“On that note, a congratulations is in order.”
“Really?” I closed the book I’d been reading and stood up.
I didn’t want to be that close to Finn anymore, so I went over to a shelf and put the book away. I wasn’t sure if it was the right spot, but I needed an excuse to move.
“You’re getting married,” Finn said, his voice cool and even. “Congratulations is appropriate.”
“Whatever.” I shoved the book hard in the bookcase and turned around to face him.
“You can’t be mad at me for being supportive,” Finn said, letting disbelief tinge his words.
“I can be mad at you for whatever I want.” I leaned against the bookcase. “But I don’t get you at all.”
“What is there to get?” Finn asked.
“You practically ripped my arm off because you thought I was flirting with Loki. But I’m getting married to Tove, and you treat us both like nothing’s happening.”
“That’s entirely different.” Finn shook his head. “The Vittra was bad for you. He would hurt you. Tove is your intended.”
“My intended?” I scoffed. “Were you protecting me for him? Making sure that nobody else tainted me until Tove got me?”
“No, of course not. I was merely protecting you. Your good name, your image.”
“Right. That’s what you were doing when you had your tongue down my throat?”
“I don’t know why you always resort to being so crude.” He lowered his eyes in disapproval.
“I don’t know why you always have to be so proper!” I shot back. “Can you tell me how you really feel for once? I’m marrying somebody else! Don’t you care at all?”
“Of course I care!” Finn yelled, his eyes blazing.
“Then why aren’t you doing something?” I asked as tears filled my eyes. “Why don’t you at least try to stop me?”
“Because Tove will take care of you. He will defend you.” Finn swallowed hard. “He will be able to do things for you, with you, that I never could. Why would I take that away from you?”
“Because you care about me.”
“It’s because I care about you that I can’t!”
“I don’t believe you.” I shook my head. “You don’t even care when I’m with him. How could you get so angry when I was with Loki? You admitted you were jealous when I hung out with Rhys. But when I’m around Tove, you’re fine.”
“I’m not fine.” He sighed in frustration. “But it doesn’t feel the same when you’re with Tove. It doesn’t bother me as much.”
“How can it not bother you?” I asked, totally dismayed.
“Because he’s gay, Wendy!” Finn said finally, sounding exasperated.
For a moment I was too stunned to say anything. I just played over every moment I’d ever shared with Tove until I realized that what Finn had said made sense.
“He’s gay?” I asked quietly.
“Don’t tell him I told you, okay?” Finn grimaced and looked apologetic. “I shouldn’t be doing that. It’s his private thing, and it’s not my job to be airing his business.”
“Then why is he marrying me?”
“What did he tell you when he proposed?” Finn asked.
“He said … because he believed in me and wanted me to be the leader.” I thought back to the conversation. “He did it to support me, to save our people. For the same reasons I accepted the proposal.
“He’s gay,” I repeated. After that sank in, something new hit me, and I shook my head. “That’s why you don’t care. You know that I don’t love him, that I never will, so you’d rather me marry him? But you thought I loved Loki, or that I could.”
“It’s more than that, Wendy.” Finn shook his head. “Loki would hurt you.”
“But that’s not why you got mad. You were jealous because I might love somebody else.” Anger surged through me. “You’d rather I live a lie than find happiness with someone else.”
“You think you’d find happiness with a Vittra Markis?” Finn scoffed. “He’s dangerous, Wendy. I didn’t trust him around you.”
“You didn’t trust him because you knew I cared about him!”
“Yes!” Finn shouted. “And you shouldn’t. He’s a bad guy!”
“You don’t even know him!” I yelled back.
“Do you want to go run off with him?” His face went stony, trying to hide any hurt he might feel. “Is that what you’re saying? That I prevented you from living a fairy tale with him?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying.” I swallowed my tears. “I prevented myself from running off with him because I knew what was best for the kingdom was me staying here. But I can’t believe how selfish you are. You say everything you do is for me, but if that were true, you’d encourage me to go after happiness, instead of trapping me here with you.”
“How have I trapped you here?” Finn asked.