Page 71 of The Dark Prince
“You ignorant littlebitch,” Bessy cried, tears gathering in her eyes. “Lady Helga’s own father sold her to that brothel after he fell into debt, andyourfather refused to save either of them.”
My jaw hung open as each revelation grew more ridiculous than the last. “Now wait a moment!” I insisted, spreading my arms and forcing myself between the two of them. “Just stop,” I begged.
There was so much pain in this castle; so much suffering and deceit. Memories and sorrow lingered like wraiths. I couldn’t imagine being in either woman’s situation; Tyr’s mother, cast out by her father and impregnated by the king, nor the queen cast aside by her husband, only to watch another woman give birth to what you both wanted most.
“My mother hated Lady Helga,” Isadora grit out. “A whore had no business coming to the castle and eating at our table. She—”
“Was a noblewoman,” bit out Bessy quietly, more restrained. “And was doing the best she could with what lot they handed to her.”
Aella went quiet at that.
My brain kicked into overdrive with everything I had learned, running dozens of scenarios in the silence that persisted. I saw myself as both women, as the king, as Tyr, and even as Aella and Bessy. It was an impossible situation. It—
I grabbed Aella’s arm none-too-gently. She winced and glared at me. “What—”
“Did your mother hate Tyr’s enough to pay a witch to cast a curse?”
Bessy gasped, her hands going to her mouth. Aella’s jaw dropped. Both of them gaped at me.
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, come on. We all know it was the witch in the woods. No one has tried to ask her why?”
Bessy huffed. “Not like any of us could find her,” she grumbled.
I shook Aella harder. “Did she?” I demanded.
Aella shook her head mutely. “My mother believed in the old ways, the ways of women and the mystics of nature. She …” Aella bit her lip.
“What did she die from?” I asked.
Bessy shot a look at us both. “Sickness was the official cause. A nastier rumor went around the servants, even reaching us here.” She eyed Aella warily.
The princess grit her teeth, eyes flashing. “You do not think that I heard it as well? Every stable boy and maid snickered behind my back about how my father didn’t love my mother. She even converted to his new religion, forsaking the way of our mothers and ancestors! She died of a broken heart.”
There was a beat of silence. “That’s not what the whispers said,” Bessy said, a bit of petulance in her voice. “They said she willingly drank poison.”
Aella raised her hand, and I caught her wrist, a vicious surge of protectiveness surging in my veins. The princess’s eyes caught mine, and her rage found a new target. “Poison, a broken heart, it’s all the same thing! This is all your fault. I worked for years to figure out what I needed to end the curse, and then it took a few more to work up the nerve. You’ve ruined everything.And now it’s too late!”
The anguish in her voice was too real. It shook something inside of me. “Why? Why is it too late?”
She wiped her nose with her hand; a gesture so unladylike that I knew whatever she said next wouldn’t be good.
“Because even now, soldiers are surrounding the town and the castle itself.”
My heart thudded against my ribcage. “Why would they do that?” I asked tremulously.
Aella sniffed. “On the off chance that if I didn’t succeed, they would finish the job.”
I might have gasped or yelled; I wasn’t sure. All I knew was that I didn’t care if she was crying. I wanted to hurt her as much as she’d hurt Tyr. Bessy wedged herself between us, shoving me further down the steps. My flailing hands missed their mark.
“You told the king Tyr had turned,” I accused. “I bet Tyr told you that in confidence, and you turned around and tattled to Daddy—”
“I did what I had to in order to protect my kingdom!” she screamed back, her face red and blotchy. “I offered him a clean, quick death by one who loved him. It would have been enough to satisfy the curse and break it … maybe. But no, you ruined that didn’t you?” She sneered. “He’d always been willing to die before. I was sure he’d accept. But he didn’t. Do you know why? Because suddenly he had found something to live for!”
I stopped breathing, a sinking sensation building in my chest and weighing me down. “No, that’s not true,” I insisted weakly. “That wasn’t right. That couldn’t possibly be right. I—”
Aella spit viciously. “Men are down there bleeding and likely dying right now because I couldn’t finish it, and because you ruined him. The witch killed his whore mother but Lady Helga was of the old ways herself, and used her death to protect Tyr. The witch can’t touch him beyond the curse. I was about to end it all! But it failed because ofyou.”
Bessy looked horrified. So horrified that it had to be true.
