No—there was no point looking back. They were already making up. They were supposed to be better now. Corin refocused on Briar, studying the daisy petal dripping below her eye like a teardrop. The princess could live in illusions, but she had no right to trick Corin with them, to pick at Corin’s wounds while covering her own. Corin placed a finger on the petal and lifted it from Briar’s cheek. The gesture was slow, almost gentle, but they both felt the sharpness of her action, the weight of her glare.
She drew her face so close that they couldn’t tell their breaths apart from one another. So that, when she said these words next, they would strike Briar directly.
“What did you do to the queen?”
The daisy petal fell from Briar’s cheek, revealing a permanent teardrop mark on her skin. She lifted her chin and looked directly in Corin’s eyes.
“What did you do to your sister?”
I hate you.
Elly’s words echoed between the walls, slipped through the stones, lingered through the water reeds of the roof. The words dissolved into the rumbles of a new sound, like a monster waking up. The shingles above their heads rolled like a thunderstorm. A hard crack struck the air, the windows shattering. The world shook violently in an earthquake, and glass bit into their skin as they lost balance.
Corin hit the ground first. The house’s rapid shaking kept her pinned down. Rotting cake slicked over her limbs, maggots andfood residue sticking to her skin. The other furniture clattered across the wood and rolled like tidal waves. Then a sharp jolt broke the roof in half.
When she looked up, the wood above collapsed. She felt a sharp stab in her stomach, a sickly cold that spread in her abdomen and told her that, no matter how solid of a fortress she tried to build, the pain would always slip through.
CHAPTER 18
101 YEARS AGO
AMELIA LIKED HIDING behind flowers, but this time, they could not protect her. Once the godmothers healed her ankle, they expected her to accompany Ezran the next morning in the greenhouse, a glass-walled enclosure situated at the end of the castle’s courtyard. The room was filled with the sharp smell of living plants and fresh soil. Trailing vines ran down the enclosure, and drooping trees hung over granite benches. She liked that some flowers were big enough to cover her face, and even the bushes were tall enough to hide her figure. With Ezran by her side, however, she had to focus on making conversation with Gyldan’s newest guest. Which meant she, unfortunately, needed to stay visible.
He had stayed overnight in the castle’s guest chambers. It was the least the royal family could offer as thanks for rescuing Amelia last night. Her godmothers already adored him, and King Victor approved of him. Hearing Ezran’s easy laughter and steady voice, it made sense. He had a casual way of moving around the world, yet a sturdy presence that commanded others to listen.
It helped, too, that he was handsome. The flecks of light in his eyes were magnetic, and the simple white shirt he borrowed was unbuttoned at his throat, highlighting his strong physique. It wasn’t just the adrenaline rush of last night that could convince someone he was beautiful. He truly was. The break of morning light proved it.
“Your godmothers told me true love will break your curse,” he said. “Is that true?”
Ezran watched her carefully, the sunlight gleaming so bright in his eyes it made his irises turn silver, his hair a sleek shade of white. The way he gazed at her brought warmth to Amelia’s cheeks, but it was more from self-consciousness than anything deeper.
She was sure many girls would fall for him. She didn’t know why she couldn’t feel the same way.
“I don’t put much faith in that sort of thing,” she admitted.
“That’s a shame,” he said. “I believe it does exist.”
A jewel-embedded fountain quietly spouted water at the end of the path. The sky reflected in the water’s slow ripples, but as Ezran approached, the liquid glimmered with the pale moon of his face instead. He dipped his hand in the fountain and plucked a blossom petal that had drifted from a tree.
“When I was a child, I almost drowned in the ocean. I should’ve died, but someone saved me,” he said. “If miracles like that can happen, who’s to say you can’t find true love with a stranger?”
He pressed the petal to Amelia’s cheek. The cold struck her skin and made her shiver. A bead of water dripped from the petal, sliding down her face like a teardrop. Ezran’s voice turned soft.
“A second chance at life isn’t granted to everyone. Since then, I’ve told myself to focus on the most important thing to me. It’s not Gyldan, nor is it Zilar. Kingdoms will always rise and fall, andI have no care for petty wars and politics. Money and titles do not matter to me. The only thing I want is to build a simple life with someone I love.”
A breeze whispered through the open window. She watched the petal drift from his hand and examined his slender fingers, the veins that ran down his arms. Lilith had warned her not to trust his intentions. Logically, Amelia knew Ezran had every diplomatic reason to marry into the royal family of Gyldan. The kingdom of Zilar had once been unoccupied territory until armed forces took control, resulting in native people either fleeing the land or fighting back to keep it. For centuries, Gyldan had provided military aid to Zilar, supporting the occupation in exchange for silver. If they strengthened their ties through a marriage alliance, Zilar could block their enemies from seeking asylum in Gyldan and claim even more land.
Yet Ezran’s face held none of its usual masks when he told her of his priorities. His eyes met Amelia’s easily, his voice softened to a lower tone.
This was the most genuine he’d been with her.
A titter of noises came from the double doors. Behind tempered glass, three faces appeared, their wide eyes roaming through the plants to locate Amelia and Ezran. He chuckled at their ogling behind the glass. “It seems your godmothers think we’re a good match.”
“What gave that away? When Clover kept nudging us to walk alone together? Or when Dahlia repeated the whole tale about my curse being broken by true love’s kiss while locking eyes on you the entire time?”
Ezran let out an easy laugh, but it was polite, cordial. He knew she was embarrassed by her godmothers’ overbearing behavior.She hoped he also knew that she was not as desperate as they were.
“Is that what you want, Amelia? A man to sweep you off your feet and save you?”
