Lioran’s chest shuddered. His gaze caught mine—there was a glimpse of terror laced with pain. He stood there still. There was no protest—no claim. He would just let me walk away as if I meant nothing at all. Nothing in my life had ever stung so deep—not the wound from the sylkren, not when King Ardyn called me worthless, or traded me for supplies.
Thalen nudged me again and pushed me closer to thethrone room doors. I don’t even remember leaving, but suddenly we were standing out in the courtyard.
The doors slammed behind us.
Thalen’s shoulders stiffened. “This isn’t what I wanted.”
I pried his fingers off my back. “That is all you have to say? I thought you were here to reclaim me.”
The vile words settled on my tongue. Thalen’s gaze sharpened, and then I knew I shouldn’t have said them.
Fyn and Cora waited near a single tree that lay in the center of the courtyard. It twisted up through an arched opening. The sun shone down on Fyn—it highlighted the glare in his eyes. Cora watched the others as they passed through the space, only once did her eyes lift to look back at me.
“He stole you from me. Tried to steal a future from you,” Thalen said.
“You humiliated me…you treated me like I was nothing but a?—"
“You were humiliated?” he snapped. “It wasyourchoice.”
The glare in his eyes cut through me. I bit my tongue to keep from saying more.
“What did Lioran have to say? Did he say anything at all on your behalf?” Each word was more pointed than the last. “Everything you risked…and he just stood there.”
Thalen inhaled slowly—his exhale was even more controlled.
His hand slid down my waist slowly—his gaze trailed me. As his thumbs grazed my stomach, it revolted. “You don’t have to face this alone; I will be there with you…every step of the way.” He spoke with complete certainty. “I want a life with you—as my wife.”
How could he want that? He still barely knew who he stood in front of.
“Face what?” I asked him as I pulled away.
“What you’ve created. You’ll need me.”
“Lord Thalen, an urgent correspondence arrived for you.” Lord Elric walked up behind me. He didn’t address me at all—only held out a slender piece of parchment. Thalen’s fingers wrapped around it, but his eyes didn’t lower from mine.
“Your Highness, please consider my offer—before it’s too late for you to decide otherwise.” Thalen spoke the words like he hadn’t just threatened me—like he wouldn’t force me to marry him, but I didn’t believe it.
Without even glancing back, Thalen left with Elric. The moment he disappeared from view, Fyn and Cora headed toward me.
“Well that just confirmed what we were all suspecting…” Fyn growled. “If Thalen touches you again?—”
“What happened?” Cora asked.
“Thalen accused Lioran of knowing me…” Nausea rolled through my body reliving the accusation—heat returned to my cheeks. I struggled to say the word. “Intimately.”
“What did Lioran do?” Cora asked.
“He avoided the accusation.” My eyes squinted in the sun’s glare.
“What could he have done?” Fyn’s eyes surveyed mine.
“Anything,” I whispered, blinking back the tears that finally formed.
“What does Thalen want now?” Fyn asked.
“He says he wants a life with me.” I heard the words as they escaped my lips and almost didn’t believe them.
“I can think of many ways to propose to someone, but that isn’t one of them,” Fyn scoffed as he gritted his teeth.
