Page 17 of Ruling the Green

He came back a few moments later with plates packed with fruit, greens, mushrooms, and flowers.

Spotting a small glob of honey, my bride let out a sound of pleasure deep in her chest that had a part of me getting ideas it had no business thinking.

She dug into her food with flourish, dipping everything from the fruit to the mushrooms in the honey. I wasn’t sure the last time I enjoyed anything quite the way she enjoyed that honey. I scooped mine onto her plate.

When Vishen returned with glasses of faerie wine and water, she reached for the water with two hands, chugging like she was dying of thirst.

“Pitcher?” Vishen asked when, finished, she reached to chug mine as well.

All through dinner, all she did was drink.

Vishen returned no fewer than four times with pitchers of water, giving me increasingly confused looks.

“Any luck on the voice thing?” I asked, wondering if she was trying to flush the effects out of her system.

She opened her mouth, struggling for a moment, but not getting a single sound out.

“It will wear off eventually,” I assured her as the servants started to bring out dessert—fruits covered in candied nectar.

There was that damn sound again. Something that if she had her voice, I knew would be a moan.

I passed her my pears to go with her apples and watched her dig in with gusto. But she never stopped reaching for that water glass.

Weird.

Something I definitely wanted to ask about once she could speak. And something I had to keep in mind if I was going to be responsible for bringing her drinks.

After dessert, the guests were shuffled back to their carriages when my father’s advisor noticed my father’s wild-eyed look and pacing.

“We’ll retire to my quarters now,” I told my wife as she looked over at me.

There was no mistaking the panic that widened her eyes and made her breath go fast and shallow.

“I have no interest in an unwilling woman,” I told her as I stood. “You’re not safe from much here, but you’re safe from that.”

She didn’t look very relieved at that.

“Perhaps,” Vishen said, pulling me aside and speaking in a low voice, “telling her she’s not safe is not very reassuring.”

“I’m not sugar-coating the truth. Especially with Grimwood in play, she’s not safe. Better she be aware. I can’t be around every moment. And I can’t leave you with her either.”

“I can attempt to find a guard I trust for her.”

I gave him a nod.

“Might be necessary.” My bride finally stood and turned to face us. “Ready to get out of that hideous dress and get some rest?”

She gave me a nod, but there was something so heavy and sad in her eyes that I felt an ache in my chest.

What the hell was her story?

And how long would I have to wait to hear it?

CHAPTER FIVE

Serin

I still intended to find my way out of this situation at the first possible opportunity. That didn’t mean that I couldn’t look for allies while I was stuck there. Especially if these men were right and Grimwood might have people on the inside watching (and drugging) me.