The Beauty of Darkness - Mary E. Pearson Page 0,146
to forget? Less than a season of days? I searched for something to say. “You found someone so soon? Which kingdom?” I asked, the words numb on my tongue.
He nodded. “She’s from Dalbreck. The assembly wanted me to marry right away. They thought it would add the stability that was needed.”
I turned away, blinking, trying to focus, trying to make sense of this. “Your kingdom is in such terrible straits?”
“Both of my parents were dead for weeks. I was missing. The kingdom was without a ruler. It created problems. More than we expected.”
“The general who challenged you?”
“He’s been one of them. I had to—”
I spun around to face him.
“Do you love her?”
He looked at me, stunned. “I don’t even know her.”
“You didn’t know me before our wedding either.”
“You mean our wedding that didn’t happen.”
I stared at him. He meant this. He was going to marry someone else. On the assembly’s advice. He was meeting his duty, just as he had when he came to Morrighan once to marry me. Was that all marriage was to him? Duty? In the same breath, I hated myself for disparaging his motives. What had I done but leave him behind because of my duty?
I heard Jeb’s words again: His word is true. I didn’t want it to be, but I said things to fill the painful silence. Things I didn’t mean or even hope for. “Perhaps it will work out better for you two.”
He nodded. “Maybe so.”
We stood there looking at each other. My insides were jumbled, as though everything had been kicked loose and shaken. Strangely, he looked exactly how I felt.
“So where does this leave us?” I asked.
He paused as if trying to figure it out himself, but his gaze still remained locked on mine. “It leaves us as two people—three—who need to stop the Komizar.”
“Three?”
“You told me I had to make my peace with Kaden. I have.” His tone was wooden.
Aunt Bernette rushed in, jingling the keys. “I have them!” She stopped when she saw Rafe, as if she knew she had interrupted something. I heard myself speaking, sounding like my mother rising to the occasion, trying to gracefully smooth out an awkward moment. “Aunt Bernette, I’d like to introduce the king of Dalbreck. King Jaxon, this is my aunt, Lady Bernette.”
“We met last night. Briefly. Your Majesty,” she said, and curtsied deeply, giving Rafe the full honor of his position.
“Lady Bernette,” Rafe answered and took her hand, lifting it to his lips, uttering polite niceties, and then excused himself, turning to leave without another word to me. He walked toward the door.
How many times did I have to let him go?
No more.
This was the last time.
He hadn’t even made it through the door when footsteps sounded in the outer chamber. Gwyneth rushed in followed by a cluster of Rafe’s soldiers—with the Field Marshal in their grip.
“This couldn’t wait,” she said apologetically, seeing me still in my nightgown. “It’s about your brothers.”
* * *
I paced my room. I had sensed last night that the Field Marshal was innocent, but I had felt myself fading. It was safer just to order them all locked up where they would be secure until I could question them.
“Why didn’t you tell us this last night?” I demanded.
“In front of everyone? After what you revealed? I didn’t think it wise, considering I’d just found out about the snakes infesting the ranks. It’s not something we want everyone to know, in case it affords the princes any advantage. I demanded to speak directly to you from the moment I was whisked away, but he wouldn’t listen.” He nodded toward Rafe.
“Everyone wanted to speak with her. Lia was indisposed. I told you to talk to me,” Rafe answered.
“The king of a foreign nation who stormed in during a conclave? I’m supposed to immediately trust you with every kingdom secret?” The Field Marshal looked at Gwyneth. “This kind lady finally listened to me.”
Gwyneth admitted she had gone down to the cellar where the prisoners were held in separate rooms to gloat at the Chancellor—and to reassure herself that he was still there. She’d been woken by a nightmare, dreaming he’d broken loose and was headed for Terravin. When the Field Marshal saw her pass by the small opening of his cell door, he begged for a moment to speak to her. All he would say was that he had news about my brothers that I needed to hear.
He told me about a conversation he’d had with my brothers before