Page 54 of The Twisted Throne

James made a soft noise, meaning unclear, and then he said, “You aren’t a good match for my brother, Ahnna.”

That was obvious, but his words still stung. “Why is that? Not pretty enough? Not ladylike enough? NotHarendellianenough?”

He huffed out a breath that was pure annoyance. “Because William needs a woman who will make him feel good about himself.A woman who will elevate him even when it comes at a sacrifice to herself. A woman like…like Alexandra.”

He wants to be mothered?were the words that rose in her throat, but Ahnna bit down on them and instead asked, “Why is it that you believe I won’t?”

“Can you stand here and, in all honesty, claim that you’ll hide your skills or knowledge to make him look good?” James asked, twisting toward her. “That you’ll let him take credit for your ideas? That you’ll let him lead when you goddamned know you’d do a better job of it?”

“This is serious indeed if you’ve lowered yourself to using profanity in the presence of a lady.”

“Fucking hell, Ahnna, take this seriously.”

She flinched, not at his words but at the desperation behind them, because something more had happened tonight. Something she hadn’t witnessed, and dread pooled in her gut. “I am taking it seriously.”

“Then answer the question. Are you willing to do those things? Are you willing to change everything about yourself in order to fit the mold of Harendell’s future queen?”

She stared at the shadow that was James’s face, the conversation she’d had with Bronwyn rearing in her heart. How far would she go for the sake of Ithicana? How great a sacrifice would she make for the sake of her people? Could she become a woman like Alexandra? Could she mother her own husband? Ahnna’s mouth tried to form the wordyes,but her lips felt frozen, the air stuck in her lungs.

“Go back to Ithicana,” James said softly. “You can do more good for your homeland there than you ever will here.”

Panic rose in Ahnna’s chest, her breath rapid and the world spinning. “I can’t go back.”

“Why not?” He stepped closer to her.

Because I can’t fail my people again. I can’t.

“My father and your brother can come to another agreement,” James said. “Things that can be offered in lieu of your hand in marriage.”

Words meant to be a consolation and yet were damnation, because she was here to improve Ithicana’s situation, not make it worse by making her people pay for her freedom.

James lifted an arm, his hand catching the side of her face, thumb beneath her jaw, forcing her to look up at his shadowed eyes. “What are you afraid of, Ahnna? What will happen if you go back?”

“Nothing.” Her voice was breathy, but she couldn’t seem to steady it.

“Then why are you shaking?” James’s voice grew hard. “Are you afraid of your brother? Has he threatened you? Is that why you’re doing this?”

“No.” Her tongue felt thick, numb, because she didn’t want Aren painted as a villain, but neither could she admit the truth. That her homeland was in ruins and her people hungry. That they were destitute and depended on her to save them. That she’d failed before and would rather die than do so again. “The treaty…”

“Fuck the treaty.” He pulled her closer. “If you’ve been threatened into doing this, I’ll—”

He abruptly jerked backward, hauling her with him, his sharp intake of breath making her instincts flare. Twisting in his arms, she saw the silver flash of a blade. Right where she’d been standing.

“Guards!” she screamed, pulling the knife from her belt and slashing at the black-clad figure. But he danced out of range before lunging again, knife longer than hers and wicked sharp.

Ahnna deflected the attack with her knife, then stepped sideways, swinging her fist at the assassin’s head, but he ducked before rising sharply, fist catching her in the gut. The air was driven from her lungs, but Ahnna slashed at him, knife carving a deep slice across his shoulder.

Behind her came the clash of metal against metal, then a grunt of pain. Ahnna silently cursed as she realized the assassin wasn’t alone. That James was fighting another assassin. But alarm bells were sounding, guards running up the stairs, which meant help was coming.

Only that also meant that the assassin needed to kill her now. Or that he needed to run. Even in the darkness, she felt his resolve, and a second later, the assassin threw himself at her with several savage cuts that she barely managed to block.

She kicked him in the knee, risking a glance over her shoulder to find James grappling on the ground with the other assassin, but she couldn’t help him. Not with her opponent launching another series of attacks that made her arm shudder each time she blocked.

“You should have stayed in Ithicana, bitch,” the assassin hissed. “You might have lived.”

“I’ve never been good at doing what I’m told,” she replied even as she threw herself into a roll, coming up between his legs.

He squealed in pain as her shoulder caught him in the balls, knife cutting her back in a downward slice as Ahnna lifted. Her body strained beneath the man’s weight, but she was nothing if not strong.

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