Page 97 of The Twisted Throne

“Concern for my safety. He heard about the incident with the wraithroot.”

It was no lie, but George’s face hardened. “Don’t give me half-truths, woman. He was here to take you home. Here to steal you away in the night, which, if he truly cares for your life, was a prudent act if his intent is to side with Amarid against Harendell.”

Ahnna blinked, stunned by the accusation. “He has no such intention. Anyone who has led you to believe that is the case is a goddamned liar.”

“The words come from the lips of the king of fucking Ithicana,” George snarled. “He said,We can’t hope to stand against the Harendellians without Amarid’s aid.”

Ahnna’s heart lurched, for though the statement had surely been taken out of context, it was damning. She cursed her brother for speaking without care, though she bore part of that blame, for it had been she who’d put him in the sort of mood that would have caused him to be reckless in his words.

“James was convinced the Amaridians acted alone in their attack, but I always had my doubts,” George said. “It was too carefully orchestrated for them to have been working alone.”

“Ithicana had nothing to do with those attacks,” Ahnna snapped. “Our people died in that attack. I nearly died savingJames’s life. Nearly died again when they pursued us with their ships, and then nearly died a third time when they attacked me in the Sky Palace. This accusation makes no sense!”

“Nearly died, and yet here you are.” He looked her up and down. “And I cannot help but think that you’ve taken a page out of Lara Veliant’s book, Ahnna Kertell. A fox in the henhouse, and James is too goddamned smitten to see the threat you pose.”

Bile burned its way up her throat. “No! Please, George. I don’t know what conversation my brother has had with Katarina, but I swear I’m here in good faith. I’m here to honor the treaty and marry William and ensure peace and prosperity between Harendell and Amarid. On my life and honor, that is why I came here.”

“Here to marry William, yet you flirt shamelessly with his brother,” George retorted. “What is your goal, Ahnna? To tear the Ashfords apart from the inside? I heard the way you undermined James in the carriage. How you painted Virginia as the villain for holding Lestara accountable for her crimes. I see your angle now.”

“You are mistaken.” Ahnna shook her head, not knowing how to reverse a situation that had spun so far out of control, with yet another person wildly misconstruing her intentions. “The last thing I wish to do is cause conflict between them.” Her hands balled into fists, for it seemed the only way clear of this was the truth. “Aren was here because the tone toward Ithicana has soured. Your merchants aren’t paying their bills at Northwatch. He wanted to know what had happened to cause the change and was worried it was something I’d said or done. But the truth is that I don’t know why it’s happening. And James…” Tears burned in her eyes. “The only excuse for that is my foolish heart. Nothing has come of it, and nothing will.”

“I don’t believe you.”

He took a step back, and Ahnna’s first instinct was to act withviolence. To silence him and get rid of his body because if he took this accusation to any of the royal family…

But she couldn’t.

He was James’s friend, and his only crime was loyalty to his kingdom. “What do I have to do to prove that I have only good intentions in Harendell? Tell me what I must do, and I’ll do it. Because on my honor, my brother has no desire for conflict with Harendell, only a desire to protect his people. He will not act against you, I swear it.”

“I cannot keep silent on this.”

Kill him,her instincts shrieked, but instead, Ahnna fell to her knees. “Please, George. I’ve never begged anything of anyone in my life, but I beg you to believe that these pieces do not fit together to form the picture you fear. But if you take them to Edward and he retaliates, it will be catastrophic. So many innocents will die, and all because your shadows heard words out of context. Take steps to investigate further if you must, but please don’t escalate this without compelling proof.”

He took another step back, and Ahnna started to go for the knife beneath her skirts but stilled as he said, “I’ll not say anything while my emotions run high, Ahnna. But my resources are many, and I already have spies watching your brother as he travels south. I will learn the certain truth, and if it is damning, do not think that I won’t bring it to the king. His children are beloved to him, and he will not take kindly to your behavior.”

Ahnna gave a tight nod.

He leveled a finger at her. “If you try to leave, Ahnna, I’ll know your words were lies. So do us all a favor and make like a good Harendellian lady and sit still.” His expression hardened. “And stay the fuck away from James.”

True to his word, Georgehad her watched day and night. Her bodyguards were his men, but Ahnna also felt the increased scrutiny of the servants, and even Hazel seemed different. Watchful. Which was perhaps no shock, given the familiarity that George had always had with the maid.

Ahnna was desperate to warn Aren of the threat, but she did not dare try to write him a message, even in code. Didn’t dare seek out any of the Ithicanian spies in Verwyrd. The slightest misstep on her part had the power to bring down calamity on Ithicana, and for days, Ahnna abided by George’s will and sat still, rarely leaving her rooms, though her mind never ceased racing.

Of James, she saw nothing, and every time he came into her thoughts, Ahnna would bite her cheeks. Dig her nails deep into her palms. But all her self-punishment achieved was raw flesh and an even sorer heart, because there was no denying to herself that the wrong prince had left a mark on her soul that would never be erased.

William alone seemed blissfully unaware of the tension in theSky Palace. Though she had no real interest in his occupations, Ahnna accepted every one of his invitations, dressing like a Harendellian lady and sitting in near silence while he filled her ears with chatter, all while she waited for the knife to fall. For George to reveal his false truth about Ithicana’s schemes and for Harendell to turn on them.

But the knife never fell.

So, knowing that Aren might well be digging himself a hole that would be his grave, Ahnna contrived a scheme to warn him. “Hazel, would you deliver this to Her Highness?”

The maid took the card, but then hesitated. “Is this prudent, my lady? It is my understanding that you two had cross words.”

“For which I hope to make amends.”

Silence stretched, then she said, “Yes, my lady.”

Hazel departed, and Ahnna paced back and forth across the room, her nerves making her palms sweat. When her maid finally returned, Ahnna nearly leapt out of her skin.

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