Page 87 of A Rose Among Snakes

“Don’t,” Velian cut him off, his thumb stroking the back of my hand, and I breathed a sigh of relief at his insightfulness. The kiss had soothed my raw edges, but the pain was still there, pulsing with every beat of my heart. I didn’t blame Enverro for his part, but I didn’t want to talk about it, either.

Nodding and resuming his position on the ground, Enverro still held my gaze, the corners of his mouth tightening. Corman handed out bread, Denzen the dried meat. When he reached me, he kept his face toward the ground, looking sheepish. A small part of me felt bad for him, but it was rather convenient that I didn’t have to put a stop to his advances before they escalated.

We sat on the ground around the fire, Velian’s knee resting against mine as he said,

“Enverro, tell us your plan to get into the castle.”

Chapter Forty-Nine

Kezara

Ihad been moved to a new room after the maids cleaned me up the day before. I couldn’t put into words how relieved I was to see light and color after being in Leoro’s dungeon of a bedroom. After my morning meal, two maids bathed me and dressed me in a black gown, which I hated to admit was quite beautiful. It was a heavy velvet with a plunging neckline, the space covered with black tulle to add an illusion of modesty. The sleeves were long and tight, constricting my movements, but maybe that was the point. Perhaps the gown was a symbol, a reminder of my imprisonment. I hadn’t been allowed out of my room the past two days, and though I was wary about the maids’ reasons for getting me dressed, I was ready for a change of scenery.

They pulled my hair back, securing it in a tight twist at the back of my head. My heart, and my scalp, ached for Mihrra. Staring at my reflection was alarming. Where I was used to seeing olive skin and round cheeks, my face was gaunt and pale. Though exacerbated by the severe hairstyle, I was staring at a ghost of myself.

Once I was presentable, the maids ushered me to the door and knocked twice. The door swung open to reveal a guard gesturingfor me to follow him. As I stepped into the hallway, another guard moved into place behind me, and they escorted me through the castle.

“Where are you taking me?”

My question was met with stony silence.

Through the meandering halls, they marched me up to a set of tall, wooden doors that opened with exaggerated creaks, revealing the throne room. A large stained-glass window provided the only natural light in the room, though the depiction of an angry, brown lion dimmed the sunlight pouring through. Where the ballroom had been bright and inviting, this room was dark and sinister—much like Leoro himself, who sat on a mahogany throne, watching me through narrowed eyes. My heart lurched as I looked at Leoran seated beside him. His jaw hung open, but there wasn’t a trace of the anger I expected.

“Please bring her forward,” Leoro said, his authoritative voice ringing off the stone floor. With rough hands, the guards grasped my arms and propelled me forward to stand at the edge of the dais. I couldn’t keep my eyes off Leoran, wondering what he must think of me and if he would be my ally in this. I was bursting with the need to tell him how sorry I was about the letter and the unfortunate truth I now understood. But in the interest of self-preservation, I kept my mouth shut, hoping my eyes conveyed my feelings. The guards released me, and I stumbled into a curtsy. Leoro stood and glided down the two steps to lift my face with a single finger under my chin. Turning my head from side to side, he appraised me.

“Much better. You were beautiful before, but ahh… simply stunning now. Wouldn’t you agree, son?” Leoran didn’t say a word, staring at me with sorrow flooding his dark eyes. “She’ll make me a beautiful bride, don’t you think?”

Leoran’s gaze shot over to the back of his father’s head, his lips curling. “What?”

Leoro looked over his shoulder at his son, then back to me. “Yes, son. Meet your future stepmother.” The words were heavy, but I shut my eyes in acceptance.

“You cannot mean it,” the prince said. “Why?”

“Maybe I’ve fallen in love,” Leoro replied, his tone flippant.

I opened my eyes to see Leoran standing, chest heaving, and his father faced him with his arms crossed.

“You lie.” Leoran stepped off the dais, fists clenching and unclenching.

Leoro threw his head back and laughed, an unsettling maniacal sound, and backhanded Leoran across the face.

My breath caught in my throat.

Stunned, the prince stumbled back a step, pressing a hand to his cheek, glaring daggers at the king.

“Watch your mouth, boy.” Leoro snapped his fingers. “Guards, please escort my son out of the room until his childish fit is finished.”

The guards grabbed his arms, and Leoran thrashed against their strong grips. Unable to shake them off, he stared at me as he was dragged away. Rage and heartache warped his features as he yelled, “Don’t do this, Father! Please, I’ll do anything!”

The doors slammed shut and King Leoro sat back down, still chuckling.

I was trembling with fury and fear, every bone in my body crying out to run or fight back, but I stood still, forcing my hands to remain relaxed. I took a deep, steadying breath before asking,

“Why do you want to marry me?” My voice was so quiet I wasn’t sure he heard me. From his throne he studied me in silence, twirling the end of his graying mustache.

“Control,” he finally said, “among other things.”

I furrowed my brows. “Over me?”

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