She speaks earnestly, sitting beside me on the bed. I look at her, take her hands in mine, and let out all my breath as if wishing away the fright that makes everything inside me tremble—it doesn't disappear. Instead, it remains there, lodged in my chest, growing with each passing hour and the reality of this arrangement I've agreed to.

"I've already accepted, Marta," I say. "Christian realised that my grandfather was determined to marry me off to him for real, and seeing as it suited him, he agreed." I tell her honestly; since we've known each other, I've hidden nothing. Her eyes widen with surprise and concern—clearly, she hadn't...