This was not that man.
Altos must’ve seen something on her face because he blinked as if waking from a trance and took a step back. He ran a hand over his mouth and took a deep breath. “I need you to play along. And I need you not to defy me in front of them. You will not like the consequences, Lady Sonah. I promise you will not.”
Sonah’s eyes stung with tears, turning the king’s face blurry. She gave him a curt nod. An endless moment later he turned, cursing under his breath as he strode to the door, yanking it open with enough force, the wind from it cooled Sonah’s hot cheeks.
Quickly wiping the few traitorous tears escaping her control, Sonah rushed to follow the king.
As Sonah retook her seat, she dared a look over at him. King Altos was a master of disguise. No longer the wrathful sovereign he’d been a moment before, the man at the table now looked jovially over at his guests and gestured for them to eat.
Across from her, the duke began to eat as he spoke of how happy he was to see Sonah again. The conversation made her ill, as did his stupid smile.
“Sonah,” Altos said, his voice kinder than his countenance, “your… parents will remain at Arestia for a few days before you all leave together. I will have Commander Antonius and a contingent of his men escort you back with the duke and duchess when it’s time to leave.”
“That’s not necessary, Your Majesty,” Duke Ovenno said with an oily smile. “I’ve men of my own capable of escorting us. As you know.”
The king’s smile could wither freshly budded wisteria. When he deigned to respond, his words were harsh.
“If I trusted your men over mine, I wouldn’t need to send my best warrior to protect Lady Sonah. You’ve proven once you’re incapable of guarding her.” His lips twisted in a derisive smile,Altos lifted his wine goblet in a mock salute. “It wasn’t an offer, Ovenno. It is my command.”
Sonah barely heard. The loud buzzing in her ears had taken over almost all of her hearing. She sat there, numb, her eyes dropping back down to her plate filled with food that made her nauseous. Her lip curled as Duke Ovenno chimed in, his loud voice grating on her nerves.
Sonah looked across at the duchess. She swore she had seen sympathy there before the older woman dropped her gaze.
“May I be excused?” Sonah asked abruptly, interrupting the duke.
Sonah did not wait for King Altos to respond before she pushed away from the table. “I feel terribly ill.”
Color bloomed in the king’s neck and cheeks, but he waved to Jenos, who came quickly to her side. Catching her elbow in his large hand, he guided her away from the table.
As they made their way to the doors, Jenos grunted. “That was not wise.”
Sonah was beyond caring. She needed to lie down for a bit.
And prepare for her midnight meeting with Prince Lerek.
Daris washonest with himself that the tension with Heylisia and being surprised by the simpering duke and his wife were not what bothered him.
It was that gods damned dream.
It had been over a month since the events in Seleste. Longer since Terena had fought him over his betrayal. And while hehadn’t killed Prince Lerek, he hadn’t told her about his role in those events.
She had every right to be angry. To hate him.
He hated himself for it.
The door swung open behind him and Daris turned, with rage at the intrusion ready to be unleashed on whomever made the unfortunate mistake of bothering him.
He stopped cold when King Altos entered.
The king paused when he saw the look on Daris’s face. He glanced at the scattered papers, then back at Daris. Closing the door behind him, the king turned with a scowl.
“I need you to ready a company of your men,” he said, stepping further into the room. Daris straightened. “The duke will leave in two days’ time, and you are to go with them.”
Daris remained silent as he watched his king.
“As you’d thought, they’ve come for Sonah Yahn,” the king added, his hard eyes narrowed. “There’s been another development.”
“You’ve heard already?” Daris asked, crossing his arms across his chest. He trusted Jason’s discretion and would not suspect him of circulating the news of Heylisians moving through Ibros. He could only assume it was the scout who’d returned, but he was still annoyed word had spread before he’d had time to plan a response with the other officers.
