Page 9 of This Is Not True Love’s Kiss

“We can’t agree on a single thing. We’re stuck in these roles, but we can shape them to look how we want. We don’t have to be traditional husband and wife. It’s pointless. We can’t even agree on a simple schedule change.”

“It’s not simple.” He finished his bite. “The less of a united front we are, the more our communities will fracture.”

“And is that really so bad?”

His gaze snapped to meet mine. “What does that mean?”

I shrugged. “Maybe we should be separate. Fair Folk on one side of the city and mortals on the other. We share the city and nothing else.”

Maybe then I’d feel like I had my people back. Maybe then we could rebuild what we’d lost. What I’d lost.

“And what about those who have already gotten married? There are unions between some of the Fair Folk and the mortals. You’d break them apart?”

“If it’s for the best. If it means avoiding two leaders who can’t get along. Why not?”

“Because it’s cruel and immature. If we could just act like adults⁠—”

“You mean me?” I pointed at myself, knowing that was exactly what he meant. Lor had always been so patronizing, so condescending. Like he had all the right answers, and I had none. It was the same way I’d felt when I was a slave, powerless and unworthy.

A part of me thought that if we did separate, maybe I could get my people back. Maybe I’d recognize them again. Maybe I’d recognize myself and would know exactly where I belonged.

I stood, hands bunching into fists. Lor stood as well, looking as calm and collected as always, which only made me angrier. Why couldn’t this man show any emotion? Sometimes I felt like he was more of a statue than I’d ever been.

“The schedule isn’t changing,” he said firmly. “But we do need to come together. Or our kingdom is going to fall apart. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but this toxicity between us will leak into the community.”

I took a step forward, molars clenching so hard my jaw hurt. “You don’t get to decide everything.”

“No, I don’t.” Lor took a step forward as well, his scent washing over me, musk and bergamot, so distinctly him. I was tall, but Lor was taller, towering over me and staring down his strong, slightly curved nose in disapproval.

I glared up at him.

“We make decisions together,” he said, voice low. “You just don’t ever seem to make the right one.”

I clenched my hands so tight my nails dug into my palms. “I hate you,” I said. “I hate everything about you.” I stepped closer, so close our chests were almost touching.

Lor just stared at me, that calm mask slipping over his face that betrayed none of his thoughts, his emotions.

“You could never be my true love,” I said.

“I have no interest in being your true love,” he said evenly. “All I want is someone to rule by my side, to help me fix everything that’s broken in Fairwitch Isle and keep our people from getting hurt.”

“Someone is already hurt.” I pointed to myself. “But you don’t seem to care about me, do you?”

“I put the needs of our people first. That’s what a good leader does, Aoife.” He swung out an arm. “Good leaders are selfless. And if you can’t be that, then you shouldn’t be queen.”

It was like he’d slapped me. I’d sacrificed everything for my people, and waking up from that curse was supposed to be my freedom.

“What did I ever do to you?” Lor asked. “To make you hate me so much?”

I raised a brow, shocked that he didn’t already know. “You broke my curse, and in doing so, bound me to you. That’s what you did, Lor.”

CHAPTER 4

Aoife, Two Years Ago

The world was painted in shades of gray. Dark and light swirls surrounded me, and I couldn’t make sense of any of them.

A ringing filled my ears, tinny and hollow.