip.
“I’ve spent my entire life being the perfect son.
Perfect grades, perfect behavior, perfect compliance with every rule and expectation you’ve ever set.
But I draw the line at watching you auction off my sister like prize livestock. ”
The silence that followed was deafening. Father stared at me with an expression I couldn’t quite read, while I tried to process the fact that I’d just said all of that out loud. To his face. Without thinking it through first or considering the consequences.
“Sit down,” he said finally, his voice even quieter than before.
This time I obeyed immediately, my brief surge of rebellion already fading into familiar anxiety. Father moved to the window, looking out at the perfectly manicured gardens that Mother spent a fortune maintaining.
“Do you think this is easy for us?” he asked without turning around. “Do you think your mother and I enjoy the constant political maneuvering, the careful balancing of alliances and obligations?”
I didn’t answer, mostly because I genuinely wasn’t sure.
“The Voss situation nearly destroyed us, Archer. Theodore’s... choices... reflected poorly on every family associated with them. We’ve spent months rebuilding relationships, proving our loyalty to the right people, ensuring that our children’s futures aren’t compromised by someone else’s scandal.”
He turned back to face me, and for a moment he looked older than his years. Tired.
“Constantine Pemberton represents stability. His family has never been involved in any controversies, they have extensive business connections throughout the magical community, and an alliance with them would secure Amelia’s position in society.
It would also demonstrate our commitment to traditional values. ”
“Traditional values,” I repeated, the words leaving a sour taste in my mouth. “You mean like arranged marriages and treating women like bargaining chips.”
“I mean like family loyalty and understanding that individual desires sometimes must be secondary to collective well-being.”
I stared at him, trying to reconcile this conversation with the man who used to read me bedtime stories and teach me chess on Sunday afternoons. When had he become so... cold?
“What about what makes Amelia happy?” I asked quietly.
“Happiness is a luxury, Archer. Security is a necessity.” He moved back to his desk, finally sitting down across from me. “Besides, Constantine is a perfectly acceptable young man. Educated, well-mannered, from a good family. Amelia could do far worse.”
“She could also do far better.”
“Such as?”
The question caught me off guard. What did I want for Amelia?
Someone who made her laugh the way she laughed when she thought no one was watching.
Someone who appreciated her sharp wit and fierce independence instead of trying to suppress it.
Someone who saw her as more than just a pretty face and a prestigious last name.
“Someone who actually wants to be with her,” I said finally. “Someone who sees her as a person, not a political alliance.”
Father leaned back in his chair, studying me with those sharp blue eyes. “And what about you, Archer? When the time comes for us to arrange your marriage, will you be equally resistant to family obligations?”
My stomach dropped. We’d never discussed my marriage prospects directly.
I always figured, being the only son, I’d be able to choose my partner.
But then again, the way things were going with my parents, I doubted they were going to open to the idea of a gay son.
And if they found out what I’d done in Pigeon Forge less than twenty-four hours ago…
well, let’s just say I probably wouldn’t be going back to college without an escort.
The question hung in the air between us, far heavier than I expected.
I could feel my pulse quickening as I tried to figure out how to answer without revealing too much about myself.
About what I really wanted. About the fact that I’d spent last night with another man’s dick in my ass and couldn’t stop thinking about doing it again.
“I...” I started, then stopped. The smart answer would be to say something about duty and family expectations. To assure him that when the time came, I’d be just as compliant as he wanted Amelia to be.
But the memory of amber eyes and skilled hands was still too fresh, too vivid. The way Valen had made me feel alive in a way I’d never experienced before. Free. Like I could be anyone I wanted to be instead of just the perfect Quinn heir.
“I think people should marry for love,” I said quietly, the words feeling both terrifying and liberating as they left my mouth.
Father’s expression didn’t change, but something cold flickered behind his eyes. “Love is a fairy tale, Archer. A luxury that families like ours cannot afford.”
“Don’t you and Mother love one another?” I asked. It sounded deeply childish the moment the words left my lips.
“No,” he replied definitively. Then his expression shifted, melancholy seeping in at the edges.
“Maybe we did once…” He shook his head. “This isn’t about us.
This is about you and Amelia. And both of you, by your twenty-fifth birthday, will be married even if I have to bind you myself.
” He waved a hand at me dismissively. “And if you start spreading lies about your sister again, I will do far more than that. Now go.”
I could see that steely look in his eyes again. He was unreachable. So, instead of trying to argue or plead, I just stood up and left the room.
Maybe it was a good thing my amber-eyed stranger could never find me again. If my father ever found out I’d gotten involved with a human, Valen might just disappear forever. At least, without me around, he’d be safe.
As for me though… well, it looked like I wasn’t going to have much choice in anything when it came to living my own life. And neither was Amelia.