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It would have been meant for my family.
For me.
For Irissa.
Anger flames to life in my chest as I look at her. The way her pale eyebrows knit together and the way she chews the corner of her lip betrays her worry, but I can also hear her galloping heartbeat that hasn’t slowed since I broke the news to her. I have an innate desire to protect her. She’s mine, and I can’t let anything happen to her.I won’t.
If this had gone differently, if the poison had reached her plate before it was discovered, there’s nothing I could have done to save her.
Nausea turns my stomach, and I swallow down the acid burning its way up my throat. I need answers, and I need them fast.
People trickle into the celebration hall, which hasn’t been rearranged since our wedding. I scan the room hastily for familiar faces and find my parents standing at the end of the room, my mother’s face buried into Father’s chest as he drapes a comforting arm around her. Orabelle is frantically pacing, clearly in distress as she wrings her hands, and Xaina is sitting stone still at one of the many tables around the edge of the room, staring off into space as dozens of servants move around the space.
Oryx and Lizette are nowhere in sight, but their absence doesn’t worry me. He’d mentioned taking her outside the castle to show her around, and there’s a good chance they’re still venturing through the streets.
Zenobios isn’t here either.
“What should we do?” Irissa asks softly, her eyes darting worriedly around the room. She’s afraid, which gives me extra reason to keep myself calm and collected. I can’t show weakness when she needs me to be strong.
“Come with me,” I order, reaching for her hand and dragging her across the hall.
We stop just short of my parents, and I make eye contact with my father. The tightness in his facial features and the fury radiating from his hard gaze tell me all I need to know about his mood. He can be lethal when approached without permission, but I know he’ll have more answers than anyone else.
“Father.” I tip my head in respect. “What do we know?”
Irissa huddles close to me, and I can sense her nervousness. I wish there was something I could do to alleviate her worry, a way I could comfort her, but my mind is racing, making it hard to focus. I instinctively drape my arm around her and pull her into me, loving the way she melts into my embrace.
“Not much,” he grunts, making my heart drop into my stomach.
I expect him to give an update on everything he knows, but he remains silent and his eyes fall to Irissa at my side. He means for me to send her away, but I hardly think that’s a fair request. After all, she will be the queen of Ulleh soon if things continue according to plan. She has a right to know what’s happening in her own castle.
Besides, I’m not letting her out of my sight.
“She’s staying with me,” I assure him.
It’s unintentional, but I hope my protectiveness of her will further prove the authenticity of our marriage. I need him to believe in it wholeheartedly if I expect him to relinquish the crown.
“I see.” His facial features remain hard and unamused as he speaks. “The deceased started to feel unwell after a routine taste test of the royal lunch. They were deceased within thirty minutes. We can’t identify the poison, and there are no suspects.”
“That’s all we know?” I manage to maintain my composure, despite my shock. That’s much less information than I’d hoped for.
He nods once. “I will keep you updated as information becomes available, but for now, yes. That’s all we know.”
“I understand. Thank you, Father.”
Not eager to linger in his presence longer than I have to, I lead Irissa toward a vacant table and usher her into a seat. She hasn’t said a word since we entered the hall, and I sense her anxiety soaring to an all-time high. Much like the night of our wedding, she’s fidgeting uncontrollably, and her pulse is racing. Unlike then, I can’t sweep her away from the crowd to soothe her nerves. We’re stuck here until my father deems it safe to leave, and I’m sure everyone will have to be accounted for before that happens.
I know it’s for good reason, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying.
“I know my reassurance probably doesn’t help,” I venture, clasping my hands casually on the tabletop. It’s still draped in a navy tablecloth, although the place settings and centerpieces have been removed. “Everything is going to be okay. It is a scary thing, but we spare no expense when it comes to security.”
“Thank you,” she says softly, swiveling her head to rake her eyes across the room. I know better than to ask who she’s looking for. Lizette seems to always be at the forefront of her mind.
“She’s safe with Oryx, Irissa,” I assure her. “My brother may be daft and overbearing, but I assure you there’s no one in this castle I trust more to keep her safe.”
“She’s safer with him than with you?” Even though her voice sounds deflated, I can tell she’s trying to joke. It must be a nervous response to try and make herself laugh.
Under normal circumstances I would never admit such a lie, but I can’t stand to see her hurting or afraid. “Possibly, depending on the day. We used to get in fights all the time when he was a teenager, and his stockiness always gave him an advantage.”
