Page 43 of The Ruthless Fae King
Birdie left for a while, and when she came back she brought a whole handful of high-quality dresses. When I saw her putting them up in the closet, I was relieved that I could have my own room and not have to sleep next to Marcelle or… bed him every night.
“So I get my own room?” I asked her.
She smiled a bit naughtily at me. “I’ve informed Marcelle’s head of staff that you have started your monthly bleeding and will therefore need your own room for the next week. It will give you some time to… adjust.”
Relief washed over me at that. I had to bite the inside of my cheek just to keep from crying. She was truly what I needed in this moment, someone fighting for me when I couldn’t fight for myself. I didn’t need time toadjust, I needed time to plot Marcelle’s murder. But I wouldn’t tell her that. The fewer people who knew what I was up to, the better.
She’d just given me one week to earn Marcelle’s trust enough to get him to take these cuffs off of me. Or for me to find a poison to place in his drink. I wasn’t picky how he died, just that he needed to.
“Can you pick out a dress? I’d like to join my newhusbandfor dinner,” I told her.
She looked surprised at that but nodded. She dressed me in a light blue silk dress that I was horrified to find was custom made for me. Apparently the day my father had sent a messenger to announce my betrothal to Lucien, Marcelle had the palace seamstress prepare for my place as his wife. He’d planned this the entire time. Wasn’t that the first thing he’d said to me when he’d seen me? That if he knew I was accepting proposals he would have given one to my father? He showed his cards right there and I didn’t see it.
Now… how to make him think I wasn’t faking my newfound compliance? Why would I want to have dinner with a man I’d just clawed at and punched the night before?
When I was dressed and Birdie had done my makeup and hair, I asked her to fetch Marcelle so that we could have a private chat before dinner. I was going to have to layer in some truth or he wouldn’t fall for this new plan of mine.
When his knock came on my door a few minutes later, I crossed my arms and put on an angry scowl.
“Come in,” I called sharply, and the door opened.
When he entered, he wore an almost identical expression. Mild irritation. But then his gaze drank in my hair, makeup, and dress and he softened a little. He shut the door behind him and the realization hit me that for the first time ever I was alone with a man in a room, without a chaperone, because he was myhusband.
I swallowed hard. “You went about this all wrong!” I snapped at him. “You should have just told me you wanted to wed when I was here with Lucien. I had no idea your desire to become my husband. You blindsided me.” My true anger was far more than I was displaying but he needed to see a little of it or he wouldn’t believe my wanting to turn things around.
His brows knotted together. “And if I had told you, would you have accepted my proposal instead? I saw the way you defended Lucien. You cared for him. How he pulled that off, I have no idea.”
I scoffed. “How the Hades do I know what I would have done? I was never given a choice. Ididcare for Lucien, yes. He was nice to me and I was under the impression I would be spending the rest of my life with him, so I stood up for him. Had I knownyouwere a possibility, it might have changed things.”
He pursed his lips as if he wasn’t sure what to think about this turn of events. His brows lifted a little, dislodging their knot.
“I have been informed that the three territories have split from Thorngate and I am now to be queen of Hazeville, by your side, until the day we die,” I declared.
He nodded curtly. “Yes.” He looked proud. “I would like to arrange your coronation for tomorrow evening.” Smug bastard, he had no idea of the damage he’d done.
I nodded, but in my heart I hated that I would become queen of Lucien’s betrayal.
“Well then, we might as well try to repair the damage you did in losing my trust, as I don’t fancy hating my husband for the rest of my life,” I told him.
He smirked a little. “I have to admit, hearing you call me your husband brings me great joy.”
I was going to vomit, instead I just sighed and held up my cuffed hands. “After this, and your threats to my mother and sister, it will take a lot to bringmegreat joy.”
Marcelle’s face relaxed even more as if he was pleased with how this conversation was going. “Surely I have something to offer you that can bring you happiness?”
Take these cuffs off of me and leave my mother and sister alone!I wanted to scream. But that would show my hand too soon.
I chewed the side of my lip. “I hear Summer Court has the prettiest jewels in all the realm.”
To even think I wanted diamonds at a time like this was insane, but he bought it.
“I will have my palace jeweler take you to the vault. Anything you like is yours.”
I looked unimpressed. “Some chocolate cake wouldn’t hurt either.”
Marcelle reached for my hand and it took everything in me not to recoil. Pulling his lips to my knuckles, he kissed them. “Consider it done.”
I nodded. “Alright then, I’ll see you at dinner?”
