Page 104 of The Flame and the Forsaken

Erran shook his head with a cold sneer.

“How long?”

“Long enough.”

“You would forsake everything you have trained for? All you were born for? For a woman who loathed you, tricked you, and seduced you into believing her lies?” Rylahn’s anger had become disgust. “A man so easily swayed by the wiles of a lass is nay fit to lead a household, let alone an admiralty.”

Erran wasn’t sure who he was anymore, who he should be. He knew only that either love was enough to save Mariel or it would be what damned them both. “Then give it to someone else, and I will take her in its place.”

Rylahn’s revolted grin peeled back over his teeth. “In the end, Erran, you will walk away with neither.”

Erran turned his hand to a fist and rapped the doorframe with his knuckles. “We’ll see.”

Mariel twitchedand nearly fell out of her chair. Her legs slipped from the cushion to the floor as she wiped the drool from her mouth, but the sight of Hestiakneelingin front of her was so disarming, she couldn’t even remember what she’d been doing.

“Good to see you resting,” Hestia said, as though she meant it.

Even in her bitterness toward all Rutlands not named Erran, Mariel had recognized the way Hestia had been slowly introducing small luxuries to her routine. The window. A soft robe for after her baths. Even the water was hotter now, and she had two attendants minding her across the hours, despite that she required none. Sour wine had been replaced with a light, refreshing cider, and there was always, always fresh fruit awaiting her in the morning.

“I didn’t mean to,” Mariel mumbled. She buried her face in the shawl still wrapped around her and sloughed off the dried remnants of sleep.

“Aye, well you need to, pet. Rest all you can.” Hestia removed Mariel’s stockings and dragged a basin from nearby. She settled Mariel’s feet into the cold water.

“Ah! What are you doing?” Mariel recoiled with a gasp, but Hestia gave her a chiding tap and she relented.

“It will help with the swelling,” Hestia explained.

“What swelling?” Mariel squinted at her feet in the water.

“How are you feeling otherwise?”

“Same as I’ve felt since the day you threw me in here.”

“Really?”

No, not really, but Mariel wouldn’t let any of them have the satisfaction of knowing the stress was making her ill. Some mornings she couldn’t eat at all. And the exhaustion was befuddling, with how little room she had to roam.

“Perhaps you are one of the fortunate ones.” She stood, casting a frown over the center table. “I’ll call for more fruit.”

Mariel glanced at the bowl to be certain, but there were still plenty of oranges... starfruit. She hadn’t touched the cherries either. “I have enough.”

“You should eat more.”

“Hestia, why do you care what I eat? Whether I have air?” Mariel asked, sighing. “Why does any of this matter when I’ll be sent to the gallows soon?”

Hestia went to the fruit and separated it into two piles. “Because you will not be going to the gallows, Mariel.”

“How so?” Mariel turned, but Hestia clucked her tongue, and she stayed put. Her obedience was maddening, but the long nights and rough mornings had taken most of the fight out of her.

“My husband has sent word of the auction, which is to be held in a few days. His announcement includes double the land initially offered.”

Mariel curled her toes in the chill water. “He’s takingmoreland frommorepeople who don’t deserve it?”

“He has to stir their anger somehow. Anger leads to mistakes, and mistakes will end this unfortunate matter.” She dusted her hands and put half of the fruit back in the bowl, turning her nose at the discarded pile, even though it had been brought just that morning. “One can hope anyway. We are all ready for this to end. You as well, I imagine.”

She was, but she and Hestia seemed to have different ideas of what the end looked like. “Then how can you say I won’t hang? He’ll get what he wants and have no use of me.”

Hestia crossed her arms with a heavy exhale. “Oh, pet. He was never going to execute you. It was your brother he was trying to spare, and now you’ve given him no reason to.”

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