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The rage within Kallie grew taught beneath her skin. Kallie folded her hands behind her back, cocking her head to the side as her brows drew together in false confusion. “Are you suggesting that Frenzia and Ardentol are not of one mind, Queen Mother?”
“The tide of the people is ever-changing. One can never know what to expect or what someone’s intentions are, my dear. I believe it is important to know exactly who my son is marrying and if she will be loyal tohim.” Tessa lifted a single brow. “Or someone else.”
Kallie met Tessa’s cold glare with her own. “Your words suggest I only have two options: be loyal to my betrothed or my father.”
“Is there a third option that I am not aware of?” Tessa asked.
Kallie lifted her chin and looked down her nose at the former queen. “My loyalties have and will always lie with myself. I will always do what is best for me and my people.”
While Kallie had ties in Ardentol, Frenzia would become her home. Everyone would expect her interests to align with those of her husband, but she would not ignore the needs of the people of Ardentol. The purpose of this alliance was to join the kingdoms, not further separate them.
“And who are your people, my dear?”
Kallie stood her ground as Tessa raised her chin in challenge. “Unlike those before me, I will not have my reign defined by the lines men have drawn.”
Tessa huffed a quiet chuckle. “Be careful, Princess.”
Kallie blinked, her eyelashes fluttering. “Of what, Queen Mother?”
“Of reaching too far beyond your reach. The gods do not look kindly on those who step out of line.”
Kallie smirked. “Good thing I was never on the line to begin with.” She turned on her heel and strolled out of the grand hall, leaving Tessa with her jaw on the floor and her two handmaidens rushing after her.
* * *
The next severaldays blurred together. More wedding planning, more unfamiliar faces, and more questions about Rian’s absence. Every day was the same. And with every day that passed, the small vial pressed against her chest grew colder.
While Myra and Phaia exchanged ideas for Kallie’s wedding apparel during their late morning stroll through the gardens, Kallie’s thoughts were on the letter stuffed in her pocket.
Kalisandre,
I have returned to Ardentol. I’ll be back before you know it, daughter.
- K.D.
Two sentences. Two sentences in his handwriting were all it took to remind Kallie of her place. Domitius may have been gone, but he was not in the dark. Somewhere in the castle, his spies lurked around the corners, watching Kallie’s every move.
His message was clear: choose a victim.
Over the years, the two of them had developed a code of sorts to discuss Kallie’s assignments without worrying about who could be listening. Hidden messages within casual conversations. It was how Kallie had delivered the message to the soldier when she had run into them in Borgania. The message that had changed everything and lit the match that sparked the fire.
Domitius’ message was unsurprising. Kallie had been dragging her feet, whether or not she wanted to admit it. For the past few days, she had observed the staff in an attempt to pinpoint a person she would feel less guilty about choosing.
It should have been easy to choose since she didn’t know these people. They weren’therpeople. But with each passing day, the question ofwhobecame much more complicated.
Kallie had been taught from a young age that her kingdom should be her priority. Everything her father did, he did for the betterment of Ardentol. Domitius wanted his people to reap the rewards of his accomplishments. If Kallie was to become Queen of Frenzia, shouldn’t she also seek to protect Frenzia’s people? She had always valued the staff in Ardentol, for they were vital to the kingdom’s success, even if her father did not see it that way.
In the past, her victims had deserved their punishments. This time, no one had wronged Domitius. On the contrary, her father had asked her to manipulate someone because the consequences of his actions were rising to the surface.The Frenzians were right to be suspicious of King Lothian’s death. Domitius, after all, had orchestrated it. Kallie had no choice but to make the problem disappear. If it was discovered that he had poisoned King Lothian so that Rian would take the throne, what would happen to the wedding? What would happen to Kallie?
Her father was beyond the mountain, safe in his marble castle. If the truth were unveiled, the Frenzians would undoubtedly think Kallie was a part of the scheme. While Kallie had not been the one to kill King Lothian, she had known about her father’s involvement. Or had assumed, anyway. Domitius had never outright confessed—he was too smart to do that. All it took was one look from him months ago for Kallie to know the truth.
She had always known that her father would do whatever it took in order to achieve his goals. After all, she had heard the myths about him, the whispers that skittered down the halls outside her room in Ardentol as servants passed. Inflated or not, myths stood on some foundation of truth.
Therefore, it did not matter if Kallie shoved the poison down King Lothian’s throat herself or if she had known about the plans beforehand or not. She was an accomplice. Because either way, Kallie stood to benefit from Lothian’s death.
The kingdom’s crown was just beyond her reach. If they didn’t deal with this problem, everything Kallie had sacrificed would be for naught.
As they walked, a swift breeze brushed across her skin. The summer heat she was accustomed to in Ardentol seemed to have skipped over Frenzia’s land. Goosebumps scattered across her arms, and Kallie pulled the shawl tighter around her as they made a sharp turn down the path that weaved between the pine trees.
