Elowen drew in a sharp breath. “Why?”
“Because you’re mine,” he said, the words flippant. “You’ve always been intended for me. I’m the one who loves you and I’m the one who will marry you.”
Elowen recoiled, the plain speaking rattling her more than she wanted him to see. One word in particular sounded unnatural and harsh on Bertrand’s lips. He didn’t know what love meant.
“But I’m not concerned,” Bertrand went on. “The betrothal tournament was helpful for us all in showing us the kind of disrespect we can expect if we were to ally ourselves with Siqual. I think our kingdom is wise enough to know how to respond.”
The calm words didn’t fool Elowen. Bertrand might want to seem as though he’d always been willing to wait things out and trust the outcome, but every instance of his infuriating meddling contradicted that suggestion.
“You poisoned him.” The accusation fell from Elowen’s lips, her anger getting the better of her. “You attacked him out of jealousy.”
Both of Bertrand’s eyebrows were up now. “Poisoned? What are you talking about, Princess?”
Elowen ground her teeth. “You know what I’m talking about.”
“I wish I did,” he said, his placid demeanor unconvincing thanks to how well she knew his temper. “You accuse me of being jealous?” He gave an incredulous laugh, and his next words dripped with disdain. “Of Prince Theodore? What would I have to be jealous of?”
“Everything,” Elowen said disbelievingly. “You have no hope of matching him in any way.”
Bertrand’s eyes narrowed a little. “If you’re thinking of our fight in the tournament,” he said, “naturally I allowed him to win to save everyone embarrassment. The tournament was never real, Elowen.” His expression turned pitying. “Did you think your stiff prince really was some kind of noble champion?”
“I know his sickness isn’t natural,” Elowen said angrily. “And Father knows it, too. Inquiries have been made.”
She hoped to rattle him with this information, but she was disappointed. His expression was politely curious, and he made a show of thinking over her words.
“Do you really believe he’s been intentionally harmed?” he mused. “If you’re right, I must advise the king to interrogate Simeon further. It would be too coincidental for the prince to be attacked just as he was ready to point a finger at the perpetrator of the disasters.” He gave her an innocent look. “You did know, didn’t you, that your prince was the one who informed on Simeon?”
Elowen wanted to believe he was lying, but remembering the things Theo had said, it was perfectly plausible. Her heart sank, but she refused to let Bertrand drive a wedge between her and Theo, as she’d allowed him to do too many times. She wished Theo had trusted her enough to talk it all out with her, to let her convince him it couldn’t be Simeon. But given everything, she couldn’t be surprised he’d been unsure of his reception.
“Simeon must have put the plan into motion before his arrest, not realizing he was already out of time,” Bertrand said sorrowfully. There was malice in his eyes as he continued. “If he used magic to attack the prince, he can probably use magic to reverse it.”
Elowen stilled. Was he making a veiled offer? Some kind of bargain?
“I can get Simeon to talk,” Bertrand said. “I guarantee that if there’s something to tell, he’ll tell me with the right handling.”
Elowen waited, sure there was more. She wasn’t wrong.
“I’ll do it in a heartbeat, Princess. Simply declare to your father your desire to marry me instead of the Siqualian prince. The matter can be settled neatly if we act now, while the lords are still debating our kingdom’s future.”
Chapter
Twenty-Two
Elowen stepped back, disgusted by the thought. But there was fear under her revulsion. Bertrand hadn’t said it in as many words, but she thought she understood. He was offering to save Theo, but only at a cost she never wanted to pay.
She couldn’t let Theo die. But she also couldn’t trust Bertrand. Who was to say he had a way to help Theo? She wouldn’t be surprised to learn he was making it up to manipulate her.
“You’ll get nothing from me,” she said, her lips numb with the fear that she was making the wrong choice.
She turned abruptly, not waiting to see his reaction to her rejection. She hurried back to her guards, and the tension in her shoulders eased only once they were flanking her. What did she do next? Her anxiety for Theo was stronger than ever. But she couldn’t let Bertrand get what he wanted. Everything in her told her that would be disastrous.
Had there been any truth to Bertrand’s words about Simeon? Had he somehow manipulated Simeon into using magic against Theo? He’d offered to speak to Simeon on her behalf about using magic to help Theo, likely believing she’d have no way to speakto Simeon without him. But Sophia had somehow managed to talk to Simeon. Maybe she could help Elowen do the same.
She’d reached the manor’s courtyard and was just mounting the horse a stable boy had been holding for her, when her friend rode into the yard. Sophia was pale and on edge, too distracted by her thoughts to notice her guest until she was hailed.
“Sophia!”
The other girl started, dismounting and hurrying to meet Elowen, who also strode forward so they met in the middle of the courtyard.
