Page 30 of The Dark Prince
Isadora froze in place, realizing we were talking about her.
The king stood from my chair, his eyes raking over Isadora like she was a cow on sale at the market. “And I’m supposed to believe this girl is a superior choice than my daughter?”
Isadora shook next to me, and I put a protective arm around her. I refused to look at Aella, who I knew was already hurt by my choices.
“Your majesty knows my objections,” I stated calmly.
The king scowled. “I’m trying to fix this mess. You think she will?”
Isadora flinched at the rude finger the king pointed at her.
I refused to look at either woman and kept my gaze focused on the king. “She’s better than the alternative.”
My father sighed, suddenly dropping his ‘king’ facade and simply appearing as a tired old man.
“I heard there were raiders and injuries. You seem fine,” he stated warily, but I was immediately on my guard. How had he known? Suspicion welled in my gut, but I had to stay calm and in control.
Aella was reaching a hand toward Isadora, introducing herself and asking questions.
“Since you have been away, you’ve been neglecting your duties.”
My attention immediately snapped back to the king for such an egregious accusation. He put up a hand as my mouth opened to argue.
“I have brought you the leader of the bandits that have been roaming around. My guards caught him, fleeing as the only survivor from his pack. You know how I despise leaders who leave their men to die.”
I grit my teeth as his guards burst into my entrance hall, dragging a bloody, defeated mess of a man before them. Isadora had gone stock still beside Aella, her large eyes no doubt wide with innocence.
The king’s game suddenly became clear to me.
“My wife knows what my duties to the king entail,” I bit out shortly, hoping Isadora understood. There was nothing I could do except obey the king in this. I turned toward the two women, only looking at Aella. “Perhaps you two could get settled while the king and I handle this business?”
Aella stuck her nose in the air, understanding what I was asking and decidedly unhappy about it. But I knew she’d help. Aella and I had history together, but we understood each other in a way that was hard to explain. She grabbed Isadora’s elbow and began firmly leading her away.
The king laughed. He fucking laughed at Isadora’s terror. I closed my eyes, asking the gods to grant me patience.
Keep control. Stay calm.
“Stay,” he commanded.
One word and my heart sank straight to my feet. Aella froze, her and Isadora’s backs already to us. I went to one knee, my head bowed.
“My king, my wife is sensitive. Please don’t—”
“I am not weak.”
Isadora’s voice was strong, and her skirts swished frantically as they came to rest right next to me, just visible out of my peripheral vision. She laid a small hand on my shoulder, and I chanced a glance up at her.
“I am proud of how my husband serves his king,” she stubbornly insisted. “I have no problems watching him carry out his duties.”
I tried not to look too shocked as I stood and drew my battle ax from my back. Did Isadora realize what the king was trying to do? I realized he was trying to frighten her, to shove a wedge in between us so that my wife would be terrified of me and our marriage would be over before it began.
“You’re sure about this?” my father asked her, one eyebrow raised sardonically.
He was so sure about everything he did. So cocky. When he’d passed the curse onto me, had he lain awake at night debating the choice? Or had he acted as quickly as possible, uncaring of how many others got hurt along the way?
His queen hadn’t lasted long after finding out the truth: about him, and about me.
I’d attended her funeral when I was six. Her pale, white face lying in the coffin was one I would never forget and it frequently haunted my nightmares.
