Page 68 of Heavy is the Crown
“I can’t believe what they did to you,” a noblewoman says as she sips her drink in front of us, her husband deep in conversation with Oisin, who keeps his grip tight on my hand.
“Mhmm,” I murmur, bringing my other hand up to itch under the golden collar I wear. Once it was locked onto my neck that first night, Pearl refused to remove it. When I questioned Oisin about it, he simply said it was his version of a wedding ring. The golden leash is always within reach of him. It's humiliating and uncomfortable.
“Ava.” His voice is like oil and makes me feel sick. I look over at him in question as he pats his lap. “Come sit.”
I pause for a moment, wrapping my head around the part I need to keep playing, before I stand and move over to him. I lower myself onto his lap slowly. His one hand splays against my bare midriff, while the other traces up and down my arm, his arousal growing with every moment.
“She really is beautiful,” the lord in front of us says.
“And she can hear you,” I snap. Oisin tenses, but only for a moment before he chuckles and plants a kiss on my shoulder. The lord looks outraged. After all, little dolls don’t use their pretty little mouths to talk back.
“She is correct, she can hear you,” he purrs. “My fiancée certainly has a tongue on her that I will enjoy putting to good use.” The two laugh, and while I’m ready to rip him apart, I can only smile sweetly and lean back further into his touch. My stomach rolls with every moment his hands are on me, and as he continues to kiss my exposed skin, I have to keep swallowing the vomit down.They’ll forgive me. I will get out of here, and they will forgive me.
“I don’t know how you’ve waited,” the other man sneers as his gaze roams over my body, pulling me from the mantra that feels more like a silent prayer now.
Oisin runs his fingers up and down my arm, a gesture that I loved from Drago. From Oisin, it makes me want to snap his fingers. “I have someone who keeps me company at night,”he replies. Guilt moves over me at being thankful it’s not me, because I’m certain it’s Harrow he speaks of.
“Your Grace,” a light-sounding voice sweeps in, disrupting his lips from polluting my skin.
Lady Ornate comes into view. Her white dress covers her from neck to ankle and flows out behind her. Her shoulders are decorated with gold embroidery and the long sleeves cling to her arms, coming into golden cuffs at her wrists. Atop her blonde hair, she wears a crown of golden whirls that has a mask attached to cover her eyes. If she were a true high priestess, she would lower the mask when she receives a vision.
She bows low in front of us. “Ah, Lady Ornate, thank you for joining us.” Oisin motions for her to get up. Her eyes track him hungrily before sweeping to me, still perched on his lap. Disdain flashes across her features before she controls them. It’s the first time I’ve seen her since she and Cordelia brought me to Hell.
“Of course, we wouldn’t miss it.” She steps aside and motions for Harrow to come forward. They've dressed her down to try and hide her beauty, but even in the plain beige dress and metal mask, she is radiant. Her violet eyes grab mine, and I try my best to convey my worry over not seeing her. I hope she is okay.
“Harrowlena agreed to accompany me tonight as well. As you know, her time is coming near, so I will be keeping a very close watch on her,” she says as she keeps her eyes glued to Oisin. His eyes, however, shift directly to the young girl and seem to light up in wicked delight.
“Of course.” He pushes me up and out of his lap, forcing me to sit back in my own chair. “Come up here for a moment.”
The girl doesn’t move, her body frozen until Lady Ornate pushes her forward. She stumbles up toward Oisin, and from my seat, I can see her body trembling, as if she is holding herself back. Oisin drags a finger up her arm before he lands on her chin, tipping her face up to meet his eyes. “Yes, I can smell how itis near. Are you ready to receive the great honor of becoming my high priestess?” Oisin smiles. “Good. I look forward to having you in my service fully.” He gestures back to me. “Ava will, of course, be present to witness and participate, should I require it.”
My entire body is vibrating with rage, so much so that I can feel Buttercup shift slightly on my leg. As if the snake is debating bursting off my body. “Tell me,” I start, “how will she be doing all this with that contraption on her face? Surely, you can remove it.”
The high priestess shoots me a withering look, but Oisin, as smooth as ever, smiles at me. “Harrowlena learned a very long time ago she cannot be trusted with the mask off. Should I need a warm mouth, you’ve already shown tonight you are more than equipped to handle it.” The implication is clear as day. Around us, people shift and laugh at his bold statement. I can do nothing but sip on the sweet drink that a server handed to me.
Harrowlena bows and backs away from Oisin and me, her eyes catching mine again briefly. I hope I convey how sorry I am that she is in this position.
Oisin claps his hands. “So glad we are all getting along. Now that the high priestess has returned, we can move forward with the wedding.” He rises to stand. “Friends! Family!” His voice booms across the great ballroom. “I want to thank you for coming to celebrate the return of my lovely fiancée these past weeks. It’s been difficult these past few years not knowing where she was.” Murmurs of understanding and sympathy ripple through the crowd.
Weeks without Drago or Shadow. I can feel my sanity slipping further from me every day I’m here. And I only have myself to blame, given I freely walked into this.To save them. To save Astrea and Ciaran. To save them all.
Oisin’s drawling voice pushes back into my head as he grips my hand and pulls me to stand beside him. “But now that she is returned, we don’t want to waste a precious moment in starting our new life together.” He squeezes my hand tightly. “After all, we want to get a move on making an heir to the throne.” Laughter bubbles through the crowd as if it’s an inside joke.
Panic lodges in my chest at the words. Panic that I won’t get out in time. I drink down more of the wine, hoping it’ll ease the urge to vomit all over the dais. The liquid is strangely bitter now that I’ve reached the bottom.
“The invitations have gone out; in two weeks, we will wed. In front of all of you. What better way to celebrate her return to me and her family!”
Oisin steps back and grips me overly hard by the back of my neck, smashing his face into mine, his tongue worming its way into my mouth. Cheers from the crowd go up, and the wine threatens to come up from my stomach.
He pulls away, his hands lingering on my body. “But an early wedding gift for my lovely bride!” he shouts out across the cheers.
Someone moves up toward us as he turns back to the crowd, and shock ripples through my body as I take in my mother’s face. She looks the exact same as when I left all those years ago, plus a few more wrinkles. Her ash-blonde hair is pulled up tight on her head, silver eyes mirroring mine above the sneer painted across her face, but only I can see it before she turns around and addresses the crowd with a smile.
“My sweet Ava has finally been returned. Now, we can work on joining our two families and place the one true king on the throne.” If anyone had doubts about Oisin, they wouldn’t with the backing of the former queen.I never should have come here alone.“Oisin has been the son I always wanted to have; he has been a steady hand in these dark times. The betrayal of Jacksonmurdering my husband took a heavy toll on me.” Her eyes mist over, and I want to laugh at the audacity she has. “This will finally be over once Oisin marries Ava. Once she carries the next line. How lucky we are that she came home to us sowillingly.”
She looks at me with that last line, a wicked, cruel,knowingsmile spreading over her thin face. My mother may be evil incarnate, but she is smart, she can read people, and judging by how she is looking at me, I know she can see how tense I am. My jig is up. There is no way she hasn’t told Oisin I’m lying.
Terror moves through me, pushing me to run. As if sensing it, Oisin pulls me to his side, hands digging into my hips as he holds me slightly in front of him. “If everyone would please head out to the gardens, my soon-to-be wife and I will retire for the evening.” He places a lingering kiss on my neck before licking the mating claim that Drago left. “After all, we need to rest up for a busy wedding night.” The crowd cheers again, laughter echoing at his joke, and I see my own mother clapping and smiling along with them.
