Page 117 of Dueling the Suitors

Their reunion happened the week after saving Draken. Cyrus took Astoria and Emmett to Windlewade, but Silas refused to join them. What little relief and joy he had at the news of their mother turned to something else the moment he learned he had half-siblings—other than Astoria.

Astoria and Emmett had tried to coax him into coming with them, but he refused curtly. He grew bitter, and he was devastated, mad, and everything else. Finally, they realized it; asthe departure of their mother affected him more than the two of them, her betrayal struck him the most too.

He couldn’t bring himself to forgive her.

Their mother had been incredibly happy to see them and devastated when they told her about Silas. She looked heartbroken, but she tried to assure herself that Silas just needed time.

Astoria hoped the same; only, it wasn’t happening. In his last letter, Emmett mentioned that Silas had become withdrawn. He was no longer the charming prince of the court. Instead, he had shut himself off from the world, dividing his time between his room, the training grounds, and the wine cellar. And his father’s relentless criticism wasn’t helping.

The king of Daliston wasn’t yet aware of his former wife’s existence. Astoria and Emmett decided he didn’t need to know, and Silas had silently agreed with them too.

“We should write to your parents,” Cyrus said, his hand gently rubbing over her stomach, sending the butterflies into a wild dance. “They’ll be ecstatic to know they are going to be grandparents.”

“So will your father.” Astoria smiled and cupped his cheek. “He can expect two grandchildren by next year. Joaquin’s is a love match; I would expect nothing less.”

Joaquin married the love of his life only last week.

“Marvelous. Then our daughter—or son—will have a cousin of the same age.”

“Yes, and I should really write to our—”

Cyrus tightened his arms around her. “Oh no, I am not done with you yet.” He kissed the corner of her mouth. “It’s time for a celebration.”

“It’s time forlunch, you mean.” She tried to say it seriously, but the corners of her lips trembled. She pushed against him half-heartedly.

“Oh, yeah? Just before, you were saying you wanted to write—oh.” He paused. “That reminds me…” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sealed letter. “I picked this up before the meeting started.”

Astoria didn’t have to ask or look at the seal to know who it was from. Only Emmett sent her letters. He would leave them in the tree hole of a certain tree in the Husk Woods that Cyrus had enchanted for their correspondence. Whenever there was new mail, Cyrus would get the alert.

Astoria opened the letter and read it out loud.

My dearest Storie,

Things are not well here. First, I miss you—as always. I wish you were here. You’ve always had this rare ability to help me feel grounded and like myself, the only one I didn’t have to be Crown Prince Emmett for. I know it has been months since you left home, but the truth is that I am still trying to adjust to your absence and get used to it. I miss you so much, little one.

Father is going out of his mind, even more than the last time I told you. If he had been wallowing about how he lost you to his enemy’s hands then, now he is saying that he lost a huge section of his treasury to get you where you are and that he has no benefit from it, not even the alliance. Honestly, I am grateful Cyrus hasn’t made a single move to ally with Daliston. Father doesn’t deserve it after what he did to you. But you should hear him brag about ‘the Emperor his son-in-law’ and ‘the Empress his daughter’ to the foreign dignitaries of the unconquered kingdoms who visited last week. He talked about the two of you as though you were in his pocket.

Amidst this daily madness, there is a new report. We have a thief problem. The victims are noble families. I almost laughed out loud when one of the lords, a victim, presented this in the last meeting. It has been going on fora few years now, I think. Father has ignored this matter before, but this is the first time I have heard of it. At first, the victims were convinced the thief was one of their servants, until someone saw a hooded figure slipping out of a window one time and a balcony another. No one has seen the culprit’s face. The person always wears a mask.

Father wants me to investigate this matter, but honestly, I find it funny how the culprit is targeting only the noble families. So far there has not been a report from the commoners.

I asked Silas if he would like to join me, but he is as withdrawn as always. I wonder if he will ever be back to himself. You should come and visit someday soon, Stor. I know he hasn’t replied to your letters, but I know he reads them. I caught him reading one day, and he wasn’t so pleased. Really, I miss the old him who used to annoy the life out of me. His silent existence is grating.

It feels so good to free myself into a letter. Even in ink and paper, you are the only one who makes me feel like Emmett and not the Crown Prince. Tell me all about your week. Keep the letter as long as possible. I love you millions.

Yours truly, Emmett.

Astoria exhaled. Emmett’s letters made her smile as well as frown—with updates about Silas and his struggles. Why was he doing this to himself? She hadn’t seen him since he and Emmett left Draken almost three months ago. She would visit him soon, and hopefully, the news of her pregnancy would cheer him up a little.

“What’s with the frown?” Cyrus sat down on the bed and pulled her to stand between his knees.

“It’s just… Silas.”

“Do you wish to pay him a visit?” His gentle way of asking made her smile. She nodded. “Then I’ll arrange it as soon aspossible. I’ll come with you too.” He pressed a long kiss to her stomach.

Of course, he wouldn’t let her leave his side. Wherever she went, he went too. And wherever he went, he brought her with him. For the last three months, there hadn’t been a day they weren’t together. And Astoria wanted to keep it that way till their last breath.

Besides, Rowan was still out there. As far as she knew, he hadn’t made a move yet. That didn’t mean he had given up. No, he was probably hiding away and plotting his next move. His men, whom Astoria and Cyrus had immobilized that day, were restored to normal and imprisoned in the dungeons to await their trial the following day. However, on the day of the trial, they were discovered dead, and Joaquin suspected they had taken suicide pills.

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