Page 13 of Queen of Wrath

I couldn’t make my eyes rise again. I didn’t know why, but I simply couldn't face the stranger anymore. Lying to him brought me a strong sense of shame. “I'll be on my way now.”

I turned away from him before he could respond and continued walking.

“Oh, okay.” He sounded disappointed.

For some reason, it broke my heart.

What's wrong with me?

I hadn't had trouble lying to anyone before.

I dismissed it with a shrug, and continued walking home in silence. But the heaviness of my disappointment weighed on my shoulders, the stinging of my new tattoo a helpful distraction.

4

ZANE

Zane undid his suit and loosened the tie as he lowered himself into his dining room chair.

Another rough day at the office. I hate having to defend these bastards! Most of them are monsters that deserve the punishment… But their money is what pays for this life, after all.

Zane sighed heavily, unable to shake the sense of discontentment writhing under his skin. Sure, he enjoyed working as a lawyer alongside his cousin, but he had gotten into law in the first place because he’d thought he would be making a difference in the world—defending the weak and marginalized against those who’d trample on them. Instead, he ended up doing the opposite.

How had things turned out so completely backward?

“Oh! Zane, I didn't hear you come in.” Mairy’s voice echoed through the huge dining area. She came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and kissing his cheek.

He forced a wry smile and rubbed her arm. “Hello, dear.”

“What's wrong? Another rough day?” She pouted, moving around to get a good look at his face. “It'll get easier, you know? Soon, it won't bother you anymore.”

I don't want it to not bother me, Zane thought as he slinked his way out of her grasp, standing from his chair and turning to leave.

Mairy stood with her arms outstretched as if to stop him.

“I’m going to get changed,” he said monotonously.

For the first few years of marriage, he had found it easy to fake happiness, but it had become unbearable over time.

There had been only one woman he could ever truly love, but she was gone now.

“Papa!” The voice of a young girl shouted, accompanied by the sound of little feet running down the hall.

Soon his two children came into view.

Vienna was his little girl, and Demitri was his son. They were the most precious things in the world to him. If there was anything that kept him afloat, it was these two.

Vienna made it to him first, and Zane knelt down, scooping her into his arms. Demitri was right behind her, running straight into his chest.

Zane held him closely and picked them both up. “Why hello there, you two! What news do you bring me today?”

“The fortress is safe again. We had a run-in with a dragon today!” Vienna’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she spoke of her heroic adventures.

“A dragon?! That’s mighty brave of you! I've known many knights who ran away at the sight of a dragon.” Zane snarled in the back of his throat as he tried to imitate what he thought a dragon sounded like.

“Not us! We are the bravest!” Demitri, who was just learning to speak, managed to stutter the words out.

“Truly! Now go get cleaned up for dinner. Don’t give your mother a hard time again.” Zane kissed them both on the cheek before setting them down again. He looked over his shoulder and saw Mairy looking at them.

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