Standing in the Springshaper gardens with three very different men waiting for my response, I felt the familiar sensation of being caught between forces far larger than myself. This wasn't just about choosing who to spend an afternoon with—everyone present understood that my decision would signal something significant about my preferences and potentially reshape the entire social dynamic surrounding the potential engagement that had been discussed between my family and the royal house.
I looked at each of them in turn, trying to process the complex emotions their presence stirred within me.
