And as Gwyn kept gaping at him, it occurred to her that her father had been… right?!Leave Roy here to stew without you,he’d told her that day in her apartment, with that knowing look in his eyes.Light a much-needed fire under the boy…
And goddess, Roy wassmilingagain, and it even looked genuine this time, curving rueful at his mouth. “Yes, you’re going to marry me,” he repeated, his voice low, as if Gwyn had shouted her disbelief across the room. “I know I’ve been putting it off for long enough. And look, I don’t even blame you for giving me a hard time over it, or trying to give me a good scare. If you’ll just let all this go, and come home, I’ll forget this even happened. And you can start visiting dressmakers, or make plans to overflow the chapel with pretty flowers or something, all right?”
Unbelievable.Unbelievable. Gwyn couldn’t stop staring at him, her heartbeat ringing in her ears. “You donot,” she somehow choked, “want to marry me, Roy. Youjustsaid you think I’m stupid! You’ve consistently disrespected my interests, my choices, and even my misplaced affections for you! And, last time I saw you, you threatened to burn down myhouse, and completely destroy my irreplaceable garden!”
Roy blinked at her, once — and then gave an uncomfortable little chuckle, a quick shake of his head. “Look, I just lost my temper, all right? Because I was worried about you. Because Icareabout you. Because you’re going to be mywife.”
Gwyn was shaking her head too, the incredulity jangling through her thoughts — but Roy only came a step closer, that smile still tilting up his mouth. “And Iknewyou probably wouldn’t believe me,” he said lightly, “so I’ve already set a wedding-date for next month, and sent off the announcement to the papers. The news will be public next week.”
Next month. Nextweek? Gwyn seemed utterly incapable of movement, of speech, and she just stood there, her mouth agape, as Roy came another step closer. “So come along, then,” he said, a little impatient, his head tilting sideways. “Unless you want to spend some time catching up first?”
His eyes had angled purposefully toward the closed door of Gwyn’s bedroom — toward where Silfast and Stella were still inside, oh goddess, and how had Gwyn forgotten that? They’d clearly had the sense to stay quiet, at least, but what if Roy walked over there right now? What if he saw them, and sawStella? He had soldiers outside, they couldcaptureStella, it would be a complete catastrophe, why couldn’t shethink…
“No,” Gwyn choked, and she felt herself desperately clutching to that word, to the solid truth beneath it. “No, Roy.No. I told you it’s over between us, and I meant it. You are not steppingfootin my bedroom. You are not taking me anywhere with you. And, most of all, you arenotmarrying me.Ever!”
Roy’s body betrayed a faint but unmistakable twitch, his jaw flexing in his cheek. “Yes, I am, Gwynevere,” he said, with enraging calm. “We have been betrothed for decades. I have your father’s permission. And I am only looking out for you, and supporting you, when you have clearly become increasingly unstable. Your father should never have allowed you to come here, and given even more credence to your make-believe commonerdelusions! And you can either come voluntarily, or I’ll drag you kicking and screaming behind me, and tell everyone I meet that you’ve had a full-on nervouscollapse!”
Oh, so now he was going there, the utter swine. Ofcoursehe was. And Gwyn didn’t know whether to laugh, or spit at him, or curl up in a corner and sob, because what the hell was she supposed to do with this? Why hadn’t she come up with a better plan? Would he truly just make her go, was there any way to salvage this, to make him see, make him leave…
“Even if you drag me out of here, Roy,” she said, her voice wavering, “I still won’t marry you. Because I — I met someone else. Someone else I… want to be with. Someone I… care about.”
The words seemed to flare through the room, ringing, reverberating — but Roy didn’t flinch. Didn’t even blink, his eyes gazing at her like that, cool and distant and hard.
“You met someone else,” he repeated, slow, very steady. “Someoneelse.”
“Yes,” Gwyn said, her voice harder now. “I’ve gotten to know him very well these past weeks. And not only does he understand me, but he — he respects me. He supports my work, and my goals. Hehelpsme. He would never call me stupid, or eventhinkof burning down my garden!”
Roy was still staring at her, not moving, not speaking, and Gwyn hauled in another breath. “And unlike you,” she continued, and was she going there, yes, yes, she was, “even if he meant for me to become… pregnant, he would offer me options. He would want me to do what’s best for me, even if that wasn’t what he wanted. He wouldhelpme, and be there for me. He wouldneverleave me to deal with it on my own, like you did!”
Her voice had risen, ringing through the room, resonating with a strange, swirling certainty. Yes, perhaps Joarr had started out just the same as Roy, with perhaps even the exact same plan — to trap her, for his own purposes, his own gain. But Roy had gone one way, ended up here, while Joarr had done the utter opposite. He’d tried to change the plan. He’d tried to make amends. He’d supported her. Stayed with her.
And yes, yes, he’d stayed. From the very first night, he’d always been there. Always. And even now, he’d followed her here, he’d refused to leave, he was surely still out there listening to every damned word she said…
While Roy kept staring at her like that, his eyes slowly narrowing. And then flashing with something new, something… understood. As if he’d…suspected. That he…wait.
Roy hadn’tknownwhere she’d been. He hadn’t known she’d gone to Orc Mountain. Had he?Hadhe?
“And let me guess, Gwynevere,” Roy said, his voice silken, deadly. “This new paramour of yours. Tall fellow, is he? Lanky and sneaky?Green? Hair to about” — he cut his hand against his throat — “here?”
Ice was suddenly pouring down Gwyn’s spine, freezing her feet to the floor, her eyes fixed to Roy’s — and out of nowhere, helaughed. Loud and long, grating against her ears, while his glinting gaze lit up with cruel, wicked satisfaction. Withfury.
“Oh, I know you think you’re soclever, Gwynevere,” he said, every word a sickening thud in her belly. “Now make yourself useful for once in your life, and tell me thetruth!”
The truth. Gwyn couldn’t breathe, her heart battering her ribs, her thoughts whirling up higher, higher, no, goddess, help, please —
But there was no help, only Roy stepping closer, his mouth still smiling, his eyes on fire. “Tell me,” he said. “Where is he?”
36
Where is he.Where is he.
Gwyn’s heart plunged in her chest, and she twitched a step backward, away from Roy, away from that terrifying look in his eyes.
“I have,” she gulped, “no ideawhat you’re talking about, Roy.”
But Roy’s laugh felt like more ice, dragging, shivering. “Yourorc, love,” he drawled at her. “The one who’s been following you formonths. The one who’s apparently knocked upmybetrothed with his disgusting orc spawn!”
What? Impossible.Impossible. And Gwyn’s shock was thankfully firing heat to her frozen body, her frozen brain, think,think…
