Page 98 of Crownless King

She choked on her tea, coughing to catch her breath.

“Hewhat?”

“He…suggested we get married. He said it’d be easier that way.”

She studied me over the rim of her teacup.

“What did you say? Did you consider it?”

“Sauria, you know I couldn’t marry him. It’d never work on many levels. Besides, I’m kind of not exactly available, right? Or whatever this thing means.” They said a picture was worth a thousand words. So, I just loosened the laces at my neckline and shoved the material of my dress aside, exposing the top of my left breast. “Here. This appeared today.”

She slammed her cup onto the table so hard, her tea splashed out.

“I swear on my fucking cauldron, which is the most precious thing I own, that this is a mating mark!” She reached to rub along the lines. “It’s not painted on, either.”

“No.” I sighed. “It’s not.”

She stopped rubbing my skin and squinted at me.

“Should I ask who the letter V stands for? Or should I just take the most obvious guess?”

Evading her piercing stare, I admitted, “It is the king. He’s Aithen’s father, too.”

She didn’t look surprised. Not even a little bit.

“Did you know?” I asked.

She shrugged. “There have been rumors.”

“What rumors?”

“That High General Voron hid you from Queen Pavline when she’d ordered your execution. That you helped him acquire the crown. That as a reward, he got rid of you in order to keep that crown.” She pursed her lips.

“It’s uncanny how true all those rumors are,” I muttered, sinking my gaze into my tea.

“And of course,” she continued, “anyone who’d seen Aithen would know who his father is.”

“Is the resemblance that obvious?”

She nodded firmly. “Your son is a spitting image of King Voron. Just much cuter and with wings.”

I glanced at the open door to the room where my baby was sleeping, peacefully unaware of any danger. He trusted me to keep him safe.

“What do I do now?” I covered up my chest and tightened the laces again. But my skin burned hot, feeling like the mark could glow through my dress. “Is there a way to get rid of it?”

“Ha!” Sauria blinked at me incredulously. “So many people pray all their lives for the bond to find them. And you want to get rid of it?”

“They pray for a soulmate, someone to spend their life with. But I’m now tied to a man who wants nothing to do with me.”

Her lips curled into a wicked smile.

“Well, if there are more people who want King Voron dead, you may be a free woman soon.”

Her words slammed like a punch to my gut, knocking the air out of me.

“I don’t want him dead,” I gasped.

“Why not?” She arched an eyebrow, either questioning or teasing, I couldn’t tell.

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