“I know, dear,” she crooned. “We won’t. Leave everything tome. You simply focus on ensuring he doesn’t marry that empress, yes?”
This had become Mother’s plan when Galen announced he was bringing Clarissa overseas. Galen was convinced an alliance would ultimately make him stronger. And that was something my mother didn’t want. Once he had the might of the Veridian Empire at his back, it would be infinitely more difficult to get him to step down.
Mother’s goal was simple: keep Galen weak by forcing all his allies, including the empress, away. Make him see that the best option would be to release his crown—a title he hadn’t wanted to begin with.
Only eight months into his reign and he’d already proven to be an ineffective ruler. It wouldn’t take much to push him over the edge into abdication—or worse, for the people to take matters into their own hands. The faintest rumors of an uprising had begun to circulate, and that was the last thing I wanted. That was why a peaceful removal was our best hope.
But if the anomaly Clarissa and her crew discovered this morning was any indication…I feared our problems were becoming worse than we’d thought.
I didn’t know what the right thing was anymore. Were we doing the kingdom a favor by getting Galen off the throne? I’d always urged him to put the people first, and he continued to refuse. Mother was right—we couldn’t hope to survive with the Grimaldis still in control, as much as I loved my friend.
Maybe this empress wasn’t the answer, as Galen was so convinced. Maybe…maybethiswas the answer. Maybe his removal would finally stop the disasters plaguing this land and give us a chance to start fresh.
As long as he would be safe. That mattered to me as much as the future of Mysthelm. He would learn to forgive me with time.
“Yes, Mother.” I pulled myself from her grasp and turned toward mine and Marigold’s wing of the mansion. “I’ll do what you need me to do.”
The Harvest
15
Clarissa
“Did you hear His Majesty, Clarissa?” my mother asked, followed by a gentle nudge of her elbow.
My head jerked forward to face Galen. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I said, I trust you had a good night’s sleep?”
I blinked away the fog in my head. Truthfully, I hadn’t—my first night in the new kingdom left me restless, tossing and turning all throughout the night. We’d woken at the crack of dawn to load our trunks into the caravan of carriages and left the palace while the sun’s rays were barely cresting over the horizon. I hadn’t even gotten to enjoy my beautiful room for more than a handful of hours.
“As good as it could be,” I responded, assessing his demeanor. Galen didn’t look like he’d slept well either. Dark circles hung beneath his eyes, his normal golden-brown complexion slightly ashen. He’d been avoiding my gaze all morning, ever since he left so abruptly during our conversation in the gardens. “How’s your mother?” I asked.
He swallowed and stared out the carriage window, his gloved fingers tapping on his thigh. “She’ll be fine. Had some difficulty breathing last night but seems to have recovered this morning.”
“That’s good.” I rolled my lips at the sudden awkward silence. I wondered if Mother noticed the tension between the king and me.
The three of us sat in the quiet space, the rocking and steady swaying of the carriage along the gravel path lulling me into a tentative sense of ease. The sun climbed higher as we rode. I propped my elbow on the window to my left and stared out onto the changing landscape, drinking in the new scenery.
We’d left behind the coastal terrain of the palace. Open fields replaced the flowing palm trees, with small, rolling hills dotting the view. Instead of the closely packed villages and stone homes of the North Territory, the communities as we traveled farther to the Mid Territory were more spread out. A handful of brick and wood farmhouses popped up here and there, with plenty of land and grazing animals in between.
I didn’t know anything about the Mid Territory beyond the glimpses they’d revealed at dinner last night. Namely, the regent family’s opposition to me. Lord Davies mentioned they had planting districts, and it was obvious this area was predominantly used for growing crops.
When we passed through a busier marketplace, I noticed the men and women dressed in sturdier clothing, as opposed to the lightweight linen of the North Territory. They wore overalls and long pants or skirts, with pieces of cloth tied at their heads or around their necks to protect against the sun.
A couple of times, I could have sworn I saw patches of blackened, dead grass amidst the lush greenery of the fields. Or a trail of rotted trees with gnarled branches and overturned roots leading to the bright, vibrant forest beyond.
But in the blink of an eye, it was gone—somewhere behind us as the carriage raced down the road. I would shake my head to clear away the mirage. A trick of the glaring sunlight on my eyes, perhaps.
Anytime I tried to engage Galen in polite conversation, he offered grunts or single-word responses. I had to walk on eggshells around this man and his mood swings. I’d been packed in this tightcarriage with him and my mother for hours, letting my questions and irritations fester in the sun, and I was sick of being ignored.
I folded my arms across my chest and broke the silence. “So, Galen, tell me—how do you think the Silenus family plans to murder me? In my sleep, perhaps?”
His eyes shot to mine. “What?”
“Just making sure you could hear me.” I smiled pleasantly and crossed my legs. “What are these people like?”
A crease appeared on his forehead. “Well, they’re not going to assassinate you, if that’s what you’re asking. Nobody would dare lay a finger on any of us.”
