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While the two traded conspiring chuckles, I gagged on my own bile and then swallowed raggedly. But dear God. I’d always known they were soulless. Both of them. This, however, was revolting.
“You can’t do this,” I blurted.
Wrong thing to say.
Sometimes, I could get away with talking to the king as Greggor did. But apparently, I’d reached my limit tonight.
My father arched a severe eyebrow. “But can’t I? Which one of us is the king here?”
The guards sent to detain Sable returned then, dragging the quivering, confused, and clearly frightened child into the throne room. She was still wearing her nightgown, for God’s sake, and her feet were bare.
The sight was more than I could take.
“Wait!” Leaping between her and the king, I lifted my hands, determined to talk my way out of this. I had failed my mother, but I would not fail my sister. “I’ll do anything. You absolutely cannot send her to the dungeon.”
“The what?” Sable cried, her eyes growing wide and her trembling increasing. “But what did I do wrong? I only left my room for those few minutes.” Reaching out to catch the sleeve of my tunic, she sobbed, “Farrow, what’s happening?”
I glanced at her and gripped her hand, my gaze apologetic and worried. Then I turned back to the king. “Please. She’s lived an indulged life; she’s not equipped to survive in such conditions. She’ll expire within a fortnight.”
My father waved an unconcerned hand. “Then I suggest you start your journey with the utmost haste, so she won’t suffer long.”
I shook my head. “It’ll take a moon cycle just to reach Donnelly and back, not to mention the amount of time I’ll need to complete my mission. Make her stay up in her rooms if you must, but not the dungeon. I beg you.”
“My word is final,” was all the king would allow. He flicked out a single finger. “Take her down now.”
“No!” I clutched Sable’s hand desperately, but a line of knights plowed into me, separating us roughly as they pulled Sable away.
“Sable?” I called, my fingers still straining her way.
But so many guards came between us that I could no longer even see her. All I could hear was her panicked voice as she screamed, “Farrow!” just before it was cut short and muffled.
“Son of a bitch! Stop.” I tried to move to the side, just to see her. “That is your princess, you fools. Go gently now.” But the guards moved with me, blocking my view. “Sable?”
And just as quickly as that, the guards stepped back.
I fell to my knees when I found that Sable was gone, already dragged away with her fate sealed. I sobbed out a sound and bowed my face, squeezing my eyes shut and trying to think. But I couldn’t come up with a sound plan.
Doom settled hard in my gut. I looked up at the king one last time, hoping to change his mind with the agony in my stare alone. But he wasn’t even paying any attention to me. He was too busy, scanning his remaining knights before he picked out two.
“You and you. Accompany the bastard to Donnelly. None of you return until you have their bitch princess in your possession. Otherwise, you’ll occupy a space in the dungeon next to your princess. Is that understood?”
The two nodded intently. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
And thus, it was decided.
There was nothing else I could do. His mind was set, and Sable’s life depended on me and my success in securing Princess Nicolette.
King Torrance lifted his eyebrows at me before repeating, “I said, is that understood?”
My teeth ground together hard as something inside me broke. Maybe it was my heart. Maybe it was my allegiance and loyalty. But it caused the fragmented shards to scatter until they reassembled into something that resembled defiance.
For, suddenly, I wanted to spit in his eye, pound my fists into his face, haul him down to the dungeon by his damned fur collar, and have him personally unlock Sable from her cell. But any of those options would be my own death, which would probably warrant Sable’s demise as well.
So I pushed stonily to my feet and glared, deciding once and for all that I no longer wished to be his son. I just wanted his pain.
“Understood,” I seethed.
He sniffed arrogantly, gleaning pleasure from my subordination. “Good.”
