“Raelyn, I might be wrong, but it feels like you’re hiding something from me.” He gently squeezes my hand.
“You don’t understand,” I whisper. “There’s a scandal—if it were to get out, my family would be ruined.”
He tilts his head. “You can trust me. I swear upon Kyros.”
A bolt of heat zings through me at his words, and for some reason, I decide to trust him.
“I’m not truly an Astoria,” I whisper.
His brows rise. “What do you mean?”
“My stepmother said she has proof. Proof that I am not my father’s child, but a bastard.”
Kian sits back but does not let go of my hand as he considers my words. To my surprise, an amused laugh bursts out of him. “You are far too kind to be an Astoria; just look at the rest of your family.”
A strangled cry leaves my throat, and I reach up to wipe away a stray tear. This is not the response I expected.
“Rae, if you think I give two shits about who your parents are, you’re mistaken.”
“But surely your father would care, would he not?” I ask. “I can imagine if he had to choose between a pedigreed princess or the bastard child of Lord Astoria’s late wife, there would be no question.”
He shakes his head. “It truly doesn’t matter to me.”
“Stepmother will never agree to a match between us, even if the king does approve,” I say. “And it sounds like Father won’t be home for a good long time.”
“If ever . . .” the prince mutters under his breath.
“What did you say?”
The prince winces. “I don’t mean to worry you, but there is some concern regarding the death of your stepmother’s previous husbands . . . I worry she might be hiding things.”
My entire body freezes up. Despite knowing that he most likely is not my true father, he is all I’ve ever known. The thought that perhaps he won’t return at all turns my blood to ice.
“Do you think he’s in danger?”
“I’m honestly not sure. I can try to pry some information out of my father about where he went, if you like, but at this point, all I have to offer is speculation.”
I shake my head. “Regardless, my stepmother has made it clear that I am to end things with you or she will reveal my secret.”
Kian lets go of my hand and rises to his feet, pacing back and forth on the decorative rug. “Do you really think she would?” He ponders. “Perhaps she is merely bluffing. The news would make her look bad too.”
I wrap my arms around my middle, my stomach aching with all the surprises and information I’ve gleaned in the past hour. “Perhaps you’re right,” I admit. “But you don’t understand. She can make my life here a nightmare. She already has.”
Kian bristles as he stops in front of me, his hands clenched into fists. “I need to get you out of this house.”
I have to ask, even though I’m not sure I want the answer. “Why do you even care, Kian?”
His frame softens, and he kneels before me. My heart starts to thud in my chest at the proximity. “I care about the people of my kingdom,” Kian says. “That includes you. I hate seeing how unfairly you’ve been treated here, and if there’s something I can do to help, I want to do it. Besides, this marriage is good for both of us. We both get what we want.”
The flicker of hope that perhaps he might have been growing fond of me is quickly doused. He’s not doing this out of someunfounded sense of love or loyalty. He’s doing it because he’s a good personandit’s beneficial for him. I need to remember that.
I roll my shoulders back and let some sarcasm slip free. “Glad I can be your charity case, then.”
Kian blows out an exasperated breath. “Believe what you will, but I do want to help.”
Shrugging, my hands open in helplessness. “But how?”
Kian’s silver eyes light up before he whispers, “We elope.”
