“Of course not.” She steps back, and I study the irritation in her eyes.Liar.If she comes to defend my brother with as much vigour as she does Arienna, I will love her for it.
Turning, I head back to the cabinet to deposit the wand.
“You’re not going to heal yourself?” she asks.
“No.” I hurt my queen; the few blows Fabia landed on me are justified. Figuring we’ve been here for about an hour, I head for the door, wanting to finally talk some sense into my queen.
A loud exhale sounds behind me as I step into the hall.
“You know I’m still going to support her being mad at you?” Fabia asks.
I look at Jace dryly as I walk past him. His eyes are on Fabia, checking her over. “Yes,” I say, my wings flickering behind me with the urge to fly, to get to my chambers, my queen faster.
But instead I walk, not quite ready to see the pain in her eyes again when she looks at me.
Trust her to be queen…
Fuck.
I should have flown.
And skipped making eggs.
Then Fabia wouldn’t have had time to talk to Arienna, and she wouldn’t be now barring my way, telling me my queen doesn’t want to see me.
“Stand aside.”
“No.”
“I made her breakfast.”
“It’s boiled eggs. That’s not cooking.”
The fuck it isn’t.
My fingers tighten on the bowl. “She’s my wife.”
“No, she isn’t. You made that clear. And it doesn’t matter if she was. She doesn’t want to see you. Or are you going to take that choice from her too?”
I glare at her.
She glares back.
I very briefly regret having healed her after our spar.
“Look,” Fabia says with a heavy exhale, “she’s never been hurt like this before. Give her some time to figure things out.”
A freezing chill washes through me. What if she figures out she doesn’t want to be with me? What if she realises Raza’s king is as fucked up as his kingdom?
Before I can think of something to say or do, a knock sounds at the main door. Jace’s voice drifts through the wood, punching me in the chest. “She’s here.”
Fuck. To make Evangeline wait will piss her off. And if she gets mad enough, she won’t hang around to hear me out.Although not even the Court can force me to marry her if she doesn’t want to, if I don’t give them this, then they will go after my queen.
“By the way, Your Majesty,” Petre says as I meet up with her before the vote, “Kiki’s execution is in nine days.”The day right after Arienna’s coronation. Kiki is being charged with treason for trying to kill me on our wedding day; her death will need to last at least two weeks. My queen won’t survive that. And neither will I if I watch her. I swore I’d protect her from this life.
But now she’s more vulnerable without the crown to protect her. So if Evangeline turns me down and I make stronger enemies of the Court…
“Go.” Fabia inclines her head.
