A knock sounded on the door a moment before Wace stuck his annoying little head in. “Milord, milady, the steward bade me tell you that all are awaiting your presence to sup.”
Wishing she had more time to explore the matter while her husband seemed willing to talk about it, Ariel nodded. “We’ll be right out.”
Wace shut the door.
She turned back toward Valteri, and from the expression on his face she could tell he had no intention of joining his people, or furthering their conversation.
Save him,the voice repeated in her head.
“Valteri, you should join us.”
“I’d rather die.”
His stubbornness sparked her anger. How could she save him when he persisted with his isolated ways? “Do you intend to spend the whole of your life in exile from living?”
A strange light darkened his eyes. “I do indeed. It’s worked well for me so far.”
“Has it?” She narrowed her gaze on him. “If you don’t give people a chance to know you, then they shall never see past the rumors.”
His obstinate, mocking snort made her long to toss something at his head. “Should I go out there, the rumors will only worsen.”
“How do you figure?”
“Don’t. I know. Experience has tutored me well.”
Ariel let out an exasperated breath. How could he be so stubborn? She approached him, but he refused to look at her. “Fine. Stay here as long as you wish. But if you truly had put your past to rest, then you wouldn’t continue to isolate yourself from the world. Your past still haunts you, Lord Valteri, and until you face it and conquer it, it will never cease tormenting you.”
That said, she left the room.
Valteri stood in the center of the room, her words echoing in his ears. He wanted to deny them, but deep down, he knew she’d spoken truly.
Aye, his past dogged his steps like a hungry wolf waiting to devour any tender part of him it could touch.
Damn it all! Why couldn’t she just leave him in peace? All he wanted was for the entire world to just forget him. In the past, that had seemed simple. No one ever sought him out. Wace did as he was told and left him to his own. Why couldn’t Ariel do the same?
Just because she had some peculiar notion that she could somehow make everyone forget who and what he was, didn’t mean she could. If he’dlearned anything in his life, it was that people rejected him. So he’d learned to reject them first.
All the years past had tutored him well on what would happen should he join in a common meal.
The whispers. The stares.
He was never part of them. Never really welcome.
Was she insane? He’d been rejected by those who were his allies, and here she thought to make him welcomed among the people he’d murdered in battle for his brother.
Hers was an impossible quest.
A bitter pain cramped his stomach. So be it. ’Twas time his bride also learned what he’d known for the whole of his life.
No one wanted him.
They never would.
Ariel looked up as Valteri entered the room. A smile curved her lips. Aye, she had won this battle, with any luck she might take the war.
Valteri sat beside her at the long table, his face drawn and strained.
“You could at least appear to look forward to the meal,” she whispered.
