‘Father…’ Enfys’s weak voice broke through. He didn’t even spare her a glance.
‘It wasn’t your fault, I suppose. You never planned to tumble off that damned horse. But the loss of your sightandEvella deeming you so unworthy she stripped you of your gift has led to this. No, Sorrow. You spent almost eight years in my library, eating the food I provided, wearing the clothes I bought. You’re not even my own flesh and blood. And what did I get in return? Nothing, Sorrow. Absolutely nothing.’
My face burned. How could he disregard all I’d discovered? Without me, he would never have located the northern mine. He’d have barely any Vyrium left without my efforts.
‘However’ – he took a step back, draining the last of the tea from his cup – ‘it seems the Gods have decided on a new fate for you. A new way in which you can repay me for the years I’ve endured your existence.’
His gaze curdled my marrow. Despite the dark shadows descending across my sight, I swore I’d never seen such a grin on his face.
Enfys came to my side, pressing a warm hand to my arm. ‘It’s good though, Sorrow. The news is good. Tell her, Father.’
I forced my fingers to grip my skirts as his smile widened further, true unadulterated mirth flickering in his eyes.
‘Do you recall how I said no one in their right mind would ever marry a half-blind bastard?’
My chest heaved, swirls clouding my sight. I nodded. Romero regarded Enfys.
‘Well.’ He stepped forward, tilting his head as I dug my heels in, refusing to baulk and step away. ‘It seems even I can be wrong on occasion.’
A low rumble ran through Pablo, and I tugged his fur as the king wrinkled his nose.
‘Am I…am I right in thinking you’ve arranged mymarriage?’ I could hardly force the final word past my lips.
‘In return for certain boons, I’ve secured an alliance for you. Not only have I personally found you a husband, but I’ve aligned you with one of my fellow kings.’
My shoulders shook. Marriage? To a king? I’d been so close to escaping. How would I face swapping this stone prison for another twisted, gilded version? I blew out a shaky breath as images of the three potential husbands flew through my mind. One stuck, stealing my breath at the memory of his green eyes, his damned smile. My gaze flicked over to Enfys, fighting back tears as my chest cleaved. It couldn’t be him. Not after I’d learned who that particular king was due to marry.
Which left two other, painful possibilities.
I steadied my breaths. ‘May I ask who I’m to be shackled to?’
King Romero sighed, before gripping my chin. Yanking me up so I couldn’t avoid his glare, his expression hardened. ‘Always so curious. Just know I couldn’t be happier with your match. However, I thought we’d keep his name as a nice surprise.’
‘Father…’ Enfys’s voice trailed off as Romero dug his fingers in, tilting my head higher.
‘Now,’ he said, finally releasing me, ‘aren’t you grateful?’
CHAPTER 3
The rebellious actions of King Raul Elmswood of Asmar cannot be allowed to pass without serious sanctions. Asmar will pay reparations to those kingdoms affected by their misdeeds to the cost of three fifths of their current Vyrium stores. To prevent further insubordination, the three princes and sons of Elmswood will spend their childhood as the wards of Carush, Motresh and Drufaera, till their sixteenth birthday, or the untimely demise of their father.
— THE ALLIANCE’S VERDICT AGAINST KING RAUL ELMSWOOD OF ASMAR
I clutched my skirts so tightly it was a miracle they didn’t tear.
‘See?’ Enfys said, wringing her hands. ‘I knew she’d be speechless.’
Oh, I was fucking speechless all right. I dug my teeth into my cheek. Anything to stop myself from shouting. From demanding they fling me into the flaming sea of Vyrus rather than be forced tomarrya man I had no say in choosing. Drufaera held the most land and power on the Shuteran continent. WouldRomero have even bothered to hide his smirk when he used that dominance to sell me off? His desire to control the entire continent had not been lost on me. A strategic marriage for his stepdaughter provided him yet another string to yank during Alliance meetings. He only ever referred to me as a ‘princess’ when it benefitted him.
I was the bastard. The shame he bore on his benevolent shoulders. If he’d found a way to use me, he’d have snatched up the opportunity with glee. And if he saw it as a fate superior to death, then Gods…whohadhe tethered me to?
Romero had the pick of three suitors. King Cai was a widower, his youngest child older than myself and already married to her wife. I recalled the few times I’d seen King Cai when I was younger. A gruff man of few words, who wore a constant glower. I closed my eyes tight, my jaw trembling.
Then there was Seth. Some said they couldn’t understand how he’d lived to his fifties without ever marrying. They’d obviously not been sat next to him at a formal dinner, where he slurped and spluttered his way through more food than a family could consume in a month. They’d never wiped the remnants of King Seth’s meal from their cheek as he boasted about his varied, imaginary achievements.
A heaviness settled across my chest, threatening to steal the air from my lungs as the face of the third king floated to the surface of my mind. Matthias of Asmar, the second largest country in The Alliance. The Alliance that permitted his father, King Raul, to retain his throne after he’d dared to defy the other nations.
I’d read the records. How Raul had allegedly threatened the security of The Alliance in his attempts to get Vyrium into the hands of the commoners. But he’d paid a price in order to keep his crown. A council, the members chosen by The Alliance, would ‘assist’ him and Queen Isbeth in any decisions they made.His twin sons had been exiled to the monarchs of Motresh and Carush. And Matthias, heir to his throne, became the ward of Romero, who’d shown as much interest in the displaced prince as he had in me. Matthias had been my constant shadow, my first thought. Every beat of my heart had borne his name. Until my accident. Until the moment I learned how heartache ripped a soul to shreds.
