Page 124 of Troll Queen


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Rharreth, still holding the knife between his fingers, reached forward, and released the stone binding Prince Edmund’s wrists. “I have no wish for war, King Averett. Please see that no moreunauthorized visitsoccur in the future. We are at peace. I expect Kostaria to be treated as such.” As he finished, he shoved Prince Edmund toward the line of elves and soldiers.

Prince Edmund stumbled a few steps forward but did not fall. He glanced over his shoulder, and when Rharreth made no move to stop him, the Escarlish prince walked across the distance to join his brother.

King Averett swept a glance over Prince Edmund, as if to ascertain that he was all right, before he faced Rharreth. “I have no wish for war either, King Rharreth. We sent avisitorto Kostaria to keep an eye on the segments of your people still antagonistic to Tarenhiel and Escarland. Due to the recent coup, you cannot deny that those elements are still strong within your kingdom. When your kingdom no longer poses a threat to your southern neighbors, then I can assure you that my brother will make no more such visits to Kostaria.”

Melantha felt all the sharp-edged jabs going back and forth between Rharreth and King Averett. In the glares and subtext, Rharreth had just told King Averett that he was not happy that Escarland had been spying on Kostaria. King Averett, in turn, told Rharreth that he was not pleased that Rharreth had not kept his people from violating the peace treaty and that Drurvas’s rebellion proved that Escarland had good cause for spying.

Neither side mentioned that there were likely more spies—probably a number of Weylind’s elves and maybe another human or two—as if both Rharreth and King Averett were willing to pretend Prince Edmund’s presence was an isolated incident.

For several long moments, Rharreth and King Averett held each others’ hard gazes. Then, they both gave a slight nod, coming to a silent understanding.

Melantha internally relaxed, though she kept her back straight and her expression neutral. Rharreth and King Averett had just agreed to let the matter of spying drop.

Rharreth clasped Melantha’s hand, enveloping her fingers in his large, calloused ones. His dark blue eyes searched her face. “Are you sure about this?”

That set Melantha’s stomach to churning again. She knew this was the right thing to do. But that did not make it easy. “Yes. I need to do this to restore my honor before my family.”

“I understand.” He held out his knife. When she took it, he let go of her hand and reached up to trail his fingers through her hair before letting his arm fall back to his side.

It stiffened her spine that Rharreth truly understood. He was the one who taught her about honor, after all.

Gripping the knife, its hilt cold against her fingers, Melantha strode forward. She did not meet Weylind’s or Farrendel’s gazes, though she felt the prickling of their stares. When she stood only a few feet in front of Farrendel, she knelt on the ground and bowed. Her hand holding the knife trembled.

She drew in a deep breath. “Farrendel, shashon. I hurt you more than I will ever know. I was so very wrong about so many things. I am the one who brought shame to our family, not you. I am the one who is dishonored, not you.”

Melantha gripped her hair with one hand and raised the knife.

“No. Melantha. Do not.” Farrendel’s voice was low, pained.

She finally dared to look at him. He was trembling, fighting against Weylind’s restraining arm. Princess Elspetha gripped his other arm. A furrow bunched his forehead, his silver-blue eyes wide.

The vulnerable, open look to his face reminded her why she had to do this. She had hurt him so very deeply. And then, there in the dungeons of Gror Grar, she had tried to earn forgiveness.

But, in the end, trying to earn forgiveness was just another form of manipulation. She had been trying to manipulate Farrendel, Weylind, all of them, in order to benefit herself.

In contrast, true forgiveness was always unearned, undeserved, and given freely.

Still, they needed to know that she understood how wrong she had been and that she regretted it deeply. Her relationship with her family would likely never be the same. No matter how they reacted, she had to do this to prove to herself how much she had changed, if nothing else.

As she tensed her muscles and prepared to slice her hair, a part of her wanted to lower the knife to leave her hair a more appealing length. But, she could not give in to the impulse. It was a remnant of the selfish person she used to be.

Gritting her teeth, Melantha sawed at her hair, chopping it off close to her head much as Farrendel’s hair had been shorn three and a half months ago.

In front of her, Farrendel made a strangled sound that might have been anobut she could not bring herself to look at him.

It took her far longer to slice her hair than it had King Charvod to slice Farrendel’s since she could not get strength behind her movements, twisting around to reach the back of her head as she was.

But, within a few seconds, the long, thick strands of her hair came away in her hand. She dropped it onto the forest floor along with the knife, then bowed her face to the ground again. “I am truly sorry, Farrendel, for betraying you and betraying Tarenhiel. I am sorry for my failure as a sister. I amsorry.”

She had barely finished speaking when Farrendel crashed to his knees in front of her and hugged her. Not an elven hug, but one of those human hugs where he wrapped both arms around her and held her tight.

When he spoke, his voice was low, only for her. “I already told you I forgave you. You did not need to cut off your hair for me.”

After a moment of stiffness, her arms awkwardly at her side, Melantha relaxed into Farrendel’s grip. Tentatively, she put her arms around him.

Something in her broke at his ready forgiveness. She had not known what to expect coming here. Farrendel had said he forgave her when they last talked in Kostaria, but she was not sure if he would still feel the same way once he had time and distance to come to terms with what had happened to him.

Yet, here he was. Hugging her in the close, human way. Giving his forgiveness yet again without any hesitation.

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