Page 171 of Enchanted Kingdom
I wasn’t angry. I was done.
Done.
And I had been for a while now.
I heard the door slam and Keir was there, blurry before my eyes on his knees next to Owen and me.
“I’m sorry!” he offered. “I’m so sorry he did that to you.”
I heaved a breath. “You.”
“What?” he asked.
“You did this to me,” I gasped out, tears and snot making my lavender gray dress turn darker gray in splatters.
“I didn’t kiss her!” he said. “You saw it, right? I didn’t kiss her.”
“Maybe you should give her a minute, Keir,” Owen offered gently.
Keir shook his head hard. “Jorah, I didn’t kiss her!”
I shook my head with him. Didn’t he know what he’d done? I turned my head and closed my eyes, trying to find the words I needed. “Nomoreis what you told her. So you have before. And apparently a lot more than just kiss too.”
He closed his eyes and stilled, realizing why I was mad. He at least had the guts not to deny it.
“Anyone but her,” I told him. “Anyonebut her. She was bullying me and some of the others. And while you romanced me, you were kissingher. Sleeping withher.”
He put up his hands. “I haven’t slept with her since the first night of the Assemblages. We had off and on before then. But yes, I slept with her on the first night. And after that, I kissed her here and there so she wouldn’t see that I was conspiring against her.” He shook his head and swallowed hard. “It was all before I knew you.”
“She attacked me!” I found I was crying and yelling. My yell wasn’t very loud because it couldn’t get out of my throat from around the tears fast enough. “She attacked me. Her father tried to have me raped. Andthatis who you were kissing?” I shook my head. “Howdareyou.”
“Look at me,” he pleaded. “Please look at me.”
I did. I was so angry I wanted to shake him.
“I was playing her, Jorah. I wished to lead her along and then at the end pick you. I know her, and it would have bothered her far greater than simply sending her home.” His voice went cold. “I wanted her to think she was close enough to the crown to taste it, and then I wanted her gone. Just allowing her to walk out of here was not enough for me after what she put you through.”
I shook my head. “You slept withherand then sentmea dress the next morning. And after that, you continued to kiss her, Keir. Yes, it was a grand scheme. Congratulations. It doesn’t change the fact that you were kissing her when you were supposed to be earning my trust.”
“I didn’t want to or wish to keep kissing her,” he said gently. “I only wished to make her pay. It will be you in the end. I always wanted that.”
“No!” I yelled. “No, you didn’t! You wanted me asyour prize. Not stopping to care what your own schemes and games would do to me in the process.”
He dropped back on his knees as if my words caused an actual blow.
“My answer is no,” I yelled as I pointed at the ground. “I do not want this. I do not want any of this.”
His eyes went watery. “No. No, Jorah. You cannot mean that.” He paused. “I want you to be with me. If I become king, I want you to be my queen. I want you by my side.”
My tears stilled, as if even they knew I needed a moment to gather my strength and make myself heard. “I do mean that, Keir. I am done. I am done with this Assemblage and this castle. All of it. You did not just want me in the end, you wanted me as your flashy prize. You wished to shove me down their throats and to weaponize me.” A lone tear slipped down my cheek. “You know what the worst part is?” I sniffed. “I never even wished to wear a crown or hurt anyone for you.” I paused, my voice going quiet. “I never wished to be a queen, I merely wished to be your wife.”
He reached for my hand, but I ripped it away out of reach. “Jorah, please. You can still have that.”
I shook my head. “No.”
“I can’t let you go,” he pleaded. “Please don’t do this. I haven’t slept with her since the first night or kissed her in alongtime. I haven’t kissed anyone since Gwen.”
“That may be,” I said with a nod. “But until tonight I didn’t realize just how deep you had shoved a dagger in my back to play your games, prince.” I wiped at my eyes and stood up. “I am done.”
