The truth was too dangerous. I braced for the starlight’s punishment as I lied. “I only wished to give my future husband and I the choice if we wished it.” I would buy myself whatever hours I needed, until Fyn and I could escape.
“She is lying.” Soren looked past me to the window.
He hadn’t seen my body recoil—the surge of a sensation that had already become too much to handle. I hid it all, even when the pain seized me.
“I will see that they’re destroyed,” Kilan said. “Then we can all move forward with the matter behind us.”
It was private. It should have been my choice. They would take everything from me.
Soren’s nostrils flared when he finally looked at me. “It’s not enough. The damage has already been done.”
“This bag is full of them, save the one Remus took.” Kilan tilted it toward him. “The threat has been handled, Soren. How you choose to get your wife’s compliance is now up to you.”
“It is not enough.” Soren pressed his fingers into the arm of the chair as if he would mangle it if it were pliable. “The pact should have been nullified. I won’t marry her.”
I turned toward him, shocked that this man could give me the freedom I thought he would deprive me from. “Nullified?” Even when softly spoken, it gave me so much hope.
“There is no longer a reason for the marriage not to proceed. You shall have what you wish from her,” Kilan said.
“You will both fulfill your royal duties without further resistance.” The king pressed his hands into the desk, slowly rising from behind the chair. “You don’t need to like yourwife, son. I never liked your mother much—but here the two of you are.”
“And her betrayal. You expect me to overlook what happened between her and the fae lord?” Soren asked.
A chill overtook me. It hit me faster than I could name it.
“If she falls pregnant—how will I know the baby is even mine?” Soren’s words shook. “What will you tell the court if our child has ears like the fae? You said it yourself, Kilan, the bag is still full.”
No one was there. No one should have seen us. “I don’t know why you think you could imply such a thing, but whatever you’ve been told?—”
“I saw you, Ashlyn. I saw you kissing him this morning.” Soren’s words knocked the air out of me. “The tradesmen who journeyed with you confirmed that they only met you at the border. That he escorted you and that you were staying with him alone. And then I find you sneaking off with him after you were promised to me.”
“It is a good thing we require you alive. Women have been discarded for far simpler things in Estlen,” Kilan said.
They couldn’t have any reason to blame Fyn. Nothing could stop our plan. “It was only a kiss. Nothing else. I swear it.” I needed to get him.
“We will postpone the wedding.” The king sat back in his chair. “Until after she bleeds.”
My rage left me shaking. They were talking as if he had done so much more than kiss me. It was far too dangerous to let them think he had. “I can assure you that is unnecessary.”
“Father, you can’t let a scandal unfold like this in your court. A bride who is sneaking off with the Lord Chancellor of Nythrel. She has mocked me and this court. It is time we found a more suitable bride before the rumors spread,” Soren said.
I held onto hope I shouldn’t have even carried. “I understand if I’m no longer a suitable choice.”
“No one will speak poorly of you for it, Ashlyn. I will assure the truth is buried.” Kilan probably possessed the power to do that. If he could easily command their silence about something so appalling, there was no telling how he’d use his influence.
“The sudden delay in the wedding will be extremely noticeable. How could you possibly stop what they will say about it?” Soren asked.
“There are sure to be rumors, but none that will be aimed at you or your bride—only garner sympathy for the couple before you wed. And the delay is a natural circumstance considering the situation. You know it’s been done before.” The king’s crooked smile flashed across his lips for only a heartbeat. “He will not be a concern of yours anymore.”
“No. You didn’t.” The flicker of fear that held Soren terrified me. “Father, what have you done?” Soren sucked in a harsh breath.
“Saved you and your bride from political ruin. You should thank us, really,” the king said. “The Lord Chancellor was arrested.”
My vision blurred as I clutched the table.
It had to be a lie. I waited for the starlight to strike me, but it didn’t. I needed it to.
“Violating a woman is a very serious offense in Estlen. His transgressions will be dealt with.” The king almost sounded annoyed.
