Page 94 of A Queen's Game
After a day of contemplating what to say to Keyain, she thought it best to sleep on it, mull it over before approaching him again. She could tell him she was aware of the law, that he can’t keep her from going to the temple, but again, Keyain would break it. And how would she let the King know if he did?
Instead, she spent the afternoon crafting a plan, the words she’d say to him. Because remaining in the suite was no longer an option—any moment longer trapped in the small space would send her over the edge.
She ignored Keyain when he returned to the suite and didn’t join him as he ate dinner, though he gave a half-hearted attempt to get her to eat. Instead, she roused herself to bathe, taking her time in the bath and letting the heat soak her bones.
It was a small luxury, with the lavender-scented oils in such a large tub, and it helped her clear her head as much as she could. Tilan was still at the fringe of her thoughts, lurking as he always did, but she had a small goal to focus on: the temple.
After allowing her hair to dry a bit, she sat at her vanity. A comb broke up her tangles, so she took to setting her curls, encouraging the coil of the strands, when Keyain walked in.
“You’ve bathed,” he said, leaning against the bed frame off behind her, his face reflecting in the mirror of her vanity.
She glanced at him a moment, then focused on her hair once more, determined to ignore him. Anger was just below the surface, waiting for her to lash out with frustration.
“It’s a good sign,” he added after a moment. “Almost like you just needed time to process and not a temple.”
Her anger won out. “I wouldn’t want the King to stop by again and find me soneglected,” she snapped, eyes focused on the curl she wrapped around her fingers.
“I found out after the fact, and I’m sorry he surprised you.” From the corner of her eye, she watched Keyain rub the back of his neck, stalling his words. “Sometimes he likes to show up, to make sure things are okay. I talked to him a few days ago, and I mentioned you needed some time to adjust.”
Determined to ignore him, she said nothing.
“Mar,” he said, approaching her with a hand on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry I put you through all of this. I promise that this was to protect you—because I love you.”
Keyain crouched next to her chair as she worked, his eyes bearing into her. “Did you know I thought of you every day we were apart? I thought of you when I struggled. When I felt nervous, it was you I saw to steady myself. I thought of you when I felt at my happiest. When I was at my saddest. Your face, your laugh—they were both with me all this time.” Keyain paused, taking a deep, shuddering breath.
His hand fell on her leg. “When I learned you were seeing someone new, I accepted it. It hurt, obviously, but I took solace knowing you were doing your best to be happy.” Trembling, he paused for a breath. “But when I learned who you were with, I lost control of myself. Wyl locked me in a room to keep me from riding to Olkia until I calmed down.”
He swallowed hard. And yet Marietta said nothing, content to listen.
“I was distraught, Mar,” he said, his voice tight. “I had to sit here and imagine what the Exisotis would do. It broke me, Marietta.”
He leaned forward, resting his forehead against her thigh. “When we finalized the attack on Olkia, I had to save you from the Exisotis. I begged Wyltam, risking my career to rescue you,” his voice cracked, thick with emotion. “That’s when he learned you were my wife. I showed him the marriage certificate I signed when I thought you’d move to Satiros. He agreed that having the wife of one of his ministers kidnapped by our enemy was a risk and was furious when he learned how long you’d been in their custody.”
Keyain waited for Marietta to respond, but she only offered silent tears that slid down her face as she secured a silk scarf around her hair.
“Tilan knew me. The Exisotis knew me, too. I tracked them for years—had tracked Tilan since he began building weapons for the Exisotis.” He shook his head, still pressed against her. “You weren’t supposed to see Tilan die. I didn’t want that memory to haunt you, even if he’s an evil man. That day at his apartment, I realized how deep his deception went.” His voice cracked again. “And I was so scared. My only regret is not saving you sooner.”
On the day he referred to, Keyain nearly broke down the door to Tilan’s apartment and tried to take her away. An event Marietta thought about since learning the truth, remembering Tilan denying he knew Keyain. Tilan lied, and she’d believed him with her whole heart.
Even then, Tilan was with the Exisotis. The lies had been present from the beginning, forming the foundation of theirrelationship. The truth revealed cracks that were always there, waiting for their relationship to crumble.
Keyain was out of line with how he warned Marietta, tracking her through the cities as she visited clients. Yet he’d tried to warn her. He’d attempted to help her.
“Please say something,” Keyain begged.
There was nothing she could say. Marietta’s hand fell to his neck, where skin met hair, and she rubbed gently, earning a deep sigh from Keyain. He looked up at her, the green in his eyes vibrant against his red, swollen skin. “I love you so much.”
In his own twisted way, she knew Keyain loved her and had always loved her. Parts of her would always feel that affection back for him, but their time was done. Too many fights. Too many hurt feelings. Too many incidents that made Marietta feel small. Staring into his eyes, she felt it all: the good, the bad, and everything in between. Perhaps for one night, though, she could entertain the idea of letting Keyain be sweet to her. It would at least soften the question she’d inevitably ask tomorrow.
For the first time in so many nights, Marietta led Keyain to the bed and fell asleep in his arms.
The bedroom glowed with morning light as Marietta opened her eyes. Wrapped around her was Keyain, his deep breathing indicative of sleep. Marietta rolled over, lying face to face with him. As he slept, he looked peaceful, no sign of the anger that seemed to be always a breath away. The splattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks were as she remembered them. For a moment, she let herself imagine they were at an inn, that they would head down to breakfast soon. The ache in her heart for those days came suddenly to her.
After Marietta left Keyain, she blocked out those memories, too painful to remember. The emotions, the love she had for him, didn’t make a difference. Keyain imagined a very different future for them, one Marietta would never agree to, yet there she was, in his arms once more. She was angry, and rightfully so, but Keyain was doing what he did best—protect. Though, if he could fight someone to defend her and could repeat his protection narrative to her time and time again, then why couldn’t he understand the help she actually needed? Even after she told him verbatim?
Marietta traced the line of his jaw with her fingers, sweeping against his cheeks and lips. A face so familiar, one she woke up to a thousand times with a kiss each morning. Why couldn’t he understand?
Back then, he was the Minister of Protection but never told Marietta. If he had, she would have ended their relationship immediately, which meant she understood why Keyain hid it. He was always honest about keeping his job a secret, so he never did lie to her. But leaving out that he was the King of Satiros’ best friend and a minister was a glaring oversight.
