said against his lips. “You know this is not my choice, don’t you?”
Ryden stilled, and after a moment lifted his lips from hers. “It never has been, Ana,” he growled as he looked down on her. “If anyone is going to inflict this upon you, it should be me to do it first.”
Ana froze, her breath cold in her lungs. “What do you mean?”
Ryden held her gaze for a long moment, then cursed. “I want you to remain pure and only for me.”
Ana relaxed a little, smiling at him. “I will in my heart, Ryden. I am pleased that you don’t want to break our betrothal because of this.”
“Never,” he said, his eyes burning into her. “I’ve been waiting for a long time to be able to call you my wife, and I’m still waiting for that day.”
She jumped as a heavy knock fell on the door, and Ryden immediately let her go.
“Come in,” she called, fixing her dress as Ryden inched back from her, his face smoothing over as he dropped his hands to his sides.
The door opened and the king strode through.
“Father!” At the sight of him, majestic and powerful, Ana’s worries almost disappeared.
He paused at the sight of Ryden, a frown forming on his face. “I didn’t realize you had a visitor, Ana.”
She rushed to him and threw her arms around his neck, eager for his familiar feel and smell to chase away the discomfort and confusion that had dominated her since the court hearing.
“I was just wishing her well, Your Majesty,” Ryden said from behind her. “This is an upsetting situation.”
“I understand,” the king said, his hand pressing into Ana’s back as she hugged him. “So I will allow your presence in her private chambers just this once. It will not happen a second time.”
An awkward pause filled the room for a breath. “Of course, Your Majesty,” Ryden responded smoothly. “Ana, I will see you tomorrow, hopefully. I will be thinking of you hoping your heart remains with me.”
Ana nodded an offered a small smile. “Of course, Ryden. Thank you for understanding.”
As soon as he left, the king wrapped his arms around Ana and hugged her properly. “Ana,” he said, his voice heavy. “I’m sorry I haven’t visited you until now. I’ve been trying to find a way to stop this from happening.”
Ana squeezed him tightly before pulling back. “Mother came to see me,” she said quietly. “I know you can’t.”
Her father shook his head. “Not without severe damage to the crown or an uproar among the commoners.”
“Surely maintaining the royal family is more important than the commoners being upset for a while?”
Her father led her farther into her room, and sat down, gesturing for her to sit opposite him. “That is not exactly true,” he said. “The monarch rules and guides the kingdom, but if enough commoners are unhappy, they can disrupt the balance of society. That could be dangerous for us—the crown must survive at all costs, even if the current ruling family doesn’t.”
Ana frowned at the distinction. “So even if we as a family fall, there must still be a king and queen?”
Her father nodded. “That distinction is important, Ana. It signifies that even if we have to give up the rule, for any reason, the crown will survive. One of my brothers could be crowned or, more likely, one of the houses would be elected to stand, if their bloodline is pure enough, but the kingdom itself will remain relatively unscathed by this, and therefore the crown remains strong and in power.”
“But how can the houses be satisfied with that kind of result?” Ana asked bewildered. “How can they be fine with your demise?”
“My demise is not necessarily bad for the rest of the houses,” the king said carefully. “For years some of them have been looking to gain more power so they can command the throne. This is an opportunity for many.”
Ana’s stomach dropped. “So they are in agreement that this… man should have me for three nights?”
“No, they’re not outright saying it, but some of them are not fighting as hard as I would expect them to,” the king said, his jaw hard. “But, it makes no difference. We will not fall because of this.”
“We won’t?” Ana asked. For the first time since she saw Maddoc, hope kindled in her. “Everyone seems to think this is the worst thing that could happen to us.”
“Ana,” the king began. “There is always a way to gain an advantage. You will be in