“Is that how he convinced you to stay here?” she asks.
I take a sip of my tea so I don’t say something that might get me into trouble.
“They all say that, you know. That you can take lovers. That you can have your own freedom as long as you’re discreet. But they don’t really mean it. It never worked that way for my mother, at least.”
“Is your mother…?” I let the question fade. It’s not a polite thing to ask.
“Yes, she’s dead. Even her relation to the emperor couldn’t save her.”
“I’m sorry.” I bite down on my cheek to prevent myself from telling her that I also lost my mother. Sabina’s mother is still alive. My heart feels heavy when I realize there’s a mother who is without a daughter and she may never know. I hadn’t considered that part of this before.
Then another thought strikes me. “Wait, if you’re the emperor’s niece, does that mean your parents are also immortal? Are you immortal?”
She laughs. “I’m not immortal. And my mother was not the emperor’s sister. Nobody in my family got immortality,” she bites out the last word. “She’s his sister’s great-granddaughter. Apparently, the emperor had a soft spot for his sister, so he’s considered her children and grandchildren to be his kin. Calls us all niece and nephew. Sends us expensive gifts. My father is more than happy to trade my life for luxury.”
“That’s terrible.” I blurt.
She leans forward and pats my hand, then returns to her tea, wrapping her fingers around the cup. “I knew you’d understand. I think we’re going to be great friends.”
“I think so, too.” I smile at her, then take a sip of my tea.
“I hate that our friendship rests on your marriage to Caiden. Between us, I wouldn’t want that for anyone I like.” She bites into a small cake, then groans in appreciation. “At least there are some perks to our situation.” She pushes the plate toward me. “Nobody makes sweets like Elizabeth.”
I pick up one of the desserts but hold it for a moment while I consider her words. She’s going to be very helpful, even if she might not know about the magic that keeps the emperor alive. “What can you share with me about Caiden?”
She pops the rest of the cake into her mouth, then chews slowly before swallowing. “Aside from the fact that he’s even more power-hungry than his father?”
I nod encouragingly.
“He’s been spoiled and terrible since we were kids. They used to keep dogs here, you know. But they kept finding them dead. Caiden was testing his magic on them. Torturing them.”
My jaw drops, and I set my hand over my heart. “How could someone do such a thing?”
“He’s worse than his father. And I suspect that if the emperor wasn’t immortal, Caiden would have already found a way to obtain the crown for himself,” she says. “Be careful around him.”
I want to ask a hundred questions, but I don’t want to scare her away or reveal my hand. Yet, there’s something about her that makes me open up. “I think I’ve already pushed him more than I should.”
“You’re still alive, so you must be doing something right. You aren’t his first betrothed.”
“Really?”
Her brow furrows. “I thought you’d know. I heard your father required a blood oath saying that they’ll honor their agreement with him even if you end up dead… after what happened to the last woman.”
My fingers shake, and I quickly set the cake down, then tuck my hands on my lap to prevent her from seeing. If he’s got that oath, all his threats about killing me are valid. He really doesn’t need me. I am even less protected than I thought. “What happened to her?”
“He found her with another man,” she says. “I wasn’t here, but I heard he kept her alive for days while he tortured her.”
“Was it Brevan?” I ask, remembering the gossip from my ladies.
“Oh, no. It was my brother.”
“No.” I cover my mouth with my hand, then lower it. “I’m so sorry.”
“It was a long time ago. And he did me a favor. Since I’m a woman, I think they put up with my disobedience. I’m still available for an alliance, but I’m not a threat since I can’t inherit the throne myself.”
“Was your brother a threat?” I ask.
She chuckles darkly. “You’re starting to figure things out, aren’t you?”
