Finally, my gaze landed on Queen Alienor where she sat on a throne off to the side of the dais to watch the wedding. She was motionless, her lips pressed into a tight, pale line. Her mask of composure was cracking, the faint tremor in her hand betraying her carefully constructed facade.
I turned back to the gathered nobles, my voice unwavering. “To all of you gathered here, let today serve as a warning. Insuri will not fall to greed. We will not fall to corruption. The traitors among you chose greed over honor, power over loyalty, and now they will face the consequences.”
24
Addan
Name after name was called.Everyone watched as they were taken away by Coalition soldiers. But my gaze was affixed to only one person.
Martainn. The one whose name would, no doubt, be called by his betrothed.
He would be revealed as the traitor he was.
He would face justice, but that wasn’t my concern at the moment. He was the evil who stood at my Resonant’s side.
His smug grin had twisted into something else—fear. He stood stiffly beside Paige, his eyes darting to the crowd, the exits, and finally to her. While I suspected he was guilty, if I’d had any doubts, his face gave him away. He had only been a small child at the time of Queen Madallaine’s death. He’d certainly been too young to be part of the coup and murders. He was a child no longer. He had either committed crimes since, or he’d known the truth about his mother. The Silver scions. The illegal activities I’d discussed with Commander Zeus. How could he not? Theprecious prince had abetted the continuation of a crime against the entire planet.
His hand shifted toward the ceremonial blade attached to his belt as if no one would notice among all the noise and upheaval.
Except me. Paige might be saving the planet, but someone needed to save her.
It wasn’t a fleet of Coalition soldiers who would do that.
No, it was going to be me.
25
Paige
Beside me,I heard the faint rustle of fabric, the sharp intake of Martainn’s breath. My skin prickled with unease.
There would never be a wedding–not between him and me, anyway–and his look said he knew it. He’d lost. This was a gathering for the guilty to be collected.
I turned to the prince.
He stood beside me, still as stone, the arrogance he’d carried earlier was gone.
I called out the last name on my list. The most important name. Alienor’s name.
“House Seppani.” The final words hung in the air like a blade. The room went silent.
Suddenly, Martainn’s grip wrapped like iron around my arm, yanking me back so hard I stumbled. The sharp edge of a blade pressed cold and sharp as ice against my throat. His arms were hard. Unyielding, as if he had nothing left to lose. “I’m no traitor.”
I didn’t believe him. He had been a child when my mother was murdered. That was true. But I couldn’t believe he’d lived in this castle, under his mother’s rule, and remained innocent all these years.
The truth would come out, in the end. He would stand trial. If he was guilty, he would either go to prison, or face execution. Either way, life as he knew it was over.
He held me trapped in place, his chest heaving. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t escape. Could barely breathe as the room erupted into gasps and shouts. Coalition warriors snapped to attention, their weapons raised, forming a wall of killing precision.
Martainn could kill me if he wanted to. Slit my throat. It wouldn’t matter. There would be no escape. Not for him. Not for his bitch mother.
“Stay back!” Martainn bellowed, his voice breaking. “Stay back, or I’ll kill her!”
I forced myself to breathe. My heart raced, my mind spinning with the sudden danger. I should have kept my distance, expected this. Too late now. But I refused to let him see my fear. I held my chin high, kept my voice steady. “This won’t end the way you think it will, Martainn. Let me go.”
He laughed, the sound wild and bitter. “I did not betray you.”
“I don’t believe you.”
