With those chilling words still hanging in the air, he turned to go.
“What are you planning to do?” I asked his back.
Without turning back around or even slowing his pace, he said, “Find her, of course. My soldiers are already mustered, awaiting my orders.”
Heart racing, I scrambled to the bank of windows,looking out over the front lawn of the palace grounds.
Sure enough, there were at least three battalions spread across the field just outside the palace gates, uniformed and mounted. Ready to hunt.
It was a disturbing sight, but the worst aspect of it was what I saw at the head of the formation. The King’s own personal mount stood there, saddled and waiting for its rider.
The racing heart stopped altogether and froze.
My father was going after Raewyn personally—leaving the palace on the final day of the Assemblage, which was unheard of.
He must have been quite convinced he’d be able to find her and retrieve her quickly, still determined to force the marriage of the Crown Prince and the daughter of his closest political ally.
I’d literally rather be dead.
At least Raewyn wouldn’t die, too.
As I watched my father stride toward his horse and signal the troops to move out, I heard the door to my suite open. A moment later, my sister Mareth ran through the open bedroom door.
“Are the guards gone?” I asked hopefully.
She shook her head. “No, no, they’re still there—and quite determined to keep youhere. I convinced them it would do no harm to let me in to keep you company.”
She did look harmless, dressed in a confection of lavender tulle and lace, her blonde curls tamed in a fanciful up-do and accented by fresh flowers that matched the artificial ones on her skirts.
Of course appearances could be deceiving, and when it came to my sister, they were.
“People are always underestimating me, and the guards are far too susceptible to flirting,” she added. “Did you hear what’s happening?”
“That Father has ordered a full-on hunt for my beloved?” I asked. “Yes, he just told me before storming out of here. They’re riding out now. How much do you know?”
“Only that you apparently lost your mind and fell in love with a human woman you’ve been hiding in your suite for a fortnight.”
When I didn’t contradict her, Mareth’s mouth fell open, and her eyes bulged. “So Pharis was half-right.”
He’d been more than half-right. My brother had been convinced I was holed up in here with Lady Wyn. As we’d both learned, Lady Wyn and Raewyn were one and the same.
“I did fall in love,” I told my sister. “And Father is planning to take advantage of that fact and use her as a bargaining chip to ensure I marry his choice of bride.”
“I thought there was something funny about the sudden announcement of your bridal choice,” Mareth said. “I never even saw you speaking to Glenna at the socials. And well, you know… she’s not my favorite.”
“Nor mine.”
But my father wanted me to marry her, and the Compeller King always got what he wanted.
Until now.
I smiled at the thought of him seething over Raewyn slipping through his bejeweled fingers.
Though it was devastating to know I would never see her again, the pain was somewhat softened by the knowledge that he wouldn’t either.
She was away from the castle and, by now, far from Merisola. She was with Pharis. She was safe. I had no doubt he would keep his promise to protect her for me.
I only hoped he returned with good news—and before our father noticed his significantly timed absence.
