Page 149 of Uncrowned

“First, they beat, and then they rape. They’ve already hurt her.”

“Yes. And they will continue to. Marian will face rape if she hasn’t already. It is the only way. A king⁠—”

“I know.” She cut me off, sniffling and choking on another sob. “I know but—my heart.”

“Your heart will come to understand. If Marian is ever going to back us, is ever going to be accepted, she must not only have her blood spilt at The Order, but she must transition as you did. She has to see the evils of this world if she’s going to conquer them. I’m giving that to her. I’m preparing her.”

“Wait. Stop. Circle back around.” Penelope wiped her face, moving to sit on her bed. “You said, ‘back us’. ‘Preparing her’. She’s an American. What do you have planned? What is happening? You know more than what you’re telling me.”

I nodded, kneeling before her and taking her hands.

“I found out this morning. The Collective High Council is giving Drayton Pennington Marian as revenge for her accusations. What you saw in that hotel was him manipulating her. He knew even then that she’d be his. He plans to make her pay. Maybe far worse than what we’re doing here.”

“No. He… He loved her. I saw it on his face when he kissed her in front of her fiancé, Bastian. I⁠—”

“He very well may love her. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t hate her. She ruined his life, Penelope. She destroyed his reputation. A lot of people were hurt during one of his episodes. He lost his title as heir of his family. It’s been reinstated as of days ago, but that means nothing if he doesn’t make her pay for the last decade.”

“What… What are you going to do?”

I couldn’t stop the smile that came. “I’m going to force them into a betrothal.”

“A betrothal? To…” Her eyes flew open, lowering through her racing thoughts.

“To our child,” I said, kissing her hand. “They are our equivalent in America. Do you see what this could do? What it could mean?”

A calmness was setting in as I let her soak in the significance. Her whispers grew louder.

“This is good. Fucking horrible, and I hate it, but…”

I kissed her finger again smiling as she reached out cupping my cheek.

“I hate it, Vaughn. I can’t stand the thought of her being hurt.”

“I know. We can’t live in the horrors of today. Not when the Crown weighs in the balance. We do what’s best for The Order. For us. If that means blood is spilt in the process⁠—”

“It spills. I know.”

She lowered, pushing her lips into mine. I stood, hooking my arm around her back and pulling her higher on the bed so that I could cover her body with mine.

“Your screams.” Echoes of her begging for mercy, her fear and desperation, they wouldn’t leave. “I nearly crumbled. I never want to hear you scream like that again.”

Penelope’s full bottom lip pushed out.

“I’m truly so scared for her. She was good to me.”

“And her reward is coming. It’s just going to take time.”

“I almost ran to her. Vaughn, I was so close. How long does she have to be here? As much as I hate us separating under these circumstances, I want her gone.”

“To her new husband? Drayton Pennington will hurt her.”

“Not if we stop him. We have to do something.”

“This is Council orders, Penelope. But…” My mind raced. “Perhaps if my revenge were… extreme.”

“Extreme?”

“You say he loves her. I got that impression as well. It’s one thing for a man to want revenge. Another to have someone hurt the woman he loves. If he were to see her at her worst⁠—”