AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He nodded. “The speculation has been insane. Some people said maybe you’d been dead or gone for years, since no one had seen you in so long, and that I was hiding it so I wouldn’t lose my status and get kicked out of this house. There’ve been all sorts of ideas, but the Ruskins and I have been planting rumors and influencing the papers as much as possible in our favor.”
So the path to the throne was clear. I didn’t want it, but I had to hide my true feelings from my father. I’d have to put on a face for all of Cambria and let them make me queen. At least for a day.
“I’m tired,” I said, pulling up a quilt.
“Of course you are.” He stood up, nodding. “Well, done, Mara. You stopped the war.”
The blood seemed to stop inside my veins. The words rose in my throat, itching to call him out on his lies, but I stayed quiet so he’d think we were still on the same side. In the past, I would’ve been glad to hear even the tiniest bit of praise from him, but praise wrapped in lies gave me no joy.
When he left the room, I promised myself I’d never work for his love again.
In the morning,I picked up the day’s newspaper off the front steps and went up two flights of stairs to the bedroom at the end of the hall. In the Brennin’s house, with its identical floor plan, this would’ve been Graham’s room.
I sat on the wood floor of the vacant room, my body still aching. Dust danced in the air, lit by the sunlight from the east window. Though I’d lived in this house for my entire life, other than a few summers on Tramore, I’d hardly entered this room. Now that I was in here, I felt as lonely as a boat lost at sea. But it was better than facing my father.
I set the paper on my lap, the smell of fresh ink meeting my nose, and looked at the headline.Our dearly departed Imperator.I read the article and saw that the funeral was tomorrow morning, followed by the ocean burial.
Thanks to me, Graham wouldn’t be here to mourn him.
I could go in his place. It would be very uncharacteristic of me to show my face at a noble’s event, but I felt that I owed it to Graham.
SirGraham Brennin assassinatedwas the next article. Even though it wasn’t true, I could hardly look at the words. They’d soon be planning a funeral for him as well.
Right beside that article was one about me.Lady Mara Stroud survives assassination attempt. It was definitely the most positive thing ever written about me. Before being found on the beach, I couldn’t have been more unpopular, but this had created sympathy in the eyes of the public. The article ended by announcing the coronation was scheduled for the next evening if my health permitted.
“Mara?” My father’s shout came from somewhere downstairs.
I dropped the newspaper with a sigh and left the room, heading down to see what he wanted.
My father stood at the base of the second stairway. He was dressed in his noble suit and he held a wine glass in his hand. “Etna’s at the gates. She wants to see you.”
“Can’t the guards just let her in?”
“You’re not queen yet,” he said, “though even queens are subject to the law. And I’m not willing to bribe the guards to take a break when it’s not essential.”
“Fine. I’ll go.”
I quickly dressed in a blue gown and braided my hair up on my head before venturing through the front hall and out the door. I crossed the grounds to the gate, the hem of my gown swishing against the long wet grass. The lawn was quiet and secluded, hardly different from the last morning I’d spent here with my father the day I’d left for the city. Leaves rustled in the cool breeze as I passed beneath the trees, and the flowers spread their scents around the garden. But none of it gave me any pleasure.
Etna looked even smaller than usual as she smiled from the other side of the gate. It was strange to see her as myself again. For many months, we’d avoided visiting each other so there wouldn’t be any suspicion on the Lenoxes if something went wrong.
The guards bowed and opened the gate for me. I stepped into the street.
Etna put her arms out wide and pulled me into an embrace. “My dear girl.”
I hoped she wouldn’t ask questions. Saying my thoughts out loud wasn’t something I dared to do just then, but I knew I owed it to her, after all she’d done.
She pulled back and took my hand, leading me along the outside of the fence, away from the guards. “Are you all right?” She shook her head and sighed. “I’m sorry. Of course you’re not.”
I tried to smile, but my eyes burned instead. I turned away, toward the high stone wall at the back of the grounds.
“Cael brought a message from your father this morning. I came as soon as I could.“
“Thanks,“ I said. “It’s so good to see you.“
She reached a hand up to my face and brushed my hair out of my eyes. “But you’re not happy.“
I hated to disappoint her, but she deserved the truth—or at least part of it. “Remember the last time we were together? “I spoke in a whisper as if my father might overhear me from inside the house. “I’d give anything to go back to that moment—after meeting Graham, but before betraying him.”
