“Do not lie to me now, Bunny,” he rasped.
Elara’s tears began to spill as she tried and failed to stop a sob from leaving her throat.
“We despised each other; this was not supposed to happen,” she cried.
Evander’s brows furrowed. “What was not supposed to happen?”
“Constantine and I,” she said on a stuttering sigh. “I hated him, and he hated me. But now… now I…”
“Tell me everything, Bunny. From the beginning.” Evander said, his hand tightening a little on her own.
So she did. Through her tears and sobs, Elara told Evander how she had met Constantine. How they had come to be married, and how they had come to their arrangement. How she had slowly traded that initial hatred for her husband for fondness. Not just him, but for William, too.
Evander listened quietly, letting her talk as her voice grew stronger and her tears subsided.
“I wanted to prove them wrong,” she said, a little calmer after so many tears had let loose. “I wanted to prove them all wrong, show them that you were still alive and that Augustus had something to do with your disappearance.”
Evander gave her a knowing nod.
“When I had discovered what Augustus was doing, I knew I had to stop it,” Evander explained. “So many innocent souls suffered at his hands, and no one was doing a thing about it. I had become comfortable with the fact that he would come for me. But he caught me by surprise that night.”
Pity and heartache roared in Elara’s chest again.
“I am so sorry for what he did to you,” she whispered, fresh tears springing to her eyes. “And I am sorry for making you speak so much. I know it must be painful for you after...”
“Do not worry about it,” Evander rasped, wincing as he brought his other hand over to cup hers between his palms. “Keep going.”
“Constantine did not believe me at first, but then, the more we discovered about Augustus, the more he questioned his brother’s motives,” Elara explained after taking a few calming breaths. “A kindness formed between us, and despite worrying about what his brother might have done to you, I felt myself liking him.”
Elara sniffled as she reached up and wiped away some of her tears.
“It is not just him. There is a baby. Augustus’s son was left behind by him. I adore that little boy, no matter who fathered him. However, my marriage to Constantine was a simple deal. We agreed to annul our marriage if we found you alive, and seeing as I have not heard from him since we found you, I am assuming that he is doing precisely that.”
Elara could feel Evander studying her intently as she finished her story and wiped the tears from her cheeks once more.
“You love him,” he said, breaking the silence.
Elara’s head snapped to his, eyes wide.
“What?” she breathed, “No, I simply—”
“He loves you, too,” Evander said softly, interrupting her. “I heard him say it.”
Whatever ache in her chest that had dulled from speaking on her woes, it suddenly renewed, feeling sharper than ever.
“He thought we were going to die,” she whispered, reaching for the excuse. “Surely he cannot actually love me.”
Evander gave a small shake of his head.
“That man, despite having despised me for so long, helped me,” Evander replied. “If you do not believe his words, believe his actions, Bunny.”
Elara’s lips parted in shock as she took in her brother’s words.
“He would be a fool not to love you, Bunny,” Evander rasped, humor glinting in his eyes. “Speak to him, at the very least. See how he feels.”
His last word dropped into a pain-filled hiss, and Elara knew the tea their mother had brewed truly was wearing off.
“No more speaking, it is causing you discomfort,” she chided, pulling her hand away.
