Chapter Thirty-Eight

Adea was speechless, her heart pounding so hard in her chest that she could feel it in the rib Lyda had broken. Eran’s proposal caught her off guard. Typically, one would not be asked to marry until after taking their vows, but otherwise was not unheard of. Regardless, Adea was overwhelmed with excitement, the blood beneath her face running hot as Eran cast a sideways glance at her. Even Alyra was awash with elation, her hands over her mouth as tears began to seep from her eyes.

The only one to not give the slightest hint of a reaction was Adea’s father. Eran found it difficult to look Matthias in the aged, gray eyes, and he only stared back with an emotionless face and his arms crossed, as if trying to get some sort of response from the young man. 

Amidst the awkward silence, Matthias turned his head to look back at his oldest daughter sitting