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Chapter Fifty-Seven
Aika
My heartbeat thunders in my ears.
Is it the guard? Mother?
Belatedly, I notice Zaina shows no hint of surprise. She only shuffles closer to the door to get a peek. I narrow my eyes at her and gingerly follow suit, though I immediately regret it. My feet are throbbing, and each step is agony.
“May I help you?” The male Jokithan guard asks in the main room, but it isn’t Remy’s voice that answers.
“His Royal Highness Prince Francis has sent me with a missive for this room,” Lawrence says in a clipped tone. “I was instructed to give it to the king.”
The sound of heavy footfalls makes their way toward the door until Einar is visible. He reaches out and takes the note from Lawrence, flipping it over so that Zai and I can see the name “Gemma” written on the envelope.
“He sent this along with the note,” Lawrence adds and Einar opens the door a little wider to grab the box being passed to him.
What’s going on?
Einar inclines his head, and there’s a pause before Lawrence clears his throat pointedly.
“Yes?” Einar asks.
“His Royal Highness is risking a great deal.” His voice quiets. “I wouldn’t like to see that backfire on him.”
“Of course,” Einar says after a beat, his shoulders going tense.
“Oh, forgive me, I nearly forgot one more thing. Lady Delmara has arrived at the palace,” Lawrence says, as if it’s an afterthought and not the kind of news that has my heartbeat thundering even harder in my ears.
Einar only nods and closes the door.
Zaina helps me limp toward the sofa in the main room to sit, propping my feet up on the small table before standing to walk around.
“Do you think she’s here to see the queen about having you removed from the dungeons?” she asks.
“For the pretense of it, maybe,” I respond. “Damian promised to come back for me last night. He will have told her I was gone by now.”
Einar’s eyes widen, and he looks to Zaina for confirmation. My sister barely pauses in her pacing of the room to give him a curt nod. He curses under his breath, crossing the room to hand me the note from Lawrence.
I tear open the envelope to find that Remy’s brief words take up very little space on the royal stationery.
I have a way out.Meet me in the ballroom at the fifth bell.
-R
Zaina readsthe note over my head. She goes to open the box that accompanied it.
“I don’t plan on taking whatever ‘out’ he’s offering. The stupid boy doesn’t understand the danger he’s in.” I rub a hand over my face. “But I suppose if this is the only way to warn him, then so be it.”
Zaina’s brow furrows. She reaches into the box and pulls out an ombre mask that fades from white to gray to black.
Then, she removes a swath of black fabric and holds it up for me to see.
“How thoughtful of him to secure a dress for me to wear to his wedding.” I try to make a joke, but it falls flat. “I wonder if he’ll choose Lady Trinity for her lovely… assets.”
Zaina’s features soften slightly as she examines the gown. “Well, at least he knows your color.”
“Or he thinks I’ll be in mourning,” I respond bitterly.
