Page 105 of Blood and Fate

Her words were cut short as the door to her chambers flew open, and Henrik entered.

“Ah, my Princess. And my King.” He offered a sweeping bow to her father before stepping up to her and taking her hand. “You are lovely, it will be a pleasure to call you mine.” He placed a kiss on the back of her hand.

She tried to free her hand, but he held her fast in his grip. “You are a liar.”

Henrik made a show of looking affronted by her accusation. “I beg your pardon?”

“It was you.” Satori fought to keep the emotion from her voice. Why she should be surprised, she didn’t know. It was exactly something he would do. “You hired those men. You had me kidnapped, and you blamed it on Kais.”

Her father’s eyes grew wide. “Satori.”

“Are you mad, woman?” Henrik questioned, releasing her hand. “I was injured in that incident as well, if you will recall.”

“That only makes you more mad,” Satori snapped. “That you would have yourself injured just to blame another for my kidnapping.”

She stepped toward him as fury bubbled inside her. Reaching out with both hands, she shoved into his chest, sending him staggering back a step, eyes wide.

“Do you know what they threatened to do to me? What they would have done if Kais hadn’t saved me? You are a monster!”

Henrik’s mouth pressed into a line, his eyes hardening slightly. He turned to her father. “Your Majesty, this is but a misunderstanding. And I’m sure you have better things to do. Like preparing for the ceremony. Please do go dress. I assure you that the Princess and I will speak and clear this all up. I had the servants fix you some tea.”

To her horror, her father nodded his head. “Of course, I do need to dress, and this seems like a private matter.”

Private matter?

“My dear, I’ll see you soon.” His eyes moved between Henrik and Satori. “Don’t quarrel on the day of your marriage.”

Satori watched in disbelief as her father slipped from the room. She turned her glare on Henrik, who was still watching the door. A muscle in his jaw ticked.

“Your father is such a kind and understanding soul.” He turned to look at her, gaze threatening. “It would be a shame if something happened to him so close to your wedding.”

She stared, rage burning through her. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard him threaten her father. She didn’t doubt that he would follow through with his threats. Of course he would, he’d already had her kidnapped. But her father had agreed so easily...

“How do you make him do that? Why does he do whatever you say?”

Henrik studied her face, and his mouth twitched up at the edge. “I make wonderful tea. I’ll be sure to let you taste it one day.”

Tea? Henrik could control her father simply through tea? As she considered this, a memory surfaced. Mending tents with Bram. He’d spoken of Helian Currents that would make the person who eats them susceptible to suggestion. Compulsion berries, he’d said.

She held Henrik’s gaze for a moment before breaking the connection, her attention dropping to the floor. This man was a menace and needed to be dealt with. And she would do it. She would marry him if that was what she had to do, and then she would kill him herself. With her own hands, if need be. She would rid the world of this beast.

Henrik stepped closer to her, apparently mistaking her stance as acquiescence. Submission. His palm cupped her face, bringing her gaze to his once more. She did her best to force a look of sad resignation.

“That’s better. Now, let us be wed and put this all behind us. People are waiting.”

Her stomach turned as she dropped her gaze and gave a slight nod.

She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. She did neither. If she was going to make it through the ceremony, she would need to rein in her emotions. At the very least, for her father’s sake. They stood in front of the large wooden double doors that led to where the ceremony would be held.

Her heart thudded against her ribcage as she thought about what awaited her on the other side. She just had to get through this. Just this, and then she could take care of the man once and for all.

“I hope you and Henrik cleared everything up,” her father said, patting her hand where it rested in the crook of his elbow. “I hate to see you at odds. You’ll need to be united for the country and your own happiness.”

She looked at him and forced a smile. At least he would be safe from Henrik’s vileness.

Trumpets sounded from the opposite side of the door and Satori jumped, startled at the sudden noise. Her father chuckled softly at her reaction.

The doors began to open, and Satori held her breath. The rows of chairs had been spaced far apart to give the appearance of many guests. The small crowd stood as the doors opened. The room wasn’t filled, but with the short notice of the wedding, she hadn’t expected even this many people to be in attendance. The aisle stretched out in front of them, a white cloth covered the stone floor leading to the altar. There, Henrik stood beside the High Rector, waiting. He had foregone his usual light colors, choosing instead to wear black. Black pants, a black shirt with gold buttons, and a long robe covered in intricate gold threading. He watched as she stood frozen at the doors.

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