Page 127 of Forged in Cursed Flames (Crown and Crest 2)

Looking sick, he nods.

“It will be all right,” I swear, wishing I could touch him, but I don’t dare. “We’ll save her.”

“No matter what happens, I can’t leave without her.”

“I know,” I nod urgently. “We won’t.”

He shoves an angry hand through his hair. “Camellia has my father, too.”

“What?”

Lawrence was right. Camellia purposely set everything up to trap Henrik by her side.

The group is almost to the doors now. In a moment, they’re going to realize we’re not with them.

Henrik’s eyes search mine. “I know I shouldn’t say this now that we know you’re engaged, but I care for you deeply. If something were to happen to you...” The commander shakes his head as if he can’t contemplate it. “I need you to leave with Lawrence and the king as soon as possible. I’ll return to Cabaranth after I figure out how to free Brielle and my father.”

“I’m not leaving you here! We’ll—”

Camellia suddenly whirls around, finding us deep in conversation.

“Henrik,” she calls sharply, her voice carrying across the hall. She points a finger at the floor to her side, almost as if he is a dog to command.

“You’re leaving with Lawrence,” Henrik says with finality, brushing past me to join Camellia.

I scurry after him, wanting to scream. How is this happening? What did we do to deserve it?

We end up in a meeting chamber, one with a large table. There are about twenty-five of us in attendance, including the king’s knights and Augmirian’s personal guards. Pranmore, Bartholomew, and Audra were not admitted inside.

When I enter, Henrik and Lawrence stand to the side of the room, speaking urgently.

“Let’s get this over with,” King Algernon declares, taking a seat at the head of the table. “I wish to return to Cabaranth as soon as possible.”

I find my place next to Lawrence.

“These are my terms, Your Majesty,” Augmirian says, setting the documents in front of the king with a flourish. “You’ll find it’s all very standard.”

Algernon scans the papers with a pinched face, nodding as he goes over each request. He lifts his head. “You expect me to cut talvernum taxes by sixty percent?”

Augmirian smiles. “We are on better terms now than we were when your people first stole the kingdom.”

An awkward hush stretches throughout the room.

“I have no reason to give you anything,” Algernon says. “You’ve stolen my daughter. If these negotiations had taken place before the wedding, we might have dealt with things differently.”

Augmirian only smiles and lists his head as if asking the king to carry on.

The king snorts in disbelief as the list drags on, and then he reaches the last page. He pauses, narrowing his eyes. Slowly, he looks up at Augmirian. The duke stares back, expressionless.

Algernon lowers his head to read the last item once more. Then he laughs, shoving the document away.

“What is it?” Lawrence demands, leaning across the table to snatch the papers. He then mutters a curse and looks up. “You expect my father to make Camellia his heir?”

One of our knights snorts out a laugh, and the rest of our men share knowing smirks.

There’s a better chance of Lawrence taking an oath of celibacy.

“You will sign it,” Augmirian says confidently.

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