The queen shot a withering stare at her son.
I stood in silence, unable to utter the words I knew I must.
King Thalorys wrapped his arms across his chest. “You will answer him.”
I studied Lioran—desperate to remember every silver fleck the sun illuminated in his eyes.
The king raised his hand in front of me. The onyx felt like ice on my chest. Lioran’s jaw clenched.
“Thalen can’t claim me. I was never his.” The words flowed from my mouth without thought. I shouldn’t have utteredthem at all.
The room spun. Each breath caught in my throat. The corset pressed into my chest—it seized my lungs.
“You can’t decide my future.” My arms shook. I shouldn’t have utter anything else. I didn’t want to, but my mouth parted again. Every thought spilled from my throat—without control. “You can’t demand anything of me.”
I recoiled with my own words. An inky darkness tugged at the corners of the room.
Lioran’s nostrils flared.
“Thalorys…” The queen rose to her feet. Her mouth formed a half grin that felt threatening, not to him, but to me. She turned over her shoulder to look back at the king. “Let her speak of her own free will,” the queen said.
A sharp pang rang out in my lungs.
“You promised you wouldn’t harm her.” Lioran examined me as his hand steadied my back again.
“She appears unscathed to me.” He waved his hand, releasing me fully. Air rushed into my lungs at a forceful rate. “If you answer what I ask, I will have no reason to compel you to answer me again.”
“Yes, your majesty.” My chest pounded with each breath. The king pulled at the bottom of his tunic.
This wasn’t Bailoc. I had no say there, but here, I had even less.
The queen’s icy glare settled on me.
“Tell her what has been decided about your future bride, Lioran,” the queen commanded.
I couldn’t bear to hear about her. “Please…” Each word I spoke threatened to take more than I could give.
“It hasn’t been decided.” Lioran hadn’t moved.
“Enough,” King Thalorys interjected. “Your future king commanded your decision. You will look him in the eyes and give it. Tell him you will marry Lord Thalen of the Vale. Now.”
They could have commanded it, could have sent me away, but instead they wanted me to say it—they wanted me to crush him with my words.
I wouldn’t.
My chin tilted upwards, until my eyes locked with Lioran’s. “I will not bond with Lord Thalen,” I said.
Lioran exhaled. I watched his shoulders fall.
It was a dangerous game. There was little hope I would win.
My lungs drew a deep breath, free and steady. I looked out the massive windows at a tree that arched over it. Its abundant leaves shone in the sunlight.
Nausea claimed me, the bile singed the back of my throat.
Lioran would never be mine again, but I would stand on my own.
My eyes settled on his. In my mind, I told him how much I loved him, how much I always would. He wouldn’t hear my thoughts, but from the look on his face—he knew.
