Beguiled (The Fairest Maidens #2) - Jody Hedlund Page 0,25

a sacrifice you can make for Ruby—although I suspect with time you won’t see it as so much of a sacrifice.”

Pearl held herself stiffly for another moment before her shoulders drooped.

The weight in my chest pressed harder. She wouldn’t go through with marrying me, would she?

Chapter

9

Pearl

How had the situation spiraled so quickly out of control? I’d only intended to save Mikkel’s life . . . and perhaps I’d also hoped to impress Irontooth with my ability to glean the information he wanted from our prisoner.

Nevertheless, I hadn’t expected Irontooth and Felicity to insist I marry Mikkel.

Irontooth released my wrists, and Felicity swept me into an embrace, wrapping me solidly in her arms. Though I wanted to be angry at them both, I knew they had my best interests at heart.

If I was honest, I couldn’t deny that their plan was brilliant. In fact, if I arrived in Scania without the queen knowing I was alive, Mikkel could invite Ethelbard to visit and encourage him to bring Ruby. Once Ruby was in Scania, the queen would be helpless to get her back. We would be able to live the rest of our lives in peace and safety and comfort.

But could I really marry a man who didn’t want me?

I pulled back and looked at Mikkel. He stood beside the fire, the muscles in his bare chest straining against the chains binding his hands behind his back. Gregor had risen to stand next to his master, watching but saying nothing.

The hearth, while not bright, provided enough light for me to catch the glimmer of panic in Mikkel’s eyes. This past week, in all our interactions, I had not taken him for the type of man to allow the outward appearance of others to influence his decisions. And yet, here he was, resistant to the thought of marrying a woman with a deformity. Or perhaps he truly feared displeasing his father and the advisors by marrying without their permission.

In either case, I straightened my spine and stood taller, letting his panic strengthen my resolve.

As if sensing my decision, he gave a shake of his head.

I lifted my chin. “I shall marry the prince.”

He clenched his mouth closed, his jaw flexing as though he was using great care to hold in his frustration.

Once again, I was tempted to tug off my veil and reveal the truth about my beauty. But he didn’t deserve to know, not after spurning me.

“I shall marry him,” I said again. “But if the queen discovers I am alive, she must not know I have married the prince—at least, not until after Ruby is by my side in Scania where she will be safe.”

Mikkel’s chains clanked behind him as if he was struggling to free himself. “Perhaps we can wait to marry until later—”

“No,” Irontooth groused. “Today. Now. Before either of you finds a way to get out of it.”

“Then we will stay quiet about the marriage?” I persisted. “No one but those on this island can know.”

Mikkel studied me. “You fear if the queen learns you’re alive and married to me, then she won’t allow Ruby to come to Scania?”

“I fear she could do anything, and I must use extreme caution until I have Ruby away from her.”

Irontooth squeezed my shoulder. “You’re making the right choice, Pearl. You’ll be happy. You’ll see.”

I nodded, but that didn’t mean I agreed with him. I opted instead to concur with Felicity’s admonishment to make sacrifices for the people we loved. This marriage wasn’t for me. It was for Ruby, to secure a new home for her.

“Now, both of you get ready.” All pleasantness left Irontooth’s tone. “We’ll have the wedding just as soon as we find a tunic for the prince.” With that, he swung open the door and ducked outside.

Felicity smoothed a hand over my sleeve. “You’ll want to dress in something nicer.”

“No, I shall wear what I have on.” This wasn’t the wedding of my dreams—not that I’d dreamed of a wedding. If I’d entertained such fancy notions, I’d never imagined my nuptials happening this way—in the dark amongst outcasts, to a man who had no desire to wed me.

I started toward the door.

“Pearl,” Mikkel said. “Wait.”

Something in his voice made me pause. I glanced at him over my shoulder.

“You don’t have to do this,” he said urgently. “You don’t have to let Irontooth dictate what you do.”

Did he still believe I was doing Irontooth’s every bidding? That I wasn’t strong enough to stand up for myself? “I have made