The Summer King Bundle 3 Stories - Jennifer L. Armentrout Page 0,145

hips.

Tatiana looked like an ethereal princess straight out of a Disney movie, while I looked like I’d gone a few rounds with a meat grinder and was currently starring in a horror flick.

Not exactly how I wanted to look when I came face to face with Caden’s fiancée—ex-fiancée.

I stared at the would-be Queen, wishing that there had been clothes for me to wear. Maybe a head-to-toe bodysuit. Anything would be better than the lumpy, shapeless robe I currently wore.

“I hope I am not intruding,” she said, her voice carrying a soft lilt that reminded me of someone who was from Great Britain. “But I was hoping you had a few minutes to spare.”

Wondering how rude it would be to say no, I looked around the room like an idiot. Based on what Caden had told me this morning, I had a good idea of what this conversation would be about. And considering that I hadn’t even had a drink of anything other than the berry water, I really wasn’t mentally prepared for this. But more importantly, I needed to find Caden and tell him what I remembered.

Instead, I said, “Sure. Would you like to sit?”

She nodded, and I limped my way to the couch. I was a little too relieved to be sitting. The shower really took a lot out of me, so I plopped down like a horse falling over.

Tatiana sat on the other side of the couch, as graceful as a ballerina, crossing and tucking her ankles and resting her hands in her lap. “How are you feeling?”

“Um, better than I look.” Which was true.

A faint smile appeared. “I’m relieved to hear that. Your injuries are…frightening.”

I blinked.

“I mean, they don’t frighten me, but you must have suffered greatly,” she rushed to correct herself. “I am glad to hear that you killed your tormentor.”

“Yeah,” I said, curling my fingers around the sash of my robe. “I am glad…I killed him.”

Did that sound as dumb as it did to me?

“Aric has haunted the King for far too long,” Tatiana added, surprising me. “What he did to the King’s fiancée all those years ago was an act of pure evil.”

“You…you know about that?”

“Everyone knows what Aric did.” Her head cocked to the side as a frown pinched her brow. “Well, the Summer fae know.”

I stiffened. There was a good chance I was just being sensitive, but that sounded an awful lot like a jab.

“What he did to you was also horrific,” she continued, and I realized that the posture was perfect. She inhaled deeply, appearing to brace herself. “The King was beside himself with worry for you.”

There was a part of me that wanted to pretend like I didn’t know where this conversation was headed, but that would not only be pointless, it would also be cowardly. And I had faced much, much worse.

“Not to sound rude or impatient, but I imagine you’re here to talk about Caden,” I said. Her pale blue eyes widened ever so slightly. “He told me he broke off the engagement.”

Her chin lifted. “Yes, I am here to talk about him.”

“I don’t know what there is to say.” I twisted my fingers around the sash. “I had…I had no idea he ended the engagement until this morning, and I…well, this is super awkward.”

“That it is.” Another small smile appeared. “The entire Court was in the midst of preparing for our mating, and they have no idea it has ended.”

“You haven’t told them?” Admittedly, I didn’t like that. If Caden were so sure about how he felt about me and ending the engagement, why not tell his Court?

“He wanted to wait until I returned home,” she explained. “So that I could avoid any possible embarrassment. While I appreciate the attempt, his refusal will follow me no matter where I go.”

I opened my mouth to apologize but stopped myself. Some innate knowledge told me that she wouldn’t appreciate that. I wouldn’t either. In a way, I was… God, I was the other woman. Unknowingly, but still.

Damn it.

Now I was pissed at Caden all over again.

“But what the King intends has a far greater impact than causing me embarrassment,” she continued. “That is what I wanted to talk to you about. I doubt you fully understand what it means for him to refuse a Queen of his own kind—and I mean no insult by that. You are most likely not aware of our most intimate and political customs.”

“I’m not,” I admitted as a tiny ball of unease formed in