Any hope I had was gone.
My body felt hollow, an empty shell as she allowed him to lead her from the room, her gown flowing like liquid starlight around her; every step a knife twisting deeper into my chest.
She didn’t look back, only rolled her shoulders proudly, looking more regal than ever.
When the doors closed behind her, the room fell silent. My sisters stared at me, their expressions a mix of confusion and pity. I couldn’t move as the ache in my chest spread like poison.
And loss.
17
Paige, The Queen’s Castle
The gilded doubledoors swung open, and I stepped into a room that practically hummed with power. The ceilings stretched impossibly high, painted with shimmering constellations that pulsed faintly, as if they were alive. Rich golden tapestries lined the walls, bearing the royal insignia I was beginning to resent. Beneath my feet, the polished obsidian floor reflected my every step, reminding me there was no hiding here—not from them, and not from myself.
I wasn’t sure if this was the dumbest thing I’d ever done, or if that award belonged to falling into the pool in the bride testing room. I was here. I needed to be here. I needed to find evidence about what happened to my parents.
A computer, or even some simple desk drawers could yield answers.
At the far end of the room sat Queen Alienor, poised like she was carved from the very stars themselves. Her gown shimmered as she stood, each fold catching the light like liquid silver, her hair a sleek coil of gold, not a strand out of place. Hereyes made my stomach twist—a pale, piercing blue that saw far too much.
Instead of feeling like I was in a fairy tale with the fancy gowns and gold thread, I felt like I was in Louis XIV’s court, ready for my head to be chopped off.
“Ah, Princess Paige,” she said, her voice like the sweetest honey drizzled over something sharp. Like a guillotine blade. “What a miracle! The jewel of our kingdom has returned.”
I forced a smile, dipping into a curtsy as protocol demanded. I didn’t need to be schooled by Sorcha and Catriona to know this. The weight of my new gown—the cascade of deep blue and gold—pressed heavily on my shoulders. The ones I was told to ‘roll back and stick my boobs out’. “Queen Alienor.”
Before I could straighten, I caught the sound of confident footsteps behind me, the distinct click of polished boots against the obsidian floor. Prince Martainn might as well be my shadow. He hadn’t been out of arms’ reach since we’d left House Natosi. It was as if he feared I would disappear.
My betrothed. I had to admit, he was handsome. No. Fucking gorgeous. His eyes were a dark shade of blue-gray, like storm clouds. His hair wasn’t quite as white as Addan’s, the shoulder length strands glimmered with a bit of gray, more the color of steel than silver. He was young and fit, his body filling out every inch of his tailored white suit. If I wasn’t obsessed with Addan, marrying the prince would not have appeared to be a bad option.
He carried himself with an easy arrogance, even if his forced smile was too wide, too self-assured, as he looked me up and down like I already belonged to him.
Of course, he believed we were to be married. That he would be my husband. Rule at my side. Father my children. Ugh.
I hid the shudder that coursed through my bones at the thought of him touching me. God help me if Addan’s family turned out to be the traitors. I wasn’t sure I could honor mybetrothal to Prince Martainn, even if my Addan ended up in a prison cell. Then again, I would have no choice. I would have to choose someone, and my mother had chosen…Martainn. Ugh.
“You are stunning. A true beauty.” His voice was low and smooth, but the desire I heard in his tone made my skin crawl. I didn’t want anyone but Addan looking at me like that. “Even more radiant than I imagined.”
How could he imagine me being anything at all if he thought I’d been dead all these years? I straightened, keeping my tone as neutral as I could manage. “Thank you, but how did you imagine anything at all unless you knew I was here? How long have you known I was alive?”
Martainn didn’t respond. His mother did.
“Oh, child, I am the queen. We knew about you within a few hours of your arrival. My loyal guard, Peadair, informed me that same day. But you have been… indisposed since then.” Queen Alienor’s lips curved into a smile that seemed almost maternal. She gestured for me to sit on a plush settee near her throne. “Come, my dear cousin. Sit with me. We have much to discuss.”
Her hand settled lightly on my arm as I complied, a touch meant to reassure, but it felt like a shackle. She had me where she wanted me—at her side–mere days away from being married to her son and bred to make future queens.
I sank into the cushions, every instinct screaming to stay alert. I would bet this palace had a dungeon and I suspected that, despite their smiles, both Alienor and her son might be happy to lock me up in one.
“This transition must feel overwhelming,” Alienor began, her tone soothing. “But I want you to know, Paige…may I call you Paige?” When I nodded, she continued. “You’re not alone in this. I will be here for you every step of the way. The throne is a heavy burden, but there’s no need to rush into it. You are young. Thereis so much to learn before you take on such responsibility. With your background, it could take some time.”
There it was—the velvet-coated blade. She may not be the one who killed my parents, but she was the one who benefitted most from their deaths. Did she expect me to believe she had no problem ceding power to me? I nodded, keeping my expression carefully neutral, and tried to unclench my jaw. “I appreciate your wisdom and guidance, Aunt.”
Her smile deepened. “Please, call me Mother. You and Martainn will be wed very soon, after all. You will be my daughter. We are family.”
Family. The word twisted in my chest like a knife. She and Martainn were my family? I suspected the knife I was feeling wasn’t in my chest, it was in my back.
No. Technically, they’d done nothing wrong. Not yet. I had no proof. No evidence. Nothing to go on but General Niemini’s suspicions and warnings from the Natosi family, who could just as easily be my enemies as these two.
