Page 140 of The Forgotten Queen
“I want to, but I don’t know if I’ll get the chance. She hates me.”
Dannyn slugged him in the shoulder. “She should hate you, but she doesn’t.”
“Have you talked to her?” His hopes were raised.
“No, but I’ve seen the way she looks at you. She’s completely in love with you.”
“Ugh,” Marx groaned, throwing his hands out. “She waspretending. I told her to fake like she fell in love with me so that Dad would be satisfied and get off my case about the marriage. She’s just a really good actress.”
Dannyn folded her arms across her chest. “If everything was fake, then why didn’t you tell her who she was once you found out?”
Marx banged his head on the cement wall behind him. “I should have but—”
“You didn’t want to lose her?” his sister guessed.
It was a good guess.
He kept his head against the wall, shifting his eyes so he could see Dannyn. “No, I didn’t want to lose her.”
“And you still love her?”
He nodded his head. “And Istilllove her.”
It was another good guess.
“Then you’ll be sad to know her father has already made the arrangements for a divorce,” Dannyn said.
He was sad, but he pushed the feeling aside, sitting up. “It doesn’t matter now. The plan was always that she’d go back home when we found out who she was, and now she’s home. It’s over. The only thing that matters is that we convince the Council that I’m innocent so I can go home too.”
Dannyn blew out a deep breath. “Fine. Let’s start with that, then we’ll worry about getting you andSeran,” she said her name dramatically, “back together again once you’re free.”
He admired his sister’s confidence when it came to Seran.
Marx wished he felt the same way.
47
Commander Stoddard
Stoddard shuffled through the dim halls of the New Hope Government Center basement. The guard behind him pushed his lower back with the tip of a gun to keep him walking, but when a person’s feet and hands were tied together, the simple act of walking was difficult.
He looked around at the pathetic excuse for a jail and shook his head. He couldn’t believe he was there. He’d let his defenses down, had gotten too comfortable in his situation, and now he was paying the price for it.
“Does this hallway ever end?” Stoddard snapped at the guard behind him.
“We’re taking you to the older part of the jail. King Bryant didn’t think you or that doctor deserved any better than that.”
Was Von there too?
Stoddard looked around. He’d already heard the other guards say that Marx McKane was here. His plan was already in action. Luckily, when the guard had shown up at his house, he’d had the foresight to grab the letter from the first time he’d met with King McKane. Stoddard just needed Von to do his part. He hoped the doctor would remember what they’d discussed and stick to it. If they worked together, they might be able to make some fireworks tomorrow at the trial.
Blame Marx.
That was the plan Stoddard had set forth.
Hopefully, Von would follow it.
Incriminating Marx wouldn’t save Stoddard. He would be executed no matter what, but if he had to go out, he’d take another king down with him.
