Eva’s arm caught mine. “It must be the excitement of everything.”
The starlight struck me—pulling at me as if it were in a contest with the exhaustion that already loomed over me.
Soren turned the corner and walked toward me as Eva took her place against the palace wall.
“We’ve gotten off to a poor start. Since you are to be my wife, I want to take the time to?—”
I laughed, but the sound was broken. “You hate me.” The words flowed out of my mouth quicker than I could stop them.
Soren squinted as he assessed me.
“You despise who I am—who they’ve told you to marry. It’s okay.” It was ironic. I’d be forced to live out my days with someone who didn’t want me.
“That is enough.” He grabbed my wrist before he dropped it. “I am trying.”
“Trying?” Every attempt to stop it only made me more aware of how I wasn’t in control. “This is you trying?”
I loved how angry he became when I said it. I love it too much.
My laughter cascaded until it drowned out the sound of his breath—until I was almost laughing as hard as I had when I drank the fae wine.
But there was no fae wine in Estlen.
“I’m not myself right now.” It had probably been apparent to everyone. It was only a matter of time before something in me snapped.
“Ashlyn—”
“I know, you wish to give me whatever I require—to have me pregnant within a month or two.” It was all he ever wanted.
“Is this all a joke to you?” He growled as he said it.
“Itisfunny.” I stumbled backward, scraping my back on the stone wall. “You hate me—and right now… I?—”
His nails dug into my arm as he yanked me upright.
“Your kingdom didn’t buy my heart or my mind. You just bought my?—”
“Don’t you dare say it,” he scolded me as if I was a child.
With each passing moment I grew more and more tired. And suddenly it became impossible to stop myself. “How will we survive each other?” They probably didn’t care about how I would survive him. “Will you just pretend I’m someone else when you’re?—”
“Enough!” His grip tightened on my arm. “I command your silence.”
“Let go of me.” There was an uneasy calm that settled within me—too abrupt to be natural.
His hand slipped free. “Eva, gather something for the princess to drink. I’m going to walk her to the sitting room so she can relax somewhere private.” Soren wrapped his arm around me. “She is unwell.”
I was well. I should have been well. The starlight struck me. A sweltering warmth climbed through me, and I closed my eyes.
Something tugged deep within me—rivaling the starlight, it clawed at me as he guided me down the hall and into the sitting room.
Plush maroon couches sat alongside ornately set tea tables. The rest of the room’s decor was too hazy to recognize.
He helped me lower onto the sofa.
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Eva returned with a glass of water. Her eyes widened as I gulped it down.
It didn’t help clear whatever had dried my throat.
