Aimilia nodded slowly, her stomach sinking. She knew exactly where this was going. She just wished he would get on with it.
“King Nero’s funeral is tomorrow. Now, let me be clear about what exactly is going to happen next.” Cyprian reached the desk, walking around the other side. Two little metal pieces glinted in the sunlight. One had Aimilia’s name, the other Nikias’. Cyprian grabbed the necklace with Nikias’ name engraved on it and said, “The next time you see Prince Nikias will be at the funeral. When you do, you are going to throw yourself at his feet and beg for his forgiveness and tell him you will marry him.”
Aimilia pressed her back against the post, crossed her arms, and shook her head. Every movement was exhausting.
Cyprian’s scowl deepened. “You’re misunderstanding. You don’t have a choice. You will leave this room with his name around your neck and you will marry him and become queen.”
Aimilia shook her head again. Cyprian dropped the necklace. “What exactly makes you think you get to refuse now?”
Aimilia gestured to the rune on her neck and then waved her hand idly. Cyprian abandoned the desk and stormed up to her. He grabbed her neck and banished the rune. Aimilia coughed and choked, grabbing onto the post so she didn’t topple off the bed.
Cyprian pulled back and said, “Give me an answer.”
Aimilia’s voice was dry, rough, and rasping as she said, “I will not.”
Cyprian grabbed her chiton and pulled her forward, forcing her to let go of the post. “You don’t have a choice.”
Aimilia lifted her chin and stared at him and said, “Yes, I do. I refuse. Disown me. Send me into exile. I will do that before I marry him.”
Cyprian jerked her forward, and she grabbed onto his arm to keep herself from falling as he dragged her toward the desk.He flung her forward, and she barely caught herself on the desk instead of the ground. He circled it again and said, “I’m afraid that’s not an option for you anymore. Now that I’m the Head of House Mitis.”
Aimilia held herself up on the desk, palm splayed out as she said, “You might be Head of House Mitis, but that doesn’t mean you control me. All you can do is disown me.”
Cyprian glanced at the window that looked over Areator, the streets littered with dark clothes.
She said, “You have no more power over me than my grandfather did.”
Cyprian said, “You’re not nearly as smart as everyone likes to give you credit for. Aimilia, you will marry Prince Nikias, or you will be arrested and executed for treason and regicide.”
Blood rushed through Aimilia’s ears. What—What was he talking about?
He had to be bluffing.
She couldn’t confirm his suspicions. Maybe there was still a way she could talk her way out of this?—
Cyprian turned around and gave her a cold grin. “Don’t bother denying it. I know you were the one who poisoned the king last year and ensured Prince Nikias was regent when he went to negotiate with the Sordes. Did you really think no one from your own house would recognize the symptoms? Not to mention your proximity to the royal family, and your closeness with both princes. Honestly, it’s amazing no one else has figured it out. You got lucky, until now.”
Aimilia shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You can make the accusation all you want, but you have no proof.”
Cyprian laughed. “Do you think the royal family is going to care about proof the day after they put the king in the ground?”
Aimilia said, “I’m still a Runai. I’m still a commander, so I’m entitled to a fair trial. They will have to prove it was me.”
Cyprian reached into his pocket and held up a little pouch. “Well, then it’s a good thing I can show them exactly how you did it.”
Aimilia was backed into a corner, and she had no moves left she could make. She stared at the little pouch, every inch of her turning into marble. She whispered, “If you know it was me, why would you ever think it would be a good idea to shove me into the royal family?”
Cyprian raised an eyebrow. “Because it means there will be a Mitis queen, specifically one who knows I hold her greatest secret in my hands. And if she wants to stay alive, she’ll remember that.”
He wanted a pawn.
Aimilia swallowed and whispered, “Would you really see me dead if I don’t marry Nikias?”
“Would you really rather be dead than marry Nikias?”
Aimilia squeezed her eyes shut. Cyprian had already humiliated her enough. She wasn’t going to cry in front of him.
Cyprian’s voice wrapped around her, each word another link in the chains squeezing all the air out of her. “Exactly. But don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. I’ve arranged it all with the royal family. If you lower yourself and beg for their forgiveness for your many insults in front of the whole court, they will forgive you.”
