Page 14 of Façade

I understood her meaning all too well: asking Estoria for their powers would be futile when their interests were first and foremost to their own subjects. Sharing the extent of our need in hopes she’d reconsider would only alienate her further, risking not just her help now but the possibility of receiving it in the future. Yet with the situation as it now stood, how could we possibly delay?

“But surely—“

She raised an eyebrow in silent warning and I hastily cut my inquires short, biting my lip to hold back the burning retorts aching to escape. But it was too late—I’d already allowed my desperation to shatter any illusion of restraint and honor.

Patience, Ryland. Even so, it took several deep breaths to quench this crushing disappointment. It wasn’t over. Though I’d lost this particular battle, Evelyn was now my wife, which meant there would always be another opportunity.

My fingers returned to the hidden vial, a reassuring reminder that there were other methods I could utilize, coercion if cooperation failed. I just hoped it wouldn’t come to that. She likely already suspected what I was up to; I must tread carefully, all while doing my best to be a good husband…even though in the end, my efforts would be futile when I finally found a way to take what was mine, one way or another.

CHAPTER6

EVELYN

I’d just married Prince Ryland, enemy to my throne. The magic from our ceremony lingered in the air, remnants of the power that had bound us and which would keep me trapped for the foreseeable future. The fine food and elegant surroundings were nothing more than a gilded prison…with my new husband as my jailer.

Once again, my resentment flared at my need to be connected to such a man, but despite my looming misery, I could at least be assured that such a cad wouldn’t become the consort to the kingdom and throne I still loved.

I subtly watched him, just as I’d done this entire tense exchange that had only deepened my suspicions as to his ill intentions, as if by careful study I could uncover all his secrets and schemes. He sat rigidly in the seat across from me, his movements as precise as if we dined at a royal function rather than the privacy of our room. Whatever emotion had elicited his earlier unexpected wink was long gone, as if hadn’t been there at all.

I expected the conversation to return to his topic of choice:magic. He hadn’t won points for subtlety, especially since he hadn’t wasted any time—though to his credit, he’d held out longer than I’d anticipated. But in the end it seemed he just couldn’t resist broaching the sole reason he’d married me. The thought only soured my already dark mood.

Though he’d been daring enough to press me on the topic, he’d dropped it far sooner than I anticipated. Undoubtedly he wanted to proceed carefully, the matter too delicate for him to trifle with. Yet even though I could only benefit from such patience, I almost found myself…disappointed. If I had to be married to my enemy, the very least he could do would be to provide some entertaining banter with which to wile away my time.

Surely his patience wouldn’t last long before his desperation eventually overcame him. I was admittedly intrigued by how long he’d hold out and how overt he’d be in his methods to get what he desired once that moment came. If I could think of my horrible situation as a game, it’d be easier to endure the fact that I was being used.

The thought only increased my determination to keep my lack of powers a secret in order to protect my kingdom and the real princess for as long as possible. In the meantime, I’d conduct my own investigation in hopes of discovering not only proof of the prince’s motives and his plans for how he intended to use Estoria’s magic, but whether the blight on his land was real or if there was another, more sinister reason he wanted Estoria’s power.

It shouldn’t be too difficult—my position as his wife would grant me access to the palace, even as I needed to remain careful not to draw too much attention to what I was up to.

Already I walked a tightrope of secrets—from the truth I was a decoy, to the mask I wore, to the fact I had no magical powers to speak of. I didn’t know the prince well enough to predict what he might do when the inevitable day finally came and I was caught. Would he imprison me? Murder me? Fear clenched my heart with every possibility that I’d been forced to accept when I’d decided to dedicate my life to my kingdom.

Even lost in my thoughts, time ticked slowly by. Thankfully there was no more mention of magic, yet even without it the awkward meal stretched endlessly, nearly impossible to endure with the tension and rigid politeness that left it boring and lifeless.

The silence only escalated my already taut nerves, gaps in our conversation I became desperate to fill. My restless mind desperately searched for a topic before wandering to a question that had been tugging on my thoughts ever since I’d witnessed it during my travels.

“On my way to Brimoire, I encountered something interesting.”

He automatically stiffened, a puzzling response to a topic I thought mundane. “What…did you see?”

“More about what Iheard. What was it…ah yes, something about the necessity of our engagement to save your dwindling resources?” I carefully monitored his reaction.

He said nothing, simply stared at me with a look almost akin to panic…before it vanished. He hastily cleared his throat. “That is easily explained considering the shortest route from Estoria’s capital is through an area currently been afflicted by drought.” He said nothing more, leaving me curious about the words he’d left unspoken.

I frowned. I hadn’t heard of this drought, though admittedly I often missed many essential details shared during meetings due to my frequently wandering thoughts. Considering the section of his kingdom I’d passed through bordered Estoria, one would think such an affliction would have seeped into our land as well…unless the magic filling our kingdom had served as a protection. Was this supposed drought the reason Ryland sought my magic, or were his true motives different entirely?

Though his words offered a logical explanation, his rigid posture and the less-than-covert way he avoided my gaze made me suspect he hadn’t provided me with the entire truth. It appeared Estoria wasn’t the only one with secrets. Interesting. Though their existence would provide a weak foundation in a traditional marriage, they’d make this sentence more bearable considering uncovering them would provide me with something to do.

“Thank you for your explanation.”

His stiff shoulders relaxed. “I always welcome questions concerning my kingdom, especially since it is now your home, at least until we make it in Estoria after your parents’ diplomatic business is concluded.” For that had been the excuse I’d provided to delay our journey to my kingdom.

The coldness filling his polite words gave me reason to suspect he wanted nothing more than for me to cease my questions. I’d humor him…for now, but this wasn’t the end of this, for his reaction only clued me in that something was amiss, which I’d have to add to my list of matters to investigate in my short time here. At the very least I wouldn’t be bored.

The same couldn’t be said for the remainder of the conversation as it continued to other topics. My royal training allowed me to mask my growing restlessness for a little while. I tried not to shift as I made a concerted effort to keep my thoughts focused on Ryland’s lifeless conversation, but my boredom became impossible to contain as my exhaustion escalated.

Ryland paused mid-comment about a topic I’d long since lost track of. “Are you tired…or bored?”

At the moment I wasn’t in the mood to pretend, so I simply shrugged. “Both.” I expected him to be offended by any response that deviated from the usual script, but though he appeared surprised, he didn’t seem upset.

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