The scar over his heart burned.
How could he have ever let himself believe she could return his feelings?
“Are you seriously going to stay in there and wallow all day? Don’t you have work to do? Like, I don’t know, running the country?”
Nikias sat up at the sound of Gavril’s voice. Last night had been the first time Gavril had set foot in the palace since returning to Areator, and he was back already? Alone? Risking their mother getting a hold of him?
Aimilia’s biting words had been haunting him all night and came back with a vengeance.
He forced himself out of bed, brushing off his wrinkled chiton and ensuring it was clasped properly over his chest so nothing could be seen. Then he unlocked and opened the door to see Gavril on the other side. Nikias said, “I’m notwallowing.Now get in here before Mother comes back. She’s already tried two times this morning.”
Gavril didn’t need to be told twice, stepping inside and shutting and locking the door after him as Nikias busied himself pretending to straighten up his already immaculate dresser top. He shot Gavril a cold look. “Are you here to gloat?”
“I’m not here to tell you I told you so,” Gavril said, leaning against the bedpost and watching Nikias through the reflection in the mirror. “Even though Idid.”
Nikias desperately wished he had listened to the warning Gavril had tried to give him about proposing before he’d gone and made a fool of himself. Who would know better Aimilia’s reaction than her closest friend and the man she actually loved?
Nikias swallowed the bitter jealous thought, expert at it that he was, and asked, “Then what are you here for?”
“Just making sure you’re still sane and not about to do something rash.” Gavril’s eyes scanned over Nikias’ unkempt appearance. “Forgive me, but you don’t have the best record.”
Nikias ignored how Gavril’s doubt dug into the still bleeding wounds Aimilia had given him. “I am perfectly sane and believeme, I have no rash thoughts in my head. In fact, I would say I’m seeing things more clearly than I ever have before.”
Gavril raised an eyebrow. “Right… and that would be?”
Nikias turned to face him fully. “Has she not already told you what happened?”
“I haven’t seen Aimilia yet,” Gavril said, shrugging. “I don’t know anything other than what I saw. Unless, of course, you want to talk about it.”
Nikias narrowed his eyes. While he loved his younger brother immensely, he still resented him. It was impossible for Nikias to look at him and not hear Gavril’s name in Aimilia’s voice again and again being thrown in his face as she tore Nikias down.
It didn’t matter what he did, he’d always be the lesser brother to her.
“Tempting, but no. I really don’t want to talk about it.” Especially not with Gavril. Nikias would sooner confide in Marcella if he had to. Partially because he knew she wouldn’t be able to fully understand his words if he spoke fast enough.
“Alright… I won’t force you to. But…” Gavril pushed off the post. “What now?”
Nikias still had a deal to make good on. Precisely why he was avoiding his mother, who would now start harping on it. He still needed to remarry.
He had made that deal because he had stupidly believed he could remarry and not break the vow he’d made at Faustina’s grave. He would only marry a woman he loved that loved him in return.
He’d even started to compromise it, foolish and desperate as he was, ready to beg Aimilia to marry him anyway even if she hated him. Thank goodness she’d had the sense to stop him and save him from himself. He didn’t want her to marry him out ofpracticality.
Nikias looked out the window and took a deep breath. “I create a new plan.”
“So, you’re still going to remarry?”
“I don’t have a choice.”
And he had a vow to keep. But right now, it seemed so impossible. How could anyone recover from such a vehement and utterly eviscerating rejection?
“So, that’s it?” Gavril raised an eyebrow. “Your first option didn’t work out, so now you’re just going to start over from scratch?”
Oh. It was so simple. How had he not seen it before?
Nikias turned to Gavril, lips shifting in a grin. “That is exactly what I will be doing.”
Gavril’s shoulders sagged and he let out a noise halfway between a sigh and a laugh. “Oh, good. I was worried you were going to take this much worse.”
