Page 45 of Until the Stars Fall

With a nod, I turned on my heel and returned to the corner, righting the chair and settling back down. Picking up my pint, I downed the last of my ale and tried to enjoy it.

CHAPTER 22

Lieke

“You’re such a damned cheater!” I shouted, tossing my cards in Brennan’s face as he laughed.

“It’s not my fault you’re still so easy to read.” He shrugged but made no move to pick up the cards scattered across our laps and the window seat in between us. “Does this mean you don’t want to play anymore?”

Shaking my head, I scoffed and looked about the music room. “What else is there to do in this palace?”

Brennan tapped a finger to his lips and glanced up at the ceiling before eyeing me mischievously.

“Not that.”

“What?” he straightened, his face falling into an expression of pure innocence.

“I know you.”

“Youthinkyou know me.”

I barked out a laugh. “All those years you pretended I didn’t exist? I was still here, having to watch you drown your cares in all the females of the kingdom. And other kingdoms, I’m sure.”

Brennan’s eyes narrowed briefly, and a twinge of regret pricked my chest. But he was smirking at me again before I could try to remedy my callousness.

“That’s only one part of me. I’m not as shallow as everyone seems to think.”

“No one thinks—”

He raised a finger. “No need to lie to me, Lieke. I know what everyone says. It’s fine.”

I leaned back against the bookcase and turned to stare out the window at the grounds below. For four days we had been meeting here to play cards and talk. Always at different times to avoid raising suspicions. Today we had agreed to meet in the late afternoon,and the sun was now easing its way toward the treetops, signaling the approaching end of our time together.

I hated these moments.

Hated having to walk away from him, having to pretend like I was content with just being friends, having to act like he wasn’t preparing to propose to the princess in a matter of days.

We never talked about that though.

“I don’t want to do this, Lieke,” Brennan whispered.

“Do what?”

He kept his eyes lowered as he gathered up the playing cards. “Marry her.”

My stomach twisted. “Then don’t,” I blurted out, immediately regretting it. It wasn’t that simple.

“I don’t have a choice,” he said, sliding the cards back into their pouch and setting them on the bookcase behind him.

“Don’t you?” I asked, though it was such a ridiculous question. He was a prince. Of course he didn’t have a choice.

Still, he seemed to ponder the question as he stared at me with sad eyes. “We need the alliance with Arenysen. If we don’t secure it, we could be dragged into another war with Wrenwick.”

“Why can’t Connor marry her?” I asked.

Brennan’s laugh fell flat, humorless, as if the notion was absurd. “My father would never give his throne over to me unless he had to. Connor is the true ruler. I’m just the pretty face they needed to woo a princess into marrying me and aligning our countries.”

I wished I had some solution for him, but no matter how I looked at his situation, I came to the same conclusion. Brennan had to do as he was told. He had to marry someone else.

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