But if he fell for me, he fell for a lie. I can’t blame him for that.
I’m whimpering pathetically as I try to reach around again to free myself from the confines of the gown.
“Let me help you,” Caiden says.
I suck in a surprised breath, then hiccup. Quickly, I cover my mouth.
His fingers are gentle along my back as he toys with the laces. “You knotted it.”
“I hate these things.” I sound like a petulant child.
He chuckles. “My mother did too. She wore trousers often. Used to infuriate my father.”
“Really?” I turn to look at him and catch what might be a genuine smile. Not the kind he uses to manipulate or gloat. “Were you close to her?”
“No, not really. She was only marginally better than my father.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What about your mother?”
My blood runs cold and I quickly rise, then slide the dress off my shoulders. “Your father’s armies killed her. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m tired.”
“Of course.” He takes off his own jacket, then lays it over the chair in the corner.
I finish stripping off my dress, leaving me in my underclothes. Caiden has seen me in less, and as his wife—and the fact that he’s the emperor—there’s not a lot I could do if he wanted to use those shadows against me.
“Here.” He takes the gown from me and lays it carefully over his jacket. “You should get some sleep. I’m going to see to a few things before I retire.”
I hate the fact that he’ll be sliding into bed alongside me but I nod, then turn away from him. I turn down the blankets thengasp. There’s a bundle of herbs on the mattress tied with lace. I recognize the leaves. “Caiden.”
He’s back inside the tent so quickly, I think he must have been waiting outside the door.
“Is this some kind of joke?” I gesture to the bundle of poisonous plants.
“It’s probably to make it smell better. Gods know the lack of bathing gets old quickly on the road.”
“You don’t know what that is?”
“Um, rosemary?”
“It’s elm’s breath.”
He reaches toward it, and I grab his arm, tugging him away. “It’s poisonous.”
“What?”
“Very poisonous. And it needs sunlight and warmth to grow. How did it get here?” The needlelike leaves are still vibrant green.
“Come with me.” I fight him as he practically drags me toward the door.
“I don’t have any clothes on!”
His face turns red. “Oh, yes. Dress then meet me outside.”
He grabs his sword from where he set it next to the entrance then leaves the tent in a hurry. I grumble as I pull the dress back over my shoulders. I’d love to find something else to wear, but now I can’t trust the clothes in my trunk without thoroughly going through them. I might be wearing this dress a long, long while.
I am not going down that way. I refuse to die before I’ve gotten my revenge. The question was, who was trying to poison me? Or was it Caiden they were after? And how did it get here? How was the plant alive and vibrant and green? As if it were freshly cut. It’s too cold for anything to grow.
