Page 25 of A Reflection of Silver and Crimson

Lady Dinah brushes her fingers over the dried lavender, her touch almost tender. Though, I suspect a woman like her is incapable of being tender. “She defied my wishes, and now she’s dead.”

My breath hitches as I slip my hands into my sleeves.

“Count, Annora.”

Mother’s voice calms me as I count to five before answering. “I have no intention of defying your wishes.”

"Good, then you will not force me to use any of them.” Lady Dinah rises to her feet, grabs my arm, and pulls me to the window.

In the courtyard below, I spot at least ten women. They are beautiful, young, and have flawless skin. One of them sits away from the rest on a stone bench. Sunlight shimmers off her black hair and bronzed skin as she reads a book with a small dog on her lap.

“How will you use them?” The question escapes my lips before I think of reining it in.

“If you cannot provide my son with an heir within the next summer, he will lie with them, one by one, until they conceive. Those who cannot carry a child will meet their end.”

My gaze locks on the young women, the burden of their Fate heavy in my chest. They remind me of myself, locked in a world they cannot escape and tied to a Fate they cannot rewrite.

“That will not be necessary.” Somehow, my words come out brave and defiant in the face of Lady Dinah’s dire ultimatum. The kind of ultimatum no one should ever utter.

Lady Dinah’s eyes narrow. I imagine this is the kind of woman who devours those who show any weakness. So, I keep my back straight and my gaze locked firmly ahead.

Her stare remains fixed on me for a moment before she speaks. “I hope, for your sake and for theirs, that your words hold true.”

Words are all I have ever known.

“You do not have looks, Annora,”Grandfather would say.“So, you will improve your mind.”

But I am no longer the obedient granddaughter, nor am I the sheltered sister kept from the world. For some reason, my Fate has become a negotiation, a precarious balance between my desires and the demands of being Jasce’s wife.

Well…his pretend wife.

As Lady Dinah turns from the window, she speaks. “Jasce is my son,” she says. “And his future and his legacy are intertwined with yours.”

“I understand,” I say because that is what she expects.

“I don’t make threats lightly. The future of our people rests on your shoulders.”

That’s a horrifying thought.

“I understand the weight, My Lady.”

She studies me, as if assessing the depth of my resolve. “Then prove it.”

Without another word, she walks away, leaving me in the study to dwell on everything she said and the potential consequences.

I must leave here and find the healer. And I must do it soon. If not…

I press my hand to the middle of my chest in an attempt to keep my racing heart from bursting.

If I obey Lady Dinah’s wishes, my future is one of duty and sacrifice. But I don’t want to obey her. I want to find my way home, to me—therealme.

More importantly, I need to be with my sisters. Everything makes sense when I am near them.

Right now, nothing makes sense—how I got here, why I am here, or how to make this all go away.

My life has not been perfect, and there are things I would wish to change, if I could. But up until now, it has at least beenmylife.

A horrifying thought strikes me as I stare out over the courtyard again. Maybe my Fate isn’t within my control. Maybe it’s shaped by a river that flows through the lives of those around me. Maybe that’s what Mazaline, the healer, wanted when she gave that painting to me.

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