Page 56 of Prince of Never

Sarah gasped.‘You were caught?’

‘Yes, and then I ended up at the Hunt Ball and then...’

‘Did you offend the queen there?’Sarah asked, her face paling.

That was one way to put it.Was the queen offended that I had tempted her son away from his duties and that he’d left early with me?‘Possibly...’

‘Oh gods.Well, just be humble and apologise profusely for your ignorance and keep your head bowed.She might be lenient with you if she knows you simply didn’t know any better,’ Sarah said as she fussed with my hair and my dress, as if it was going to make any difference to how the queen decided to punish me.

If my crime was what I thought it was, there was going to be no playing dumb and ignorant here.But I nodded to Sarah just the same.There was no sense in making her worry more than she already was.‘Alright.Let’s get down there.Making her wait will only make things worse,’ Sarah said with a nervousness in her voice that made my stomach clench.

‘Right.’

I let Sarah lead me through the castle, the knot in my stomach twisting tighter and tighter the closer we came to the dining hall.Sarah took a deep breath before opening the door for us to slip through.

The queen sat at the head of the table, a formidable presence in a dark gown who seemed to take up more space in the room than her frame required.Briyala sat on her left, looking elegant and politely interested in whatever they’d been talking about, and Tarian on the right, sitting with his arms folded and his face as expressionless as a blank sheet of paper.As we walked in, all three of them looked towards us.Sarah dipped into a curtsey and I followed suit.I could feel Tarian’s gaze on me, and despite my better judgement, I met his eyes when I rose before quickly looking away again.

‘Oh good, the reason for my visit has arrived,’ the queen said with a sharp edge to her voice.

My eyes darted back to Tarian, as if I was seeking reassurance from him, but his gaze was trained on the queen, his expression darkening.‘What are you talking about?’

‘Don’t play dumb, darling, it looks ridiculous on you,’ she said.‘Step forward, girl.’

I drew a shaky breath but did as I was told, taking a few steps forward.I felt completely exposed and I wasn’t sure where to look, but at Tarian clearly wasn’t a good option.I took Sarah’s advice, bowing my head and taking the chance to stare at the floor rather than at any of the fae seated at the table.

‘Hold your head up,’ the queen ordered.I did as I was told, watching as she assessed me, as though she was scrutinising every strand of hair, every cell in my body.‘That Solas would name this creature grand prize,’ she said with disgust, drumming her long fingernails against the tabletop.‘Andthisis what you left the Hunt Ball so early for?’

I clenched my teeth, waiting for Tarian to say something, to come to my defence in some small way, but he remained silent.I knew well enough that I had nothing compared to Briyala’s beauty but that didn’t stop the flicker of indignation that sparked to life in me.If I wanted proof of what last night had meant, it seemed Tarian was only too happy to oblige by showing me just how insignificant I was.I swallowed the lump in my throat.

‘You had a role to play at the festival that you failed miserably to live up to.And I simply do not understand why you find it so difficult.I have guided and corralled you, let you skulk away out here in your own household, handpicked you a beautiful bride and you throw all that in my face for such an unremarkablehuman?’

Silence followed her words, and though that muscle flickered in Tarian’s jaw, he made no move to defend himself or his actions.I didn’t understand how he could just sit there while she belittled him.Was he so used to her scolding that he simply ignored her now?

I only wished I had the stomach to ignore her insults.

‘You embarrassed us all at the ball when you absconded with your harlot.Exposed usallto ridicule, for a servant.’

Harlot?I ground my molars against the insult, trying my best to ignore it as I waited for Tarian to say something.Anything.

‘You insisted I attend, and I attended,’ Tarian said as if he was bored with the entire conversation, his apathy cutting through my heart like a knife.‘Honestly, mother, the court expects a certain amount of scandal.It will be forgotten within the month.’

‘This is far more than ascandal.’There was something malicious in her voice, in her face, that made me wary.‘That,’ she said, flinging a hand at me, ‘is an insult.One you won’t be disrespecting Briyala with again.’

‘Briyala and I have already spoken,’ he said.‘The issue has been resolved.’

Resolved?As if I was some mistress that his wife consented to him keeping.Did Briyala know about what had happened last night?Had she signed off on it?My stomach churned.None of this was how it was supposed to be.How could he sit there and talk about me as if I was nothing, as if last night was nothing?

God, I’d made a terrible mistake.How could I be so stupid?

‘If the issue was resolved, then why is the human still here?’the queen demanded.‘I trust you at least have the decency to keep her in the servant’s quarters.’

‘I hardly see how that matters, but she isn’t living in my room, if that’s what you are implying.’

‘Then at least you haven’t lost all your senses.Hopefully now you’ll retain them enough to realise that in future, I expect you to refrain from carrying on with your whores at royal balls.’

Tarian didn’t seem to have a response for that.I stood like an inanimate object in that silent room, anger tangling with embarrassment, feeling my heart crack again.Despite everything, despite the feelings I’d started to have, despite the night we shared together, he still didn’t want me.He wasnevergoing to want me.The moment lasted seconds but felt like an eternity.How long was I expected to endure this?Why did I keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result?

Well, I would be damned if I was going to stand there and take that abuse for Tarian.

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