AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“A few days,” he said as we kept walking.
I made sure to walk right beside him. He was trying to put a few steps between us like it was customary, but I kept waiting for him and matching my pace to his. After the first hallway, he stopped trying.
“I need to spend more time with him,” I said, pretending to say it to myself. “We are about to be married next week, but I think he does not like me that much.”
What is this? Orla asked. What are you doing?
I ignored her.
Padraig did not say anything to that. I hoped I wasn’t pushing him too far, but this hunting trip provided an opportunity that I wanted to seize.
“He doesn’t have a mistress does he?” I asked him, stopping our walk and turning to face him. Padraig stopped too, his body tense as though he did not want to speak.
He was utterly shocked. Princesses and guards did not speak of such things...
“No,” he said. “He does not.”
“But I’m right, am I not?” I asked, sending him feelings of pity to make sure my act worked. “He does not like me.”
“I’m sure he likes you,” Padraig said.
That felt like a success. He was already trying to console me.
“Everyone always told me I was very pretty,” I said, keeping my voice as soft as I could. “But he doesn’t seem to care about that. He thinks I support my thieving brother.”
“You don’t?” Padraig asked.
He wasn’t an idiot. He had seen me defy Lugh in support of Kieran back when Lord Trechting confronted us in the hallway.
He needed an explanation for the way I’d acted.
“I don’t,” I said. I sighed and pretended to prepare myself for coming clean to him as I reached out to Orla.
Help me convince him, I told Orla.
I cannot do that, Orla replied. You should’ve talked to me before trying something like this. If I mess with his mind so completely, Queill might be able to tell.
Why would she check his mind? I asked. He is a simple guard.
Orla didn’t respond to that.
I’ll do my best to convince him, I said to her. But if I fail, he might go to Queill to tell her about this conversation.
I know, Orla replied.
I felt guilty for forcing Orla into helping me, but I had every intention of trying to convince Padraig without her help.
He made a move to resume walking, but I stopped him, raising my hand. Ever since I’d been caught by the Seelie Queen and brought to the palace, I’d done my best not to let anyone see my tears.
Now, I made no attempts to hide them. And as soon as I stopped, my eyes started watering.
“I’ve lived my life, trying to protect my family against all accusations of dishonesty and failure,” I said, meeting his eyes and making sure he saw the tears forming in them. "You can’t even imagine what that means for a royal family. We were taught to protect our family over all else. And now that I’m free of that responsibility, it is difficult to adjust to it.”
“I’m sure if you tell the king...”
“He does not think kindly of me and my family,” I said, looking down at my hands and making sure Padraig saw my bruising cheek. “I know he does not. But I’m about to become his wife and I need him to love me.”
Love was such a strong word. I hated using it as I talked about Lugh, but this was the only way I could think to convince Padraig. He wasn’t a stupid man. He questioned me at every turn. And the story I was trying to pull him into was the furthest thing from the truth.
