Isvana help her, but she’d never been so wrong.
Now, Marius kneeled somewhere to her right, and even though she could feel him looking at her, she didn’t dare glance over.
Unsure of whether she was allowed to speak, Vivienne jerked her chin.
The king’s wings flared. “Remind me of it.”
Vivienne cleared her throat, the prohiberis band feeling tighter with every passing moment. She wished she could draw on her wings and let their weight comfort her.
But they were gone, and she was alone.
Drawing in a deep breath, she shut her eyes and gathered her strength. If these were the last words she would ever say, she would speak them with dignity, even as her body failed her.
“I vowed to protect the prince, to keep him safe from harm, and to watch over him.” She swallowed. “I gave my word, swearing on my blood and my blade, promising to do anything for him.”
She’d spoken the vow of protection before spilling her blood on the stones before the thrones. Those same stones seemed to mock her now.
“And did you fulfill your vow?” The king circled her slowly, a lion assessing the lamb it was about to devour.
Another vampire might have chosen this moment to lie or beg for their life, but Vivienne didn’t bother. She was a soldier, and she would not quake in the face of her fate.
She hung her head, shame chilling the blood in her veins.
“I didn’t, Your Majesty. I failed you and your queen, and I broke my vow. I will take that dishonor with me to my grave. It was my duty to stop the prince and keep him safe, and I did neither of those things.” She exhaled, a tear sliding down her cheek. “The fault lies entirely with me.”
Endless seconds passed.
“You’re correct.” Ice coated the king’s voice, sending shivers down Vivienne’s spine. Shadows streamed from the royal’s hands like ribbons as he took another step towards her. “For your failure, Vivienne Beaumont, I sentence you to?—”
“No!”
The outburst was so sudden that, for a moment, time seemed to freeze. Shadows stilled, Vivienne’s heart ceased beating, and everyone’s gaze swiveled to the prince.
“No,” Marius repeated.
Somehow, he’d moved. He stood between her and the king, his hand outstretched towards the royal vampire.
“Don’t,” Marius said beseechingly.
The king growled, and everything within Vivienne begged her to turn and run at the sound.
“She failed me.” The king’s voice boomed, and Vivienne’s stomach twisted at the sound. “There must be consequences for such behavior.”
“Not this,” Marius insisted. “I dragged her into this. You can’t kill her for that. It’s not?—”
He coughed, the sound rattling his lungs. It sounded worse than before.
Vivienne flinched as the king’s shadows darkened. The queen was at her brother’s side in a heartbeat. She clutched his arm, black eyes wide and crimson tears streaking her face as she stared at him.
“You’re sick,” she said accusingly. “How long have you been sick?”
“I’m fine,” the prince said, his voice breaking on the last syllable as he coughed again.
The queen frowned, placing the back of her hand on Marius’s forehead. A hiss slipped from her lips. “Isvana help us, you’re burning up.”
He protested, but coughs punctuated his words.
“You need a healer,” the queen said. “I won’t hear any arguments. Sebastian?”
