Just a few more days, she reminded herself. Her cycle was due soon. Or was it overdue? It didn’t matter. As soon as she could release herself from her lie, she could have all the wine she wanted. Then maybe, justmaybe, her remaining days at Ridine would be somewhat tolerable.
“Your Majesty,” Teryn said, refilling both their empty glasses, “I think we should get to know each other better.”
“I suppose,” she muttered, mouth full of cake. She gathered another forkful, noting her movements were growing sloppy. Damn. She should have known better than to drink so fast. Especially with how long it had been since her last drink. Even so, she’d enjoy the wine while she could, no matter how drunk it got her. Rebelling against her own good sense, she drained the rest of her glass and poured more. She chased that with the rest of her cake. With her nerves so unwound, she leaned back in her chair and released a satisfied moan, luxuriating in the sugary fullness of her belly, the burn of the wine, the lightness in her head.
“Tell me, sister. What is your deepest secret? Aside from the one I already know about, of course.” He said the last part with a wink.
“My deepest secret…is that I have no secrets.” She snorted a rather unladylike laugh at her lie.
“Then what is your greatest desire?”
That she could confess. “That I was back home at Dermaine with my husband.”
Teryn’s expression fell with pity. “You've been treated unfairly, Majesty. You deserve better.”
“You don’t need to tell me that.” She lifted her chin, and a wave of dizziness had her swaying in her seat. “I already know.”
“It must be so hard for you to be here alone. Without friends. Without family. All the while watching Princess Aveline get everything she wants. Her home, her lover. And what do you get?”
His words rang true, yet they sounded wrong coming from his lips. Why was he saying these things about the woman he adored? A shudder ran down her spine, and the warmth from the wine, the tingling in her mind and stomach, no longer felt so pleasant.
She stood on unsteady feet but forced herself to seem composed. “I’ve had enough cake,” she said, voice slurred. “I’m going to bed now.”
“No, you should enjoy yourself more. Besides, do you really want people to see you swaying through the halls? Courtiers talk, you know.”
She glared at him, but a swirl of nausea had her dropping back into her seat.
Teryn brushed past her, pausing at the door that led to the kitchen. “If ever there is something you want, do tell me. You’ll find I make a formidable ally and a terrifying enemy.”
She forced herself to turn around in her chair. “Is that some kind of a threat?”
“An offer, Majesty. We’re on the same side.”
“What side is that?”
“The one where we get everything we want.” He winked at her and left, closing the door behind him. As soon as it was shut, she lurched to the side and heaved her precious cake onto the courtyard stones.
29
Teryn woke with a sudden start, though he didn’t feel as if he’d been asleep. He felt more like he’d been…lost. Floating. Clinging to the fraying edges of his consciousness. Now wakefulness dawned on him in a violent rush. He sat up—at least he thought he did—but all he saw was blinding white light. Not even his body stood out against it. He glanced down at his hands, his legs, but there was nothing to see.
Panic raced through him, sending him teetering back toward the opposite edge of consciousness.
“Calm, Your Highness.” A feminine voice reached his ears. It was a hollow sound, devoid of resonance, but the fact that there was someone near him, calming him, gave it a soothing quality.
“Where am I?” His voice held the same lack of resonance, but there was nothing soothing about it. The words left his lips, but instead of reverberating from his vocal cords, they simply took shape in the nothingness around him. That only renewed his sense of panic.
“It’s all right, Prince Teryn.”
“Who are you? Why can’t I see anything?”
“My name is Emylia. I’m here to help you.”
“Help me with what? Where the seven devils am I?”
As if in answer, the light grew muted, slowly fading into shadows. Those shadows spilled over the surface of white, like ink staining a blank page. But instead of pure darkness, the shadows took form, creating distinct edges, shapes, and textures, until it became a moonlit bedroom.Hisbedroom at Ridine Castle. He saw his four-poster bed, the flagstone floor, the tapestries decorating the walls.
He released a sigh of relief…but the breath leaving his lungs didn’t feel normal. It tingled against his lips without warming them and it lacked the rushing sound he was used to. He glanced down at his body, and this time he could see hands. That was a small comfort.
