Adrienne was not making any sense and Aristide briefly wondered if the news had shocked the sense right out of her. Why should they be relying on outside sources when they had their own, strong family?

Aristide looked skeptical even as Adrienne said he was good enough for him. Honestly, she could have revealed that the man she was marrying was secretly Merlin reincarnated, a saint, a god even and he still likely would have scoffed at their lack of worth for her hand. As it was, Cassius Lestrange was handsome enough, he supposed. He had that Lestrange dark hair and blue eyes. Broody... Well, fine. Aristide could see the appeal in him from a physical standpoint but even so. Looks weren't everything and he knew next to nothing about the man beyond that.

"Protect me? You need not have considered that a factor," he said, his brow furrowing in further confusion the more his twin spoke. "There is more to it than that. What are you not telling me?"