Page 126 of Shadow Queen
Catherine’s head snapped up.
Norah clenched her dress in her fist underneath the table and avoided Alexander’s eyes. She chewed her potato methodically, trying to appear calm.
“You’ve only just gotten here,” Catherine said.
“I’ve been here a month,” she replied. “And the lord commander is needed back in Kharav.”
“Well, he’s free to go,” Alexander said with an edge to his voice.
Norah still couldn’t look at him. She took a drink of wine and shifted in her chair. “I need to go with him. He’s the only one the king trusts to see me safe in my travels.” Norah felt guilty about using Soren as an excuse to leave, but what other reason could she give? That she couldn’t let Alexander go so long as he was near? That she couldn’t bear the shame? That she needed to leave? Perhaps what would be the most offensive to them—she wanted to go back to Kharav. She wanted to go back to Mikael.
She pulled a small piece of bread from the loaf by her plate, but she worried that she might not be able to swallow it if she put it in her mouth.
“What has he to worry?” Alexander asked. “The Shadowmen are the only ones who would attack the queen of Mercia as she travels.”
“And the drifters?” Norah shot back at him.
“I’ll see your return to the Shadowlands,” he said. “The drifters are pockets of rogues, and they can be managed by any capable army.”
“Mercia needs you here,” she told him.
“Mercia needs her queen.”
Norah banged down her goblet with a force that splashed wine onto the table. “I won’t argue this. I’m returning to Kharav. Tomorrow.”
She stood abruptly and left the dining hall. As she reached the stair, she heard Alexander’s voice behind her.
“Norah,” he called, following her.
She kept walking.
“Norah! Please!”
She paused, then turned, forcing herself to look at him. Pain etched across his brow, and she thought she might come undone.
“Why? Tell me why,” he begged. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Is it because of me? Because of us? Because of what’s between us?”
“There is no us! There’s nothing between us.” Her words shook as she cried them, and his breath shook as he heard them. “And I don’t belong here,” she whispered. “I shouldn’t be here.” And it completely broke her.
Footfalls sounded behind him, but Alexander didn’t need to turn to see who it was. He knew.
Adrian.
It was only a matter of time before his brother heard about him calling off the marriage to Ismene, a marriage Adrian had tried so hard to talk him out of accepting to begin with. Why had he accepted it? He had no interest in marrying, he had no interest in Ismene.
But Adrian didn’t say anything about the marriage. They sat in the quiet.
“She’s leaving,” Alexander said finally. “Norah’s returning to the Shadowlands.”
“Grandmother told me.”
Of course she had. Had Catherine also told Adrian to come talk to him? To get Alexander to convince Norah to stay? As if he could. Or perhaps… to make sure Alexander stayed. If only she knew how little choice he had. Norah would go back to the Shadowlands alone.
She would continue to struggle against the world, alone.
Alexander stilled. She didn’t have to be completely alone… “You’ll go with her.”
Adrian’s eyes widened. “Me?”
