jewels, and how she believed the heart of a royal maiden was the secret ingredient in alchemy for making gold.
As I spoke, the furrows in Mikkel’s forehead deepened. “If your heart can aid her alchemy, why does she no longer have need for it?”
“Because the heart must belong to an unmarried young woman.”
“Then our marriage saved you?”
I nodded.
Perched on a boulder, Irontooth guffawed. “Does this mean you’ll be rewarding me for forcing you into the marriage?”
Mikkel managed a grin. “I shall declare you a national hero for your deed.” Even as he teased Irontooth, his expression remained guarded as though he sensed there was more to my explanation.
I shifted, tangling in my ruby gown and wishing I could free myself from the heavy garment every bit as much as I could free myself from the bargain I’d struck with the queen. The more I considered my deal, the more ashamed I was of what I’d done. I didn’t want to tell Mikkel, but I’d already deceived him with my veil and had to move forward with truth henceforth.
“I told the queen I would bring her another royal heart.” I confessed my deed before I lost the courage. “A heart belonging to Queen Aurora of Mercia. Since my mother has been attempting to find and kill my cousin since birth, I told her I would help her find Aurora.”
Mikkel didn’t react and instead waited as I explained everything I’d spoken to the queen about—the two months remaining to find Aurora as well as my suspicion that she was in Inglewood Forest.
“’Twas the only way to save you,” I finished. “And ’twill be the only way the queen agrees to release Ruby to me.
“But . . .”
“But I cannot betray Aurora and deliver her to the queen. However, if I do not, she will never give me Ruby.” I held up my hands, the helplessness of my situation settling upon me. “Tell me what I must do, Mikkel.”
He stared off into the distance for a moment, his brow pinching. “We must find Aurora right away, not only to protect her, but to gain her cooperation in the fight against the queen.”
“We?” I shook my head. “No, I shall do this alone. You must go back to the Isle of Outcasts and finish your Testing.” I couldn’t allow him to give up becoming king for me.
Irontooth shook his head. “He’ll never be accepted back now that the truth is out about who you both are. I won’t either and neither will the others who came with me.” Irontooth explained how someone had found one of the notices the queen had posted offering the reward for Pearl. It hadn’t taken long to connect the notice to Pearl’s reason for traveling to Warwick and to understand who she really was. Irontooth, Felicity, Toad, Humphrey, and a few others had remained loyal. But as a result, the rest of the outcasts had joined together and forced them to leave.
“I regret causing so much trouble for you,” I said once he’d finished his tale.
“It worked out for the best.” Irontooth stood and stretched. “After how you sacrificed yourselves to help me save Felicity, I knew I needed to come to your aid.”
We talked for a few more minutes about Irontooth’s plans for the future, and he insisted he would stay with us wherever we might go until we were able to rescue Ruby. Then, as though sensing my need for a moment of privacy with Mikkel, he wandered over to the mule and began to unhitch the cart.
I nodded my thanks before facing Mikkel. “You must find a way to finish your Testing.”
He grasped my hands as though he never meant to let go. “I’ve learned that I can do my Testing anywhere, that it’s not the place that matters but doing the hard things that help us grow.”
“But you are meant to be a king—”
He brought a finger to my lips and silenced me. “If God wills it, he will bring it about in his time and in his way. And if he doesn’t, I shall accept my fate. In the meantime, I shall fight beside you as we seek to do what is true and right.”
I paused to take in his declaration, still uncertain whether I should allow him to abandon the Testing. He’d shown himself to be a man of honor and principle who would sacrifice much for others. How could I deny him that? “What if we cannot find Aurora?”
“We shall enlist Kresten’s