Page 38 of A Queen's Game
“Lord husband, if you must.”
Her hands curled at her sides. Even if the suitephysically hadfelt like home—which it didn’t—then Keyain’s presence would be enough to make it not so. Hate furled inside her as she stared at his face, the look of amusement lining his features.
“And your handmaid Amryth will bring your clothes later today.”
Marietta scoffed, pushing past him in the doorway into the bedroom. “I don’t want nor need a handmaid.”
“Why are you fighting me on everything, Mar?” he snapped, following her.
“Don’t call me that,” she snarled.
Keyain sighed, running his hand through his hair. “Look, you’re angry, and I know you’re going to be angry, but you’ve seen what this court is like. You are very bright, but you don’t know what you’re doing—I’m going to be your only line of defense. They aren’t aware of what happened to you in Olkia.”
“Oh, so you’re stepping in to play hero? You can’t be both my abductor and my savior, Keyain,” she said, squaring up to him, though she stood almost a foot below his head. “And thanks to you, I went into that tea time blind. The ladies may have mentioned that the humans of Enomenos imprisoned me, keeping me from my poor, devastated husband.” She spat the words, anger and emotion building at her throat.
“If they knew the truth, that you willingly left me, I wouldn’t have been able to get you.” He placed a hand on her shoulder,holding her gaze. “You would have been hurt in the attack, Mar. You don’t realize the whole truth of your situation.”
“If you know the whole truth of my situation, then why aren’t you telling me?” Marietta felt bile rise in her throat. More secrets. More lies. When would it stop?
It wouldn’t. Gods, it wouldn’t end, not if she remained in Satiros. Despair clawed at her throat, the walls suddenly too close, Keyain’s touch scathing.
“You’re getting worked up,” he said, dropping his hand. “Today has been a lot for you.”
Heavy tears fell from Marietta’s eyes. Her feet and hands went numb as she stood there. It wasn’t just that day—all of it was too much for her. Tilan’s death, being ripped from her life, being forced to live with Keyain. Gods, she’d have to sleep next to him.
A choking sob came from her throat as she crumpled, self-hate pitting her against herself. She shouldn’t have cried—she should have fought. She should have screamed at him, hit him, torn the brocade curtains from the bed. Keyain deserved a headache. He deserved pain. Yet Marietta couldn’t overcome her own pain.
“I know,” Keyain whispered, pulling her into him, wrapping his arms around her. “I’m sorry I did this.”
As he led Marietta to the bed, her breath quickened into sharp inhales. She placed her head between her legs to slow the breathing, Keyain coming to focus as he knelt before her. “Just lay in bed until this passes. Amryth will bring clothes, but I’ll let her know to leave you be. Just stay in here.”
Marietta nodded, not looking at him as she focused on her breathing, trying to calm herself.
“I have some meetings this afternoon, but I’ll be back for dinner,” he turned away but then turned back to Marietta, kissing her forehead.
The affection caused her body to stiffen. Keyain looked at her with a smile. The touch—his touch—felt familiar but wrong. So very wrong.
The front door latched as Keyain exited the suite. Marietta hugged a pillow to her chest, it catching the tears that fell.
Looking into the bedroom that surrounded her, she felt out of place, dragged into a world she didn’t know or understand. This world—Keyain’s world—was one of luxury, of lies. Gods, of fireplaces. There wasanother oneacross from the bed.
She would have laughed, but more than anything, rage grew inside her. For the grotesque wealth, for the absurd amount of fireplaces, for what it all meant—Keyain hidall of itfor years, and Marietta bought his half-hearted lies.
All her strength diminished, wishing she could control the situation, to control her life. Marietta thought of Tilan, and her heart shattered again. Her home and her husband were gone. Only Keyain and his duplicities remained.
As Amryth filtered in and out of the room, Marietta paid her no mind. Her thoughts carried her far away from Satiros, to her home—to Olkia. To her husband.
Amryth popped her head into Marietta’s view. Black skin graced her body, and dark hair twisted into tiny braids that swung as she leaned over the bed. “Is there anything else I can get you, Lady Marietta?”
Marietta shook her head.
“I’ll be in the other room if you need anything.” Marietta heard the bedroom door shut. She laid there for hours, lost in her pain.
That evening, Marietta ate dinner with Keyain, something she thought she’d never do again. Between them sat half-empty platters of pork in a red wine sauce, fried zucchini fritters, flatbread, and grape leaves stuffed with rice, pine nuts, and fresh herbs. Under normal circumstances, such a spread would be satisfying; yet, this wasn’t a normal circumstance. The food sat like a rock in her stomach.
“Are you feeling better than earlier?” he asked, removing his napkin from his lap and placing it on the table.
“As best as I can be, considering the situation,” Marietta muttered.
