Page 85 of Crown of Hearts
“I’m fine.” I took a sip of the tea, and Rhen took a seat on one of the other chairs.
“You don’t have to pretend, you know,” he said earnestly. “You don’t have to be fine all the time.”
I tried to muster a smile.
“Have you spoken to Lance?”
“When I arrived, yes. The council will probably gather tomorrow.”
I already dreaded it.
“The other reason I’m here.”
“Of course.” I sighed. “What else would we talk about?”
“Don’t imagine I enjoy talking about this any more than you do,” he said.
“No?” I feigned surprise. “Because it really seems like you do.”
Rhen shook his head, his mouth curving into a smile. “I need to warn you that the council meeting tomorrow is not going to be pretty. The tensions are high, and people are scared. And they haven’t even found out about Argon.”
I tried to concentrate on his words, but a cold gust blew in from the window and I shivered.
Without breaking the conversation, Rhen stood up and started making a fire in the fireplace. “If the alliance doesn’t pan out with Norrandale—” he had the courtesy not to mention Cai’s name — “then we need to look at possibilities of other alliances.If not an Evernean lord, then further outside Everness’s borders.”
“You mean kings from the continent?”
He nodded. “But things like that can take a very long time. Something we don’t really have.”
“Whatever I have to do, I’m not marrying Edgar.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll make certain the Darwicks don’t get to you.”
The fire burned brightly and slowly filled the room with heat.
“They know about my past.”
“The Darwicks won’t lay a hand on you.” Rhen looked me dead in the eye. “I’ll make sure of it.”
And I believed him.
* * *
The long night didn’t bring any rest or peace. I rolled around endlessly in my bed.
Dawn approached, the sun rising over the Evernean hills in the distance. I waited until the guards changed shifts at dawn before sneaking down to the stables.
A yawning stable boy offered to saddle up my horse, but I refused, wanting to do it myself. I took my time riding through the woods on the outskirts of the palace. It had been a long time since I’d been in the forest entirely alone. But all seemed quiet and at peace, as if even the trees could feel sympathy towards me.
I didn’t want to think about the council and my fight for my birthright. But I realised I wasn’t going to keep my mind from repeatedly wandering there until I came up with a possible solution.
An alliance with Norrandale certainly had its repercussions. There was the possibility of a full-on war — one which Everness wasn’t prepared for despite the size of our army. And if I didn’tmarry Cai, the Darwicks could forever blackmail me into doing their bidding. I couldn’t have Edgar sitting on the throne with me, having to watch my back for the rest of my life. The people loved the Darwicks. They were wealthy and well known, and the council would be more than happy to approve.
But I . . .
I loved Cai.
The thought alone nearly knocked me off my horse. Maybe that’s why I left at the first sign of trouble. Because subconsciously I was looking for a reason to leave. It didn’t remove the hurt I felt about what Cai had said. But running seemed easier than to risk losing him. Running always seemed easier after everyone I’d already lost.
