Page 73 of Crown of Slumber

“And when you came back in, people noticed.Everyonenoticed. The anger on Tyrone’s face. The shame on yours. The longing in Callan’s eyes as he gazed on you.” He laughed, but the sound was grating and cruel. “Gods, you three are idiots.You wear your emotions plain on your faces for the world to see. You have no sense.”

“How dare you?—”

“People were starting to talk, Aurelia.” His gaze met mine, full of steel and sharp edges. So unlike the carefree and easygoing Midnight Prince I was accustomed to. “There were whispers that Prince Callan would break off another engagement. That he would come between us like he came between you and Tyrone. I had to deflect their attention. That’s the point of our little bargain, isn’t it? To sell the idea of our attachment. Well, this incident tonight will sell it. People will believe we are enamored with one another.”

I stared at him, too enraged to think clearly, to see that everything he said was true. “You still had no right to do that! That was not part of our arrangement.”

“Our arrangement was to tell the world we were engaged. To make them believe the lie. This action solidified it. You know what didn’t help? Your little tryst with the two brothers. Andyes, it was a tryst. You might not have intended it to be, but that’s what the court saw. That’s what they believe.” He sighed and shook his head. “If anything,youjeopardized our bargain with your actions tonight.”

“I was on that balcony first,” I said hotly. “I didn’t ask Callan to follow me.”

“No, but as soon as he showed up, you should have left. You should have known what that would look like if Tyrone caught you. Which hedid.”

“I have history here, Fenn! What am I supposed to do, pretend like none of it happened?”

“Yes! You’re a royal! You know how this game is played.”

My nostrils flared. “What happened here was messy and complicated and none of us got closure from it. I can’t expect a simpleton like you to understand that. But despite what you might think, I am a living being with feelings and emotions, and sometimes I can’t always turn those off.”

“It was your idea to come here, you know. I told you again and again that we didn’t have to do this.”

“AndItoldyouthat we didn’t have a choice! To not make an appearance would be the gravest of insults!”

“Oh, is that so? And what about after tonight? Do you think that’s better, letting them talk like this?”

My mouth clamped shut, my fists quivering at my sides. I was ready to strike him. To pull my dagger from my pack and shove it into his chest. Instead, I jabbed my finger to the door. “Get out.”

He blinked. “What?”

“Get the hell out of my room!”

He crossed his arms. “No.”

My head reared back. “Excuse me?”

“I said no. I’m not leaving.”

I stepped toward him and said through clenched teeth. “If you do not leave right now, I will make you.”

Now his smirk was there, his eyes shining with amusement. “Is that so? I’d like to see you try.”

For a moment, we stared at each other, my body burning with fury as I glared at him. He stood there, unmoving, looking down at me like I was a child throwing a tantrum.

It was humiliating. Everything about this night was pure humiliation. I couldn’t take any more of it. Heat stung my eyes, and I blinked rapidly, hoping to keep the tears at bay before I made things worse. “Why not? Why won’t you leave? Do youlikebeing here, fighting with me?”

“Of course not. But everyone downstairs believes we are making wild, passionate love right now. And we need to keep up appearances. If I’m spotted in the hall, everyone will know I’m not with you. And that includes the king.”

His words stilled me, making everything inside me freeze. Awareness crept into my angry thoughts, sifting through the fog of my emotions.

Oh, gods. He was right. The last time I embarrassed Tyrone because of my dalliance with another man, he came to my rooms and claimed me. Took me by force.

The sting between my eyes only worsened, my vision blurring with unshed tears. “You—You think Tyrone will try to…” I couldn’t finish the question.

Fenn’s gaze sobered. “Yes, I do. We embarrassed him tonight. So I’m not leaving your rooms, Aurelia. Not while that bastard is roaming these halls, looking for retribution.” He pushed past me and muttered, “I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

I turned, watching as he sauntered toward the opposite end of the room. He sank onto the cushions of the golden sofa and braced his arms on his knees. He looked utterly exhausted.

I wanted to say something, but I wasn’t sure what. I stepped toward him, prepared to apologize or thank him, when a loud knock sounded at my door.

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