“I might be a useless prince, but at least I’m a tough prince. A dungeon won’t break me.”
Hugo smiled—not because he felt it but because he knew Everand needed the reassurance that he was okay as well.
“Enough!” Victor roared.
Hugo didn’t have the chance to move away from Everand. Captain Ryze grabbed the back of his collar and dragged him away from Everand to return to where he’d been standing in the center of the room.
When Everand was standing before King Victor as well, the prince bowed his head respectfully. “Good afternoon, Your Majesty. I wish to thank you for taking good care of Mr. Baker.”
“I see no reason for Mr. Baker to come to harm or suffer the consequences of your family’s poor judgment,” Victor replied sharply. Everand stiffened but said nothing. That only seemed to encourage him. “In fact, I’ve spent some time getting to know Hugo, and he’s even agreed to play a game with me.”
Everand’s eyes narrowed, and his full lips pressed into a hard, thin line. A rock sank to the bottom of Hugo’s stomach, and he wondered if it was possible to sneak out of the room without anyone noticing.
“What. Game?” Everand bit out.
“One to end the stalemate between our two kingdoms. To pay the debt.” Victor paused and flashed the prince a wicked grin. “Your father, thus far, refuses to allow you to remain my captive for the rest of your life. As we speak, he’s amassing his considerable forces at our shared border to the west. War is imminent if I don’t release you in two days.”
“Please, Your Majesty, this doesn’t need to happen. Think of all the good men and women who will die fighting for you, fighting for Wulia,” Hugo pleaded, but Victor didn’t even glance in his direction.
“What game?” Everand repeated.
“I’m willing to let you go. Return home. Be the precious crown prince of Branem. But Hugo…”
He allowed Hugo’s name to hang like an ominous dark specter in the center of the room, threatening everything.
“What? What about Hugo?” Everand shouted while a chill streaked down Hugo’s spine.
“Hugo would remain here with me and agree to be my husband.”
“No! Absolutely not!” Everand bellowed. He took one step forward, and guards swarmed, pulling him back.
“He would vow to remain loyal and at my side for all of his days, no matter what. Never to step foot in Branem again,” Victor continued speaking as if Everand’s outburst never happened. The angrier Everand became, the calmer Victor was. He clearly wanted Everand to feel the same suffering and heartbreak he had over the years.
Hugo lurched a step, but stopped before Captain Ryze could rein him in. The room felt as if it were spinning. Nothing was making sense. It was chaos. His face was hot, but his hands were ice cold. Nausea sloshed in his stomach, or maybe it was hopelessness. He thought he might have been making progress with Victor, but he hadn’t. “Why? What’s the point? You don’t love me!”
“Does he?” Victor scoffed, tossing one hand in Everand’s direction.
“I love him!” Everand shouted. He jerked against the guards, but this time he was trying to get closer to Hugo rather than the king.
Everand’s dark-blue eyes sparkled in the room’s light and tears that clung to his eyelashes. He leaned toward Hugo as far as the guards would let him. “I love you. I should have said it a hundred times by now, but I had this crazy idea that the first time would be this romantic moment with swans or rabbits. Maybe a cake that would have made your dad proud. I don’t know. It would have been the first time I had ever said those words to anyone, and I thought it had to be special. But I missed the point. Saying those words to you would have been special because of you. Every second I’ve spent with you has been special. Every laugh and smile and tear you’ve shed, I’ve treasured. I’ve burned the sound of your voice into my brain. The feel of you in my arms. The smell of your warm skin.Everything about you I love, and I never want to spend a minute away from you.” Everand ripped his gaze away from Hugo and locked his eyes on Victor. “You can’t have him.”
“Then you’re prepared to send thousands of Branem soldiers to their death over him?”
“Yes—” Everand hissed, but Hugo shouted louder as soon as he could get his tongue working.
“No!”
They weren’t paying attention to him. Hugo tried to step forward, but Captain Ryze wouldn’t release him. Hugo twisted around and turned pleading eyes on the soldier. “Please let me go. I won’t hurt him, but someone needs to talk some sense into him before it’s too late. You’ve got to know this is insane.”
Ryze hesitated, but at last, released his hold on Hugo’s arm. “You get one shot.”
Hugo hurried away from Ryze, positioning himself between Everand and Victor, who’d continued shouting and arguing about his fate without him.
“Enough!” He pointed at the king and, gods help him, he was sure he was about to lose his head. “You said it earlier, and you were right; it’s been enough. The fighting and dying on both sides have gone on for too long.”
“Hugo,” Victor growled in warning.
“Don’t,Victor!” The king jolted back a step at Hugo’s audacity. “You just claimed you wanted me as your husband. Well, then you need to face what that life would be like. A future of listening to my opinion about howyourunourcountry.”
