Page 26 of Façade

Despite the dishonor of having married her for her magic, I wanted to believe I wasn’t a bad man. If she gave me a means to acquire what I needed honorably, shouldn’t I do it? Though I didn’t like the idea of wooing my wife, even insincerely, my desperation proved quite the persuader.

With a steadying breath I slowly uncurled my hold from the vial. “Fine. If a courtship is what you wish, then I shall grant your request.”

There was nothing like the present. Unsure the exact details of what such a thing entailed, I seized hold of her hand and held it, my grip rather loose in my uncertainty.

I wholly expected to feel nothing, just as I always did in all my past platonic interactions with both her and other women of the court. But even reluctantly going through the motions acted as a key to unlocking the door of the barrier I didn’t know existed over my heart. To my astonishment, the act stirred an unexpected warmth in my chest. The feeling both frightened me and caused my grip to reflexively tighten.

Did she feel this too…whateverthiswas? I wondered if she might, for her breath suddenly hooked and she hastily yanked her hand away.

“I—“ Her cheeks pinked, a blush that swallowed the remainder of her breathless words. A strange emotion passed between us as we stared at one another, one I couldn’t even begin to decipher. She was the first to sever our gaze. “I—I have to go.”

Without another word she scrambled away, leaving me staring after her. The shadow of her heated, almost tingly touch lingered against my skin. I flexed my hand in an effort to rid myself of the feeling…yet it remained to cause an unexpected warmth to stir my chest, as haunting as my ever-present guilt.

It appeared it’d be much more difficult to acquire Estoria’s magic than I’d initially thought.

CHAPTER10

EVELYN

The night proved long and restless, plagued by the memories that seemed to be in cahoots with the pressing darkness, causing them to curl their tendrils around my thoughts and keep me awake. Whereas last night my haunting fears centered on the identity of the mysterious intruder lurking in Ryland’s study and his resulting suspicions for having caught me snooping, instead anger tainted tonight’s reminiscences of my husband’s blatant inquires for my magic.

Yet somehow, the most persistent memory wasn’t of potential assassins or even Ryland’s desires for my magic…it’d been his hold on my hand when we’d begun our fake courtship. My cheeks burned at the recollection, particularly the unexpected feelings the gesture had caused to tingle my skin and the way my heart had stirred to life. Such emotions had no place in our marriage, yet somehow they’d still felt almost…real.

Eventually, the memory of these emotions grew unbearable enough for me to light my nearby lantern; its soft orange glow chased them away long enough for me to slip into a restless sleep. Dawn eventually rescued me from the night, its light extra bright and cheery after finally releasing from the darkness’s coils.

I made me way to the window seat, where I curled my legs up and pressed my face to the glass to watch the patterns of golden light dancing across the grounds below, each glimmer an invitation for me to explore, the perfect distraction from my anxious thoughts.

Back home, I’d spent most mornings outside, but since arriving here I’d often forgone my morning walks in an effort to better pattern my behavior to the expectations of the court, lest I create unwanted questions that could lead to my exposure. This morning left me too emotionally exhausted to perform the charade; I didn’t want to play the now painful role ofPrincessEvelyn. Today I wanted to simplybe.

It was early enough that Ryland shouldn’t be awake, considering he likely followed the habits of the court in keeping late hours and sleeping the morning away, meaning I could avoid him catching me in my early barefoot walk, and with his presence the confusing emotions our holding hands had stirred within me.

I dressed in my plainest gown that I could don without the assistance of my newly assigned maid before hurrying from the room, forgoing not only my shawl but my shoes, a constraint that would only taint my morning.

The faint early light made the corridors gloomy. Though it’d been several days, I couldn’t shake the sense of a sinister presence within the palace. Tension cloaked my movements as I searched every shadow I passed for the mysterious intruder I’d encountered, but save for a few servants, the hallways were abandoned, the court I hoped to avoid thankfully still asleep.

Before making my way outside, out of habit I wandered to Ryland’s study in hopes I could continue my earlier investigations…only to encounter the same obstacle that had barred my way ever since he’d caught me there. Guards stood rigidly in front of the door, blocking not only this entrance but every other room that looked promising for me to search. Foiled yet again. With a defeated sigh, I turned away and made my way quietly down the stairs.

Outside, the grounds were bathed in the soft, cheerful hues of dawn. I lingered on the top step to breathe in the fresh air and to enjoy the gentle caressing breeze as well as the warmth of the early morning sun against my cheeks. This moment of stillness dispelled the last of the tumultuous emotions from the endless night and rejuvenated me for my anticipated exploration of the grounds.

Though I’d received a formal tour the first time I’d visited this palace several years ago after my arrangement with Ryland had become official, I hadn’t spent enough time on the grounds to take in every detail of their splendor. They were nothing like the wild, almost untamed natural beauty of the gardens from my old home, but tamed and elegant, almost picturesque in their beauty.

Rather than take one of the pathways twisting alongside the many hedgerows and immaculate flowerbeds, I tentatively stepped onto the lawn, soft against my bare feet. The familiar feel of grass poking between my toes calmed me further.

After several deep breaths, I eagerly began my explorations. The rising sun measured the content minutes as they melted away the last of the night into the cheerful golden light of a new day. Normally I preferred an overcast sky, but today I welcomed the sunshine and the promise it brought. In this moment there were no façades, conniving husbands, schemes against my kingdom, or even the pain from my lost identity.

My wanderings took me to a lovely copse of trees on the eastern portion of the grounds, where I discovered a fountain. I settled on its rim and lay my hand against the water to caress its surface. I watched the ripples extending from my fingers; after a moment, the water began toshimmer.

At first I wondered if it was just the sunshine’s reflection against the surface, but the way the light shifted and the colors changed created an enchanting—almost otherworldly—effect, like an invisible brushstroke painting a watercolor. Almost instantly, a sudden headache pulsed against my temples—not as sharp as the one I’d suffered two nights ago during the ball, but still a persistent ache, as if something was trapped inside vying to escape.

Through the discomfort, I struggled to study the indiscernible images glimmering across the fountain and the message they might be imparting…until they suddenly vanished at the sound of footsteps coming up the path. I startled and yanked my hand from the water to swivel around, only to stiffen upon spotting Ryland.

With a quiet gasp I hastily crouched behind a hedge before peering around the leaves. I almost didn’t recognize him without the formal attire he usually wore, nor with his peaceful expression. Thankfully he hadn’t noticed me, too occupied by the book he read as he walked. I sensed a mystery.

Seeing him caused the dour emotions the cheerful morning had chased away to return—a mixture of ire and the inexplicable longing he’d stirred within my heart just from a simple touch of our hands.

I waited until he’d gone a little farther ahead before following him, guided by my curiosity of what he could possibly be up to, an emotion I vainly tried to convince myself was motivated solely by my suspicions. He kept to less common paths that maneuvered away from the main grounds to the surrounding trees.

He suddenly paused and crouched down to examine something with a boyish eagerness. Intrigued, I tiptoed closer in hopes of discovering what had so captured his attention…only to step on a twig. I stilled. The sound pierced the morning air, causing him to swivel around.

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