Page 50 of Dueling the Suitors

“Monster or snake? I admit I was rather cunning.”

Astoria’s hand flew forward, aiming for his face, but he caught her wrist. His eyes turned stormy again and he took a menacing step forward. “Now, now, Princess, listen closely. I know I promised to protect you, but if you don’t behave and insist on making things difficult, you will leave me no choice.”

Astoria tried to yank her wrist free. She refused to cower before him. “What, you will kill me?”

“Believe it or not, my wife, I’m not half the monster people say I am. I won’t kill you, but I can think of a few punishments.”

“Like locking me in a magical tower and starving me to death?”

He rolled his eyes skyward. “Like taking over your precious Daliston.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” she growled.

“Oh, I would.” His lips twitched. “I would also make your brother the king, and he would become one of my puppets. I know no punishment would be as effective as that for you.”

Astoria let out a snarl so unlike her and stomped on his foot. He yelped and released her wrist, cursing under his breath. He glared at her. “Are you—”

“Mad? Yes. Should I expect the punishment now?”

“Don’t mock me, Astoria. I can ‘send my army’ to your castle with a snap of my fingers,” he warned.

“Oh, why don’t you snap your fingers and sendmeinstead so we don’t end up killing one another?” she retorted.

Cyrus adjusted his stance, wincing slightly as he did so, and snickered. “Even if you command me with a blade to my throat, no way in the realms am I ever letting you go.”

“How romantic,” she sneered. “Care to explain why?”

He shot her an incredulous look.

“Stop looking at me like I am supposed to read your mind like a red panda and spit it out!”

Cyrus began to laugh, sparing a look at the other man who was trying not to laugh. He met her eyes. “You don’t even know what you are, do you?”

Astoria’s heart skipped a beat. Did he know about the prophecy?

At her silence, he continued. “You are the weapon—thehope—of the rebels against me. The moment I realized it, I did what I had to do. I outsmarted them and married you, which now makes you useless to them. Of course, they are unaware of this at the moment, but they will know soon. All they know now is that some street performer beat the princess in her duel and married her and that together, they will be a powerful weapon against the Emperor—with or without the magnification. If you can’t tell, I amdyingto announce the news of our marriage—and to crown you as my Empress.”

He finished with a wink.

But he didn’t mention the prophecy.

I think I get it…Skylar mused.Maybe this is the beginning of the prophecy’s fulfillment. This is how you are going to bring him down.

He couldn’t be wrong.

When Astoria first read the prophecy, although she thought it was silly, she had envisioned them facing each other in battle when Cyrus came to invade one of the unconquered kingdoms.

Never in her wildest dreams had she thought she would find herself married to him—trickedinto marrying him.

But with them married, how would the prophecy work? How could she bring him to his knees? Her magic wouldn’t work against him.

Don’t worry about that now. I’m sure there will be some loophole. The prophecy has brought you this far, after all. It will be fulfilled,Skylar said.

She had no choice but to believe it. She was trapped. Sil—Cyrushad teleported them to the farthest end of the continent, his home, and he wouldn’t bring her back.

Did that mean she wouldn’t see her brother again?

Suddenly, the prophecy was no longer her concern. The insecurities she had buried away came crashing in. She felt vulnerable. A life without Emmett; her nightmare was here.

---