Page 12 of A Kingdom of Broken Bonds

He can’t deny the truth of my words, and for a moment, he simply glares at me. I wait for him to tell me I’m wrong, but he surprises me by turning back to his father, ignoring my comment completely.

What an ass.

“It doesn’t have to be this way.” Stepping closer to his father, he tempers the anger in his voice, trying to reason with the ruler. “Marrying her won’t stop the centaurs from rebelling.”

This is confirmation of what I feared. They are speeding up the marriages in hopes it will bring unity to the lands and stop rebellions. Geoff stiffens beside me, and I know he made the connection too. The state of peace across the lands must be far more fragile than I realised.

“For the sake of the prophecy and the fate of our kingdoms, I suggest you choose your next words carefully.” The king is clearly furious, his words biting as he glares down at his son. “Leave us. I need to speak with Lady Anthea, and I think you need a reminder of exactly who is in charge here.”

Stiffening at the dismissal, the prince spins on his heel and leaves the office via the door he arrived through, not so much as glancing in my direction. The bond pulses in my chest again, creating a wave of pain and dizziness at the cruel rejection. The prince’s advisor hurries from the room without a word, and the fae glances at me once, his brows furrowed as he walks out.

Geoff looks murderous at my side, glaring at the king as though he is personally responsible for every vile word the prince spewed. His mouth opens, and I prepare for him to demand answers from the king, but he seems at a loss for what to say. Honestly, I don’t blame him. Neither of us expected a reaction like that, and now everything I’ve prepared for is dead in the water.

“Please, take a seat.” He gestures to the chairs opposite the desk, his face weary. It’s strange seeing someone so powerful looking so… weak. That is the only reason I slowly walk over to the chairs. All I want to do is retreat to the dark, gorge myself on blood, and hide until the sting of being refused eases. However, I know I need to hear the king out, and while Prince Havoc might not care about the future of his people, I do, and I can’t just abandon them.

Geoff takes the seat next to me, his anger radiating from him, but he keeps his mouth shut, watching the king with a wary expression. The king’s advisor, who has remained silent during this whole interaction, continues to do so, and it’s easy to forget he’s even here.

“My son is struggling with this transition,” the king begins, leaning against the edge of his desk as he faces us. “He seems to think there is something wrong with the brides, and that they are tainted and will destroy us.” Pulling an expression that indicates exactly what he thinks of that belief, he slowly shakes his head. “He’s always been reluctant to act out his part in the prophecy, but until recently, I had no doubt that he would go ahead with it. Then, when we announced the marriage between you two, he seemed to change. He has always had an attitude, but he would never act as he has today. For that, I can only apologise. I think fear is making him act like this. You need not worry though, he will do his duty, and I know I can trust you to follow your destiny.”

Havoc kept saying I was wrong, that I was a creature. I assumed he meant because I was a vampire, but if the king is to be believed, then it could be because I am one of the brides from the prophecy, in which case, he would feel the same way about all of the brides.

“Of course, Your Majesty,” I reply as expected of me, my voice surprisingly steady. Making the most of that miracle, I do something that’s not expected of me, and question the king. “What will happen if he refuses the match?”

“That will not happen,” he assures me, giving me a smile that is supposed to reassure me. However, I am an expert at reading hidden emotions, and I can tell he’s furious at his son and unsure of what will happen. “I will arrange for you to spend some time together so you can get to know each other. He will come to his senses. You are a beautiful female, he would be a fool to turn you away.”

I was ready to leave the king’s office peacefully, but that final comment causes my hackles to rise. Of course the only factor in a marriage is how beautiful the bride is, and because I fit that category, I would make a perfect wife. It has nothing to do with my intelligence or skills with a blade. His son is a fool because he could miss out on having a gorgeous female such as me on his arm. My sarcastic thoughts are so loud in my mind, I almost expect him to hear them.

He most likely didn’t mean it that way, but I can’t help myself. Females are treated equally where I’m from, but I know that’s not the case in most of the lands. Clearly the king has the same attitude. Females are for marrying and breeding, that is all.

Tilting my head to one side, I narrow my eyes ever so slightly, and I see Geoff stiffen in his seat. He knows exactly what’s coming, having watched over me my entire life, yet there is nothing he can do to stop it—not without causing a scene.

“Even a creature such as me?” I ask sweetly, putting emphasis on certain words to make it known I’ve not forgotten what the prince said about me.

The king stares at me in surprise, one of his brows rising. He’s likely trying to figure out if I’m asking a serious question or if I’m making a dig.

“Anthea,” Geoff cautions quietly beside me, attempting to rein me in before I can get us into trouble. Needing to pull the king’s focus from me, my advisor clears his throat. “Your Majesty, are you able to offer me assurances that this union will continue as planned? My king will be most upset when he discovers what has happened here today.”

This certainly gets the king’s attention. Honestly, I’m surprised. I’ve heard Geoff speak like this to leaders and Kings before, but never King Drath, the ruler who holds the safety of our land in his hands.

“Need I remind you that I want this prophecy fulfilled just as much as you do?” King Drath replies gruffly, his intense gaze trained on Geoff. “Everything will happen as planned.”

Geoff bows his head deeply, assured for the time being. “Yes, of course, Your Majesty.”

Releasing a huff of air, the king rolls his shoulders and shakes out his hair before brushing down the front of his royal red and gold robes. He glances over his shoulder, spotting the glowing top of the rising sun.

“Get some sleep, you must be exhausted after the long trip. The sun will be up soon, so you can avoid the hustle and bustle if you go now. The ball will be tonight, and all will go to plan.” Gesturing towards the exit, he makes it clear that we’re to leave him in peace, thinly veiling it with the excuse of avoiding others.

After everything that happened, avoiding the other brides and hiding in my rooms until sundown sounds perfect. Standing, Geoff and I bow our heads and leave the office without any further instruction.

My guards meet us outside the office where they’ve been waiting in the corridor, eyeing the king’s guards with suspicion. They have never trusted the castle guards to keep us safe, frequently telling me those males will only ever look out for the king. They fall into formation around us, and we make our exit, leaving the royal wing of the castle and entering the main corridors.

Due to the sudden foot traffic, neither of us say anything, walking in companionable silence. However, in my mind, it’s anything but quiet. My thoughts spin around and around, twisting in on themselves and distorting until I don’t know what’s real and what’s a figment of my overactive imagination. Did the prince reject me because he thought I wasn’t good enough, or is my mind exaggerating? On the outside, my face is a mask, not moving a single muscle as we walk back to our wing. I’m afraid that the slightest movement will crack it, and my calm outer façade will crumble.

I cannot afford to fall apart here. I am stronger than this.

After what feels like the longest walk I’ve ever taken, we arrive at the bridge separating my rooms from the main castle. I imagine if anyone were to look out now, I would look like a ghost, my pale skin glowing in the low light of the dawn, my hair and dress billowing around me as I walk.

“Well, that didn’t go as expected.” My voice is quiet as I break my silence now that we’re back in the deserted corridors. Despite myself, I’m unable to hide my disappointment, and I have to grapple with the emotion before the rest of my tangled feelings force their way out.

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