Page 36 of The Dark Prince
The king turned on his heel, almost at the door. They eyed each other, communicating silently. The king relented.
“Very well. I expect weekly reports. See if you can budge him. Hell knows I can’t.”
He strode through the hall and out the door before I could see him out, his guards turning and following him out with a heavy clank of their armored boots.
Aella and I stared at each other.
I knew I was technically the lady of the castle, but my nerves had fled and my courage was nonexistent in the face of this beautiful, immaculate princess who seemed intimately familiar with my husband.
“I will send a servant to escort you to your rooms,” I said loudly, and sure enough, Bessy immediately slipped inside the entrance hall.
“Bessy! Er, can you show the princess to her rooms for the evening?” I tried to apologize with my eyes. Normally, I’d have no trouble doing something myself, but being around Aella made me jumpy and nervous, and I had no clue if we even had guest chambers, let alone where they were.
Bessy smiled and gave us both a small curtsy. “If your highness would follow me.”
“Her highness shall.” Princess Aella gave me a mocking smile and waved over her shoulder at me. “Pleasant dreams, Lady Black.”
Why did I feel like I had let a viper into the castle?
I practically ran back to Tyr’s chambers. Arne was guarding the entrance and refused to let me pass, subtly keeping his large frame between me and the door. It sounded like an animal was running rampant through the rooms.
“My lady, please. He is not well,” he intoned in that deep voice of his.
My resolve was steely. “Even more reason for me to tend to him. I’m his wife.” I glared at him. “Princess Aella is staying with us. Please spread the word.”
Arne didn’t move.
I grit my teeth. “That’s anorder,” I stressed, unhappy that I had to wield my new power as a lady and Tyr’s wife.
Rather than act disgruntled, he sighed and turned the key in the lock, backing away.
I took a deep breath, and pounded my fist once on the massive door. “My lord. I am here to help you. Let me in.”
The sounds of raging stopped.
Arne gave me a questioning look, as if trying to get me to reconsider. I glared.
He pushed open the door.
I shimmied inside with more confidence that I felt.
Seventeen
TYR
Iwas a monster. A vicious, out-of-control beast.
I had a wife who wanted me, and I’d responded by nearly mauling her face off. Her bleeding lip haunted my mind, and would add to the vision of her lying cold on the queen’s funeral pyre in my nightmares.
I couldn’t do this. It wasn’t fair.
And now she faced my father alone because I was a coward.
I screamed and grabbed the tub, spilling water everywhere and denting it where I could. It wasn’t enough, so I seized a chair and smashed it to pieces.
The cruelest part of all of this was the fact that my wife wanted me—she wanted to be Lady Black. And I’d hurt her. I continually traumatized her. For fuck’s sake, I couldn’t even control myself enough to kiss my wife.
The anger was so black and suffocating I couldn’t think past it.
