AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER 23
Once again, I was standing in front of a large mirror in my chambers and staring at my reflection in utter disgust as Frida and another maid straightened the wrinkles in my navy-blue silken dress. It was decorated with elegant golden flowers on the front and on its long train. I had successfully retired the ridiculously heavy, over-the-top crown and was wearing my father’s simple crown, which was merely a golden band with a few scratches in it. But Frida had refused to let me out of the chambers without makeup or enough diamond jewelry to make me look like a Christmas tree.
“Her Highness looks stunning,” Frida said as she stepped back to evaluate the result in the mirror. With a fake smile on my lips, I stared at my empty eyes and emotionless face. Last night’s events were as fresh as if they had happened seconds ago. The way Alrick had looked at me when Rune was chosen as my husband, the way he’d pulled back when I wanted to feel him inside me just once more.
“Stunning? I look despicable,” I said. I was a lifeless shell of a person. Empty, drained, exhausted.
And soon, I would have to find Rune and apologize to him for the slap. This part was not the pathetic one. Even if he had spoken out of line, he didn’t deserve that, and I truly meant to apologize to him. But that wasn’t the hard part. It was everything that came after.
I would have to ask him to agree to a marriage.
My left hand started trembling again. How could I find the strength to do this? To beg a man to marry me who cared as little for me as I for him? All while, under the same roof, the love of my life was waiting for me?
All I ever wanted was to be loved, not end up in a loveless marriage. And what’s worse, I could feel the Night Queen clawing at the door, waiting to be let out. Was she truly so much better than becoming the Queen of Ashes, as Frida had put it?
“It’s a political marriage,” Frida said. “Wimfred will be by your side to provide the terms of the contract. Nobody expects you to love another. And with time, the marriage might dissolve.”
“Or kill us both,” I mumbled.
“Quite dramatic,” Frida countered as she pushed a short curl that had fallen out of a pin back behind my ear.
A soft knock came from the door.
“Come in,” I said. A young monk entered, his eyes quickly scanning my room as if he was entering a forbidden cave of dangers and horrors. After he deemed it safe, he approached me and bowed.
“His Holiness is requesting to speak with you.”
I looked at the monk in the mirror as Frida and the other maid kept fumbling with my dress. “I will be with him shortly.”
The monk cocked a brown. “He saidnow, Your Majesty.”
Now, huh?
“What if I was only half-dressed?” I asked.
The monk looked confused. Clearly, nobody had ever dared to question a request from the most powerful man on this planet—especially not a woman. I rolled my eyes and turned to face the monk.
“Never mind. Bring me to him.”
This was important. Very important. Throwing a fit was not the right way to go about this if I wanted to see Gunther gone for good. His lies had not only almost killed me at the Dome but had also prevented me from marrying Alrick. He had to go.
The monk bowed once more and was leading the way out of my chambers when Frida grabbed my wrist. My confused gaze found hers. Her old face was plagued with sorrow and guilt.
“I can live with your resentment, Mina,” she said in a serious yet saddened tone. “But I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you while I just stood there and watched.”
It was true; yesterday, I had resented her. After all, it was her who had come up with the idea of a marriage to Rune. But looking at her now, how could I possibly resent her? She had loved me when I was still the Night Queen. Every breath she took was dedicated to me. None of this was her fault, and what she’d done had been out of love.
“I could never resent you,” I said, gently placing my hand on hers. Her skin was soft and warm under my touch—a beautiful reminder that I was still loved, no matter what horrors came next.
Her eyes softened, and yet I could still see sorrow in the angle of her downturned lips.
Gently, I tore free of her grip and followed the monk. I wanted to say so much more to her but didn’t have the strength. As we walked down the enormous hallway into the guest wing, passing priceless paintings and bowing guests, I couldn’t help but think of Alrick. Was he here among the guests somewhere? Would he be standing with the applauding crowd when my engagement to Rune was announced? The thought made me nauseous. Yet what choice did I have when even the man I loved was asking me to marry another?
“Your Highness.”
I looked up to find Gunther in the middle of the hallway, blocking the way. Behind him were the large, golden swinging doors of His Holiness’s rooms—the finest rooms in the castle.
The monk and I stopped.
