Our father glowered at Stellon. “You dared to lie to me.”
His indignation shifted to Raewyn. “Forher.”
Then he turned his wrathful gaze on me. “And you—I will take the ride back to Seaspire to think it over, but I have half a mind to exile you in front of the entire Court for daring to defy me and keep this girl from me.”
Speaking to one of his personal guards, he said, “Have her taken directly to my chambers when we reach the castle.”
Chapter27
Golden Opportunity
Pharis
Stellon made a wordless sound of violent frustration, struggling futilely against his bonds and the soldiers who held him.
Inside, I felt the same level of turbulence, but I kept it hidden. I needed to be smart about this—keep my head and be strategic.
Shifting his attention to the Earthwife, the King said, “Thank you for your help. In this matter and the search. You will be richly rewarded.”
Ah.Thismight be an opportunity. While I’d decided not to call out Sorcha earlier, it might be just the disruption needed here. Something had to happen—and quickly.
“You might want to consider your allies a little more closely, Father,” I said. “That Earthwife you’re in league with—”
“They’re under a love spell,” Sorcha blurted. “Both of them. I knew I tasted something strange on the Prince’s tongue, and I’ve just now placed it.”
Her finger waggled between the two of us. “Both your sons are bewitched. They don’t know what they’re doing or saying.”
She tossed me a narrow-eyedso therelook.
“That would certainly explain things,” the King said.
“If there’s a love spell, it was cast by her.” I tipped my head toward Sorcha.
I stopped short of telling him about the assassination plot, as the witch had known I would based on her self-satisfied expression.
My father still knew nothing of the plot, and he still had no idea Raewyn and “Lady Wyn” were the same person, the would-be assassin who’d infiltrated the royal ball.
As far as he knew, Raewyn was just Stellon’s paramour and his own best blackmail material.
“Thereisno spell,” Stellon insisted. “My love for her is real, and nothing and no one will ever change my mind. You may force me to marry someone else, Father, but I will not bond with her. I will bond with no one but Raewyn. I will give younograndchildren. The Randalin name will stop with me.”
That was too much for our father to hear.
“Now Iknowyou’re spellbound,” he growled. “No royal in his right mind would choose a half-breed over his birthright—especially a common one.”
He waved an arm toward Raewyn. “I’ve changed my mind. Not only is she unfit to wear the crown of princess of Avrandar, she’s not even good enough for my retinue.”
“Dispose of her,” he ordered his guard.
The man moved to obey immediately, striding toward Raewyn and drawing his dagger.
Heart thundering, I lunged for her and threw my body in front of hers. She plastered herself to the back of me, clutching my shirt. I could feel her heart pounding wildly against my lower back.
The guard stopped, wearing an uncertain expression. He couldn’t carry out Father’s order without injuring me as well.
“I’ll take her for my retinue then,” I said. “She’s not worthy of your attention, Father, but I don’t mind slumming it a little now and then. She’d make a pleasing attendant for me, if you have no objections.”
Stellon’s jaw dropped, and he shot me a look that might as well have been one of the gleaming spear tips pointed at us. Under the circumstances though, he could say nothing.
