Page 197 of A Queen's Game
Chapter Seventy-Five
Marietta
Marietta wasn’t sure what was worse—Keyain when he yelled until he was red in the face, or Keyain when he remained silent and calm. His rage was stirring underneath; she had seen as much from his eyes.
When they approached their suite, he sent the guards stationed outside their door to wait at either end of the hall. That was Marietta’s second sign that the fight would be different—that Keyain was a peculiar degree of angry.
Once inside, Marietta darted for the bedroom, desperate to strip herself of her dress, but she only made it halfway. “That’s far enough, Marietta.” The calm in his voice made her hair stand on end. She faced him, trying to steady her breathing as Keyain narrowed the pace between them.
“How long has this been happening?” Keyain’s lumbering form towered over her, fists clenched at his side.
“Keyain, I—”
“How long?”
Marietta hesitated, not wanting to share the truth. “Tonight was the first—”
“What about the sculpture garden?” Emotion cracked his voice, tears welling in his eyes.
“Nothing happened at the sculpture garden.”
“But it almost did, didn’t it? You knew what he was doing the whole time—kissing your hand, your injured ankle.” He dragged his hand through his hair, his gaze landing on anything but Marietta. With a sigh, he unbuttoned the top of his shirt, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it on the back of the chair. “Why?”
She didn’t dare to breathe. In all the years she knew Keyain, he has never remained this calm while angry.
“Marietta, tell me why.”
At her silence, he stalked towards her, Marietta taking a few steps backward until she hit the wall. Keyain leaned over, bracing himself. “Do you think he loves you?”
“Gods, Keyain. No—”
“Finally, an answer.”
Marietta glared up at him, flinching away as he cupped her cheek.
“This is what you want, right? To be pinned against a wall, or is that only Wyltam when you thought you wouldn’t get caught?”
Her breath caught in her throat.
“Tell me it isn’t true.”
She closed her eyes, unable to look at him. Then she felt his lips on hers. Marietta tried to pull away, but Keyain used both hands to pin her in place.
“Kiss me as you kissed him.” His voice cracked, and he kissed her again, Marietta not reciprocating with fear lodged in her throat. “Kiss me as you kissed him, Marietta,” he whispered, desperation in his tone.
But she didn’t.
His forehead rested on her own as he heaved a sob. “It was all a lie. You don’t love me; you never fell back in love with me.”
Marietta pushed back into the wall, wishing to be away from him and his heartbreak. Tears streamed down his face as he shook his head.
Keyain took a deep breath, stepping away from Marietta, his expression crumpling. “Start talking.”
Fear dug at her mind, disabling her words. Where the heat usually flared in her chest came a stirring, like the way wind twists to form a tornado. At first, it added to her fear, but then realized it was a comfort—a sign not to hold back. “Did you think I’d ever love you after all of this?” she said, squaring her shoulders to him. The whirling in her chest was like chaos, growing faster. “I hate you, Keyain—you are my enemy. How could you be anything more after destroying my life? Taking away my freedom?”
Keyain closed his eyes, a hand covering his mouth as another sob choked him. “So you finally learned to lie.” He shook his head, swallowing hard.
“You killed Tilan—”
