Bride of the Traitor (The Prophecy of Sisters #1) - Hayley Faiman Page 0,51
you when I’m ready and we’ll discuss things in my chamber receiving room.”
They both smile as they dip their chins, but don’t actually say anything. Standing, I turn toward Cornwall and follow behind him, Rowan and Henry bringing up the rear as they have been for the past week.
Rowan and Henry slip into the chancery behind me, closing the door behind themselves. Cornwall walks straight over to the desk and sinks down in the thick large leather chair.
I remember seeing Elias in that same chair, but it didn’t swallow him the way that it does Cornwall. My heart clenches at the thought of Elias, though I don’t know why, since I can’t seem to keep my mind off of him. He’s constantly in my thoughts, every minute of every waking hour.
“Your duties as queen aren’t too taxing, Your Highness,” Cornwall begins, obviously not one for chitchat.
Walking over to a chair, I sink down, sitting on the edge, crossing my ankles beneath me. I smooth down my deep burgundy velvet dress. It’s too tight, just like all the others, and Jasmine has informed me that I need to have the royal dressmaker over to measure me.
Apparently, he was supposed to do this weeks ago, but hasn’t yet, mainly because I’ve been dragging my feet. I haven’t felt like it, not wanting Elias to spend any money on me, but maybe it’s time to do just that.
“Some queens prefer to take over public duties while their kings are away, you needn’t do that, as King Elias has already appointed Merek to that particular duty. There are orphanages that you could visit, sick, and elderly. You could do a variety of things. Some queens have talents for healing, it truly is up to you to do as you wish, Your Majesty.”
Pressing my lips together, I shift my gaze to the window. My heart races, unsure of what I can do. Out of those things mentioned, visiting people is the only thing that is slightly appealing, but even then, I am not really part of this world. I don’t know their traditions, hell, I don’t even know what half of their words mean.
“Cornwall,” Merek’s voice rumbles.
Both Cornwall and I jerk, my lips part slightly. I hadn’t even heard him walk into the room. Looking back at him, I watch as he makes his way from the door over to the desk.
“Why don’t you ask Her Majesty what types of things she enjoyed in her previous country?”
Cornwall nods his head, then turns to me and asks, repeating Merek’s words verbatim, what I liked doing in my world. I stare at him, blankly. Frowning, I look down at my lap, then lift my gaze back up to him.
Shifting my eyes between Merek and Cornwall, I try to think about how I’m going to tell them how absolutely boring my life was. Clearing my throat, I close my eyes for a moment and think back to just a few weeks ago when I was living in Portland.
Thoughts of Drusilla enter my mind and I smile. “I called my sisters sporadically to check on them. We all live spread out from one another. Drusilla is the closest to my age, and we talked often. Other than that, my boyfriend had just left me the year before and I lived alone in an apartment. I went to work, came home, and that was my life.”
Merek blinks, Cornwall shifts in his seat. “I know not of what all that means, but I can assure you that you won’t be doing any of those things while you are Queen of Bunafi,” Merek snaps.
“Doing what? Working?”
“Talking to your sisters, working, or taking a lover,” he growls.
My entire body jerks back as though he’s hit me. It feels like he has, his words are like a physical blow. The thought of taking a lover makes me feel ill, but that isn’t what makes my entire body ache as though he’s just hit me.
Not talking to my sisters, ever.
I think about the prophecy. Then it hits me. It slams into me.
“I’m under guard so that I don’t come into contact with my sisters. You guys really think that something bad is going to happen if we’re together?” I whisper.
Merek doesn’t even flinch. His gaze is focused on me and nowhere else. Cornwall shifts in his seat. Rowan and Henry shift behind me, no doubt to guard the door so that I can’t run the fuck out of here.