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CHAPTER TWELVE
THREEDAYSLATER, Winifred had moved out of Augustine’s bedroom and was back in her own private apartments. She felt as if she’d had part of her soul cut out and the rest of her was merely going through the motions.
She looked into moving out of the castle altogether, perhaps finding a nice little apartment in Isavere’s capital, or maybe a cottage somewhere in the castle grounds. She wanted to be in her child’s life, that much was certain, and had been working on a shared custody arrangement that she could bring to Augustine when he was ready. She wouldn’t give her child up, but she’d never deny them their father either.
Augustine hadn’t contacted her since the night she’d left him in the orchard, and she didn’t expect him to. It hurt. It hurt a lot, even though she’d had to do it. She’d had to leave him for both of their sakes.
She was looking at some apartments online when her phone went off and when she looked at the screen, a little shock went through her.
It was King Galen Kouros of Kalithera, one of Augustine’s closest friends.
Instantly, she hit the answer button. ‘Your Majesty. What can I do for you?’
‘None of that,’ Galen said sharply. ‘It’s Galen, Freddie, and you know it. What’s happening with Augustine? I haven’t heard from him and he’s not answering his phone. He won’t answer it when Khal calls him either.’
She swallowed. ‘You know about...’
‘You and him and the baby?’ Galen said. ‘Of course. I read the palace announcement like everyone else in the entire world.’
Winifred sighed. At least that was one thing she didn’t have to explain. ‘I refused to marry him. He didn’t like it.’
There was a silence.
‘Well,’ Galen said at last. ‘Of course he didn’t like it. Why did you refuse?’
There was a lump in her throat, making her voice sound tight. ‘I... I love him. I love him so much, but he keeps holding me at a distance. He says he wants to make me happy, but I know it’s because he thinks he should, not because it’s actually what he wants. And I think... I think we’ll just make each other miserable.’
There was another long silence.
‘This is a very personal question, I know,’ Galen murmured. ‘But...does he love you?’
‘No,’ she said starkly. ‘No, he told me he can’t love me. It’s to do with the accident and his emotional instability, or at least that’s what he said to me. He said love makes everything worse, which is why I had to call it off. He’ll only end up resenting me and feeling like my love is an emotional burden, and that’s not what I want for him.’
‘Clearly not.’ There was another silence. ‘He deserves better than that.’
‘I know. He deserves everything. But he won’t let me give it to him.’ She hesitated. ‘He thinks...he’s broken. And he just can’t accept it when I tell him he isn’t.’
‘Sounds like he’s being a stubborn horse’s ass,’ Galen muttered. ‘Let me talk to him. Khal and me.’
The tight band around her heart loosened. ‘I think you should. He won’t listen to me. But he might listen to you.’
‘Leave it with me. We’ll handle it.’
And for the first time in days, Winifred felt a little bit of hope.
Augustine sat in his dim sitting room. He’d been there for three days with the curtains closed, everything in darkness. Just how he liked it.
In the three days he’d been there, cutting himself off from everyone, he’d worked his way through two bottles of very good Scotch and he had big plans for the rest of the palace’s cellar.
He didn’t see why he shouldn’t. If he was going to be in torment, he might as well blunt the edges with some very good alcohol.
He was in the process of getting into his third bottle, when there was a loud commotion from outside the door. His guards sounded as if they were arguing with someone, and then, quite suddenly, the door was kicked open and two men came in.
Two very familiar, very unwelcome men.
Augustine scowled as the tall figures of Galen and Khalil approached. ‘What do you want?’ he snapped gracelessly.
The pair of them came over, Galen dropping into the armchair opposite, while Khalil leaned against the mantelpiece.
