Page 138 of The Forgotten Queen
“Yes.” Seran bit her lip harder. “I know it’s crazy, but we fit together.”
Renna smiled. “Love should be crazy.”
She shook her head. “Oh, he doesn’t love me. He was just pretending.”
“Are you sure about that?”
There were times when Marx’s feelings, looks, actions, caresses had felt real. She saw the tears in his eyes and the pain in his face when her father had taken her away from Cristole. His feelings seemed genuine. But she couldn’t think that or hope for that now. He was back in Cristole, and she was there. He hadn’t come for the trial. She had to take that as a sign he didn’t feel the same way she did.
Seran nodded. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“How are things going in New Hope?”
She was glad Renna didn’t press the issue of Marx more. “I feel out of place, and it’s not helping that my father is acting so strange. He hovers and smothers, all in the name of protecting me. He’s so fixated on getting me justice.”
“I noticed that,” Renna said. “He’s pretty intense right now.”
“I don’t even recognize him.”
“I’m sure things will calm down with him after the trial. Let him get his justice and then maybe he’ll loosen up a little bit.”
Seran nodded. She hoped Renna was right. She didn’t know how much longer she could deal with this new version of King Bryant.
46
Marx
The cell door swung open, and Dannyn rushed inside, with Kase on her heels. She jumped into Marx’s arms, hugging him tightly.
“Oh my gosh,” she said, pulling back. Tears teetered on the tips of her eyelids. “You smell so bad.”
Marx wiped at his own fresh tears, laughing. “That’s what happens when you’ve been in prison for two weeks.”
Kase stepped forward, grabbing him into another hug. “We’ve missed you, buddy. But you do stink.”
“Thanks,” Marx said.
“I’m going to throw a fit to King Bryant and demand that you be moved to a better room with a bed and shower,” Dannyn said.
Marx glanced over his shoulder. “I have a bed.”
“That’s not a bed. That’s a…” She shook her head. “I don’t even know what that is. You’re a king, for heaven’s sake! How can they treat you like this? Why not put you up in an inn on house arrest?”
“I doubt King Bryant wants to show me any leniency.”
“King Bryant is not my favorite person right now.” She looked back at Marx with pity in her eyes. “I brought a suit for you to wear at the trial tomorrow.”
“Thanks for coming.” He glanced between the two of them.
“You think we’d miss this?” Kase said. “Besides, I had to come. I brought Commander Stoddard here to be tried for his crimes.”
Marx looked at Kase. “You found Stoddard?”
“You bet I did. In a beach house on the border between Cristole and Appa.”
He didn’t even mind Kase’s cocky smile.
“That’s great. It changes everything.”
