Bride of the Traitor (The Prophecy of Sisters #1) - Hayley Faiman Page 0,61

expressionless and I wait for him to answer me.

“Sybilla has never ridden before, Elias. I have been teaching her so that she will be able to ride when we need to visit any of your other holdings. That is what you came upon,” he attempts to feebly explain.

Arching a brow, I wait for him to give me more. There must be more. Because what I saw looked like two lovers out for a jaunt.

Then her running as far and as fast as she could to get away from me, that is unexplainable, except for one thing, she is spreading her legs for my cousin by blood, my brother in life. I can wait Merek out though, and I assuredly will.

Less than two minutes pass and his body relaxes with a heavy sigh. He folds, sitting in the chair across from my desk, slumping down as he leans forward and places his elbows on his knees. Lifting his gaze to meet mine, he shakes his head.

“I do not love her, if that’s what you’re asking me. But, I do admire her, I respect her, and I adore her.”

I cannot hold the growl back that escapes my lips. “Adore?”

His lips twitch, completely unaffected by my question and tone. “Aye, Elias. I adore the woman. She is strong inside. She has a zest for life, and she is curious about her new world. She is sweet, especially when she visits the children and homebound of your kingdom,” he recalls, looking past me and out of the window with a faraway expression on his face.

I don’t like it. I don’t like how he knows more about her than me. I don’t like that he’s spent more time with her than I have. I don’t like a gods damned bit of any of it. I am angry, not only at him, at Sybilla, but also at myself for leaving her the way that I did.

Pressing my lips together, I wait for him to collect his memories and face me again. Memories. That is all that he will have of Sybilla, he’ll no longer be alone with her, not if I have anything to say about it.

“She is not yours to teach, nor to guide,” I say, keeping my voice even and as calm as possible, which is a feat in and of itself in this moment.

Merek’s smile returns, it’s cocksure and I want naught more than to punch it off of his smug face. When he opens his mouth, I clench my fist to do just that.

“She was lonely, cousin. A strange new world, someone had to help her. Her handmaids no not how to ride expertly. Who else was to guide her?”

Standing, I slam my fist against my desk and lean forward. My calm and expressionless demeanor is a thing of the past. I am angry and I am showing my cousin every bit of ire that I hold for him at the moment.

“There it is,” he oddly whispers.

“What?” I snap.

He shakes his head once. “There it is. You’ve been hiding your true self, Elias, your true feelings for this woman. I wasn’t sure if the prophecy was indeed true, or perhaps you were not the warrior meant for her.”

“And now?” I ask with a snort.

He stands, his body loose and his expression cool and calm. “Now I believe that she will be able to melt the ironclad gate that guards your heart. She will do it too, there is no reason to rebuke my words. Go to your wife, Elias. You look like shite.”

Merek turns from me without another word and I watch him walk away. I think about his words with a frown. Could Sybilla slither her way to my heart? I ache without her, I feel ill without her, I know that much. Would it be such a stretch to think that I could care for her?

“Your Majesty,” a voice calls out from my chancery doorway.

Lifting my gaze, I see Godiva and Aleida hovering around the doorway, looking mighty guilty. “Enter,” I call out.

They slip inside, closing the door behind them. They make their way toward me as if I’m calling them to the gallows to end their lives.

“Speak,” I demand.

“We, well Godiva thought it would be wise, Your Majesty…” Aleida fumbles.

I hold up my hand to stop her bumbling. Shifting my gaze to Godiva since she is obviously the brains of this duo, or perhaps she’s not, I haven’t quite decided yet. Before they tell me what they’ve done, I