Page 102 of Rise of a Fallen Man

His handsome features scrunched with disgust.

“He’s a whore, Your Highness. Why would you even want to associate yourself—”

“You put his life in danger.” My shaking fingers got trapped in the dress as I tried to straighten it to put it on. “Do you not realize that?”

“Well, according to the Rorrim’s laws, he should’ve been long executed,” he replied casually.

Burning with both anger and terror, I tossed the dress aside.

“What do you know about our laws?” Then it dawned on me. Leafar wasn’t foolish, but he had a weakness that allowed him to be manipulated. His weakness was fear. “Who put you up to this? Your aunt?”

He paled.

“No. My aunt can’t know about a whore in your bed. Think about the scandal it’d cause in Olakrez.”

“Who, then? The gladiator who told you? Was it Falo?” I knew it was. “Who else knows?” I gripped his arms and shook him so hard his teeth clunked. “Whom else did you tell?”

“Your mother, the queen.”

“What?” I dropped my hands from his arms.

Mother would be furious. She must be, since she didn’t even call for me to speak with me about it. I had to talk to her at once. I’d get her out of bed if I had to. Maybe I could still salvage the situation somehow.

“And the head councilor, Lady Etah,” he added.

My heart dropped.

Salas’ secret was no longer a secret. The council knew.

I blew out a breath, scrambling for what to do now.

Leafar spread his arms aside again.

“I had to, Your Highness. Who else has power over you? Who else could possibly put an end to it and make you behave?”

“Me.” I pressed a hand to my chest. “Me, Leafar. You should’ve talked to me. That’s how trust builds between people. We should’ve been able to discuss things between us, instead of talking to others behind each other’s backs.”

And now what? Was I too late to do anything about it?

Cold sweat chilled my spine.

“Oh, Leafar.” I shook my head. “You let your fear rule you. And now, an innocent man may die.”

“He isn’t innocent!” he shrieked. “He’s a whore who has no place in the palace, in the arena, or in your heart. Your association with a man like that is disgusting. Mother would’ve never accepted your marriage proposal if she knew. You’re a princess, for gods’ sake. Why did you need to fall this low? Did you not have enough handsome men at the court to fornicate with? Did you have to fuck a dirty whore?”

I raised my hand to slap him for the insult. No one would fault me if I did. According to the laws of Rorrim, it was perfectlylegal for me to hit him. But the same laws would have him executed if he slapped me back.

How wrong all these laws turned out to be, and I had worshiped them for so long.

I dropped my hand without touching him. Grabbing my dress from the floor, I tossed it over my arm, then did the same with my cloak.

Wearing nothing but my shoes and my glasses, I shoved the door into the sitting room open and marched out.

“Guards!” I yelled.

“Your Highness?” Leafar ran out after me.

His aunt and her entourage rose from the armchairs, staring at us in shock. The door to the hallway opened, and two guards rushed in.

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