darkness already pressing against her. She would suffocate here. Slowly wither and die like a plant robbed of the sun.
But she would help her kingdom. By helping Farrendel, she had done her best to redeem herself for betraying him. Maybe with this, she could redeem the wrong she had done in betraying her kingdom by instead sacrificing herself for it.
There were those among the elven court who would believe that she had continued to choose the trolls over her own people.
But her family would know the truth, would they not?
Besides, she would never marry an elf now, not after what she had done, much less marry an elf she could love. Why should she not marry a troll? One loveless marriage was just as good or just as bad as another. She might as well save her kingdom while she was at it.
It was either marriage or banishment. And, if she was going to be banished to a foreign kingdom, she might as well be its queen rather than a penniless, homeless, friendless foreigner.
Melantha straightened her back. “Very well. I agree to the marriage alliance.”
Weylind’s eyebrows shot up. “You can take some time to think about it.”
“It is what is best for Tarenhiel.” Melantha raised her chin. “If you were willing to sacrifice Farrendel for peace with Escarland, then why not sacrifice me for peace with Kostaria?”
“You are still my sister, Melantha. I have no wish to see you hurt, even after everything you have done.” Weylind scrubbed a hand over his face.
She had put him in a hard position. Having to choose between justice for one sibling and mercy for another. Between what was best for his sister and best for his kingdom.
“I know. And, I am sorry.” There was not much else she could say, even if those three words seemed so small compared to the magnitude of what she had done.
Weylind nodded and turned toward the door. “I will ask one of the guards to send in a tray and will convey your acceptance of the marriage alliance to Prince Rharreth.”
Without a backward glance in her direction, he left.
Melantha held herself cold and regal until after an elf warrior delivered a tray of food. He stuck the plate inside without looking at her.
Then, and only then, did she allow herself to break. She curled into a ball on the blanket left for her, pressed her face into the crook of her arms to muffle the sound, and sobbed.
After all she had endured, she remained a prisoner. There was no more hope. She was never going home again.
FARRENDEL LAY on the operating table in the hospital tent once again, the wood warming against his back and a leather pillow providing scant padding for his head. He stared at the canvas ceiling, fighting the urge to sit up and lash out.
This was not torture. He was not pinned down. He was not helpless.
Yet, something about being laid out on the table made his skin crawl.
Focus on something else. Anything else.
He was finally clean, mostly. He had been strong enough to sponge himself off with a cloth and hot water earlier and wash his hair, not that it was too difficult with it cut so short. He had even managed to pull on clean trousers, though he had nearly passed out doing so.
Those trousers were now rolled to his knees, waiting for the healers to remove the last of the stone lacing his ankles and legs. He was still missing a shirt, also waiting for this surgery to be over.
Essie’s hand smoothed his hair, drawing his gaze to her as she stood by the table near his head. She gave him a smile. “It will be over soon. Then you won’t be in any more pain.”
Farrendel nodded and forced himself to draw in a deep breath. Pain lanced through his chest from each place where stone still lay buried inside his body. His wrists throbbed. Agony stabbed through his ankles. The stone wrapped around his collarbone pounded pain into his temples.
A human surgeon, the elf healer, and various nurses bustled around, laying out supplies. Both Weylind and Averett stood off to the side, eyeing Prince Rharreth in the other far corner.
Farrendel’s breathing hitched, and he clenched his fists. It took all of his willpower to lie there, knowing Prince Rharreth was about to use his magic on him again. Supposedly to remove the rest of the stone, but would the troll prince do so? He had helped before, but what