Lioran passed through the doorway. His eyes followed Fyn’s hand to the hilt of the sword, and his body stiffened. “Fyn?” Lioran’s eyes darted between us. “What happened?”
“Take her somewhere private,” Fyn whispered.
Lioran’s eyes narrowed. “Aelira?” His voice whispered my name, but I couldn’t respond.
I bit my lip instead.
Dozens of celestial patterns danced upon the ceiling of Lioran’s study—glowing from the flickering light of the hearth. An unexpected calm settled within me as I looked up above at them. For a moment, I was back in Bailoc, back in the silence of my chambers—where I used to look at an almost identical pattern of stars my mother had painted on my ceiling.
“What happened? Why was Fyn guarding you like that?” His voice quaked. I quietly stared at the ceiling. I didn’t want to ask him.
He reached for my hand, but I pulled away from him the moment he touched me. “You didn’t say anything the whole way here. You won’t even look at me. What happened?”
My heart splintered with Elric’s accusation. I hesitated a moment longer before I forced myself to ask him. The tears pooled as I struggled to ask what I needed to. “Do you love me?”
“Yes, I love you.” His eyes narrowed. “You know that. What does this have to do with Fyn? Tell me now. If the two of you…”
I shook my head as I stepped back from him. My eyes searched his, desperate for the truth behind his words.
“This isn’t about Fyn. It was never about Fyn,” I blurted.
His stance eased. “Then please tell me why you’re standing in my study looking at me like that...asking me if I love you.”
“You came to the wall looking for me. You knew I was there. Once you knew what my magic was you brought me here.”
“I told you. I sensed you.”
“Cora told you I would be there.”
“Yes. But why does that matter? I felt your presence—I found you.”
I inhaled, holding tight on the air—too afraid that my words would tumble with it.
“Someone told me you wanted me to believe you love me so I would restore your kingdom. That it’s all a lie.” The words cut even deeper as I spoke them.
His gaze narrowed. “Who told you that?” The brilliant silver in his eyes faded.
“I…”
The air grew thick around us. His anger leached into it. “Who are you confiding in?”
He never looked at me like that before.
He was broken, too.
Seeing him that way told me a truth I shouldn’t have attempted to uncover. He wasn’t lying to me. Elric was.
“Lord Elric.”
He grabbed a book off his desk and threw it at the wall. I flinched as the thud echoed. “Elric…and you believed him…you…” He shook with each word he spoke.
“You didn’t tell Pyrran that you loved me,” I snapped. “He said you couldn’t… and you didn’t tell him he was wrong.”
“Do you know what would have happened if I challenged him then? We discussed what he was doing. But still you’re standing in front of me accusing me of lying to you."
“I need to hear the truth—whatever it is.” My heart crushed under the weight of the words I uttered.
“The truth is that I’m standing in front of the only woman I’ve ever loved and she’s telling me that she doesn’t believe it.” His nostrils flared. “I don’t know what to do to make you believe me.”
