Page 35 of The Kingdom's Crown

He bowed to me and so did the other guards. I glanced at Aric, who was grinding his jaw.

"We ought to knowwhyshe agreed," Aric said firmly.

"Please, Your Highness. Please, pardon me. I was only following orders. I wasn't even trying, was I?" the woman sobbed. Her wrists were pinned to the arms of the seat she was trapped in, but her hands flexed as if she were trying to reach for me.

"Not trying? You stabbed my Chosen twice," I said frowning, and she gasped and then began to cry again.

With a little less sympathy at the reminder of Cresswell's bloody back, my hands filled with magic. Aric nodded to me, and I reached out, pressing my hands over her rigid strapped arms. The woman stiffened, eyes going wide with shock, chest filling with one great gasp, and then she sagged and moaned.

One of the guards behind me snorted, and there was a resulting punch of flesh on flesh and a stifled grunt.

"Focus," Aric said to me softly.

Meaning make the woman agreeable, not aroused.Friendly thoughts. Sleepy thoughts. Honesty and sweetness.

The woman hummed, the tight rigid strain in her arms melting as she sighed. Her eyelids grew heavy, blinks slow, the pale blue of her gaze stark against the red of all her crying.

"What's your name?"

"Lily, love," she said, and then repeated the words in a sing-song until they blurred together.

"Lily," I began, stepping a little closer, hearing the echo of men shifting closer behind me. "Lily, why would you agree to kill me?"

"Oh noo, no. No, I didn't think I would. I didn't think I would have to. They said you'd take Miss Ophelia on like you took the steward."

Daniel. Which meant this did lead back to the council. Of course it did.

"But you must've known. They gave you instructions."

Lily's lip wobbled, her smile failing, shoulders thrusting forward to me. Cresswell appeared at my side, vibrating with tension, ready to throw himself between us again.

"I didn't want to, of course, but I had to," Lily said, eyes growing wide. "I'm so sorry, Your Highness, but you know I had to. And they said I wouldn't even get in trouble. Or only for a little bit. They really did promise."

"Why agree? Why agree at all?" Head Guard Amos snapped.

Lily whined and shrank away, starting to cry again, but the sound hiccuped into a sigh as I pushed more magic into her.

"Not too much," Aric whispered.

I ignored him and knelt down before Lily, resting at her feet, staring up at her. Her head lolled on her shoulder, thin curls sticking to her damp brow, and she smiled at me through the tears still clinging to her lashes.

"You are so pretty, princess."

"Why did you have to agree to such a terrible plan, Lily love?" I asked.

Her breath hitched, eyes fully glazed now. "You know I didn't want to do that either," she said nonsensically. "I begged him not to. He promised it would feel good, but it didn't. It didn't at all! It really hurt you know! I knew I would get in trouble. Mother alwayssaidI would get in trouble, but it wasn't my fault, I didn't even want to. Oh ithurt!"

My hands were on fire, too tight around Lily's arms, but she didn't seem to notice. I didn't think she was really with us at all.

"He always said what a nice man he was, but I really hate him, I think. If it weren't for the baby, I wouldn't've agreed, but they said they would make him marry me if I said yes, and they really said I wouldn't have to do it you know, and—"

Aric pulled me away, drawing me into his chest, my heart hammering roughly as Lily continued.

"They promised I wouldn't get into very much trouble. Not for long. And I just thought, wouldn't it be better if the baby was a little lord or lady instead of turning out like me? Always getting pushed and forced to do the things I don't want to do. They don't do that to their own kind, do they?"

My hands were clenched in Aric's shirt, tears falling silently.

"Who's that man you're going to marry, Lily?" Head Guard Amos asked, voice gentler now.

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