Bride of the Traitor (The Prophecy of Sisters #1) - Hayley Faiman Page 0,40
this room. Nobody but my men. It was used years ago by the king before my father as a place to keep his most valuable worldly possessions, especially when war would break out, as war so often does.
My father never bothered to explore his own castle, more worried about burying his cock in any anchovy that would open for him. Me? I spent my youth while my mother was sick, running and hiding away. I discovered this place when I was five years old and spent more time here, than anywhere else on the grounds.
When I returned, I decided to use it to my advantage. Now, it’s where my most trusted men and I meet. On this evening of my wedding, while my bride is readying for me, the time has come for me to explain the situation to my men.
Merek, Rowan, Henry, Lief, Asher, and Frederick all watch me, waiting for me to tell them why I’ve not allowed them to join in the festivities of my nuptials. Clearing my throat, I explain to them everything that the witches have told me, of Sybilla and of the prophecy.
“Gods truth?” Lief hisses.
Nodding, I jerk my chin. “Gods truth.”
“What do we do?” Asher asks, lifting his hand to wrap his fingers around the back of his neck.
Closing my eyes for a moment, I inhale a deep breath before I exhale. “I do not know.”
“You’ve married her, Elias,” Frederick grunts.
Dipping my chin, I lift my eyes to meet his. “Indeed, I have. Cornwall was pressuring me to take a wife. I made a decision and I cannot go back on it.”
“You can have it annulled. You are unaware if she’s a witch or not. You do not know anything about her or what kind of land she hails from. Don’t be a jobbernowl, Elias. She could be a danger to the crown. End the farce with her,” Asher says, making a fist and slamming it down on the table that separates us all.
“I have not gone into this marriage lightly, Asher. Sybilla is beautiful, she appears to be sweet, but she has not blinded me with her charms. What I am doing is keeping her close, under my thumb, and not allowing her to be without heavy guard.”
Frederick’s eyes widen, he’s the first to understand my plan. “You’re going to keep the prophecy from coming to fruition and have your fun, yeah?”
Snorting, I cross my arms over my chest. “The alternatives for a wife were not as appealing as the one up in my chamber currently. The job needed to be done, and I need to keep a pulse on her at all times.
“If this prophecy is indeed what the witches say it is, there is no known outcome. They cannot predict what will happen if all four sisters are to convene together. I will make certain that we never know what the prophecy’s outcome will entail.”
“What do you want from us, brother?” Lief asks.
“Aside from the witches and Cornwall, nobody else knows about this. I am entrusting the six of you to not only keep this secret, but to also keep a close eye on our new queen.”
Henry clears his throat. “Do you think her dangerous?” he asks.
I shake my head, my muscles bunching at the thought of Sybilla being anything but soft and kind. She is too good, too pure of heart to hold any darkness inside of her. She feels too much to be hiding her true self from me.
“She is not dangerous. I do not know the details of this prophecy. Four of us will be leaving to go to Irragin, to the ancient library where we can ask the celibates what they know, what they have discovered in their research of the ancient scrolls.”
“The rest of us and your bride?” Merek asks with an arch of his brow.
“You may stay here.”
“Your bride?” he growls.
“Make sure she does not cause trouble. Cornwall will guide her in her duties. She has her handmaids, which she considers friends for some strange reason. There are also the witches here to keep the enchantments current. She will be fine.”
There is a moment of silence while my men reflect on my words. “She is not a witch?” Asher asks.
“Nay, Aleida and Godiva both claim that they cannot sense any magic inside of her. They claim that her magic won’t be revealed until she is with her sisters, all together.”
Asher nods. I think about everything that’s happened over the past few days and my