Page 40 of The Crownless Prince

Taking his hand, Adriana led him over to sit beside her on the chaise. She interlaced their fingers as she peered up at him. “Marcus—”

“You can’t marry him, no matter what.” The words held a frantic,pleading edge. “I don’t care what it takes or what I have to do to stop this wedding—”

“Did he harm you? Just for spilling wine?”

Firelight flickered in the whites of his wide eyes. His shoulders scrunched toward his neck, but he winced and relaxed his posture.

“Marcus, please. What happened?”

He took a deep breath and angled his face away from her. “Lord Thorne believed I needed a reminder not to be careless with my master’s things. A lesson seared into my side with a hot fire-poker.”

Nausea churned Adriana’s stomach while rage burned through her veins. “How bad is it?”

“I’m fine.”

“Don’t lie to me,” she said gently.

Marcus grimaced. “It hurt like torment and looks terrible, but your healer said it’s good it hurts. If it didn’t, that would mean the damage was more severe. It still burns a little and hurts when bumped, but not nearly as bad as it would without your healer’s magic-infused salves.” He finally looked at her, his eyebrows knitting together. “I searched Lord Thorne’s room, but I didn’t find anything incriminating. Have you come up with anything to prevent the marriage?”

“Is this not enough?” She thrust her hand toward his side. “We have proof of his cruelty!”

Marcus lifted his free hand to cradle her cheek. “I have a treatable burn that at worst will scar. It won’t impair me. He is within his legal rights as my master.”

“Don’t call him that,” she said fervently.

He gave a sad chuckle. “It tastes rotten on my tongue.”

Adriana rested her palm against his neck and leaned closer to him. “He’s awful. But you’re right. Nothing he has done will change my father’s mind.”

Marcus suddenly went rigid and very still.

“What’s wrong?”

“What if…” His fingers tightened around hers. “He hasn’t done anything illegalyet.What if he does? What would change your father’s mind? Would a broken leg?”

With a gasp, she leaned back, her hand moving to clench his tunic. “Absolutely not. Whether you’re thinking of goading him or harming yourself, neither is acceptable to me; do you understand?”

His palm slipped off her cheek as he slumped. “All right. But we have to do something.”

“We have tomorrow and half of the next day to find a solution.” That was cutting it far too close, but she didn’t want Marcus to do something stupid out of desperation. “We will find a way.”

He nodded. “I know. I won’t let him hurt you.” His voice pitched lower, a fierce protectiveness burning through his words as his face set into chiseled determination.

An involuntary whimper caught in the back of Adriana’s throat. Oh, the things that man did to her heart.

Releasing her grip on his tunic, she scooted over to the low back at the far end of the chaise and gently pulled him down until he was lying with his head resting on her lap. There. That should be less overwhelming than sitting there staring into his brown eyes.

“I love you,” she whispered, running her fingers through the long strands of his black hair.

Only the heat of the fire and the weight of his head on her lap convinced her this moment wasn’t a dream conjured by her heartbroken imagination.

Marcus stared up at her, the adoration in his eyes making him more irresistible. “I love you.”

If only she were marrying Marcus in a day and a half…wait.

“What if we got married first?”

He frowned. “What?”

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