Page 7 of A Darkness So Sweet

Why were they leaving her alone? Why were they doing any of this?

She reached for the veil to remove it from her face.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a deep voice said. “You’ll ruin all the hard work of the women who prepared you.”

Not alone, then. A cold sweat broke out over her entire body and she froze. She wasn’t proud of it. Maia had always been that person, though. A piece of her knew she was in danger and instead of fighting or running or even just being scared, she was the first person to appease whatever caused her danger. Her father had likened her to a fawn, once. A creature who made others want to help her, even if they had originally hunted her.

A long exhale puffed the veil out just enough to reveal scuffed wooden floors before it dropped back into place. She returned her hands to her side and replied, “They did work awfully hard.”

“I should thank you. My daughter was very pleased you showed up when you did.”

His... daughter?

Maia’s knees went weak. She stopped being able to breathe, although that might’ve been the tightness of the dress. Certainly, it wasn’t the king himself in this room with her. The king, who everyone in this kingdom knew to fear.

Rumors about him fluttered through her head like a flock of birds had suddenly taken flight. He’d loved to behead trolls in the war when he had been a young man. Humans didn’t satisfy him any longer, and the women who were brought to his bedchamber never left. He used to be known for wearing a necklace of troll ears around his neck, their multi-colored skin and pointed tips obvious to all who saw him.

And then there were the darker rumors. The ones that said he bled young women dry and had his daughter drink the life force to keep her young. Someone had once said he hunted down strong young men in the hedge maze at the center of his castle because he grew tired of hunting animals.

That man was now standing behind her. She could feel his breath toying with the faint hairs at the nape of her neck. Then his fingers as he trailed his hand along the back of her neck to her shoulder.

This was bad. This was very bad.

Was he going to sacrifice her at the start of his daughter’s wedding? Why was he even here? He was the king. Surely there was something very important for him to do. Like be in the wedding.

She had to say something. Had to figure out what he wanted.

But what came out of her mouth was, “I just arranged the flowers, your highness.”

He chuckled, but the sound had no happiness in it. “Of course you did. I thought I heard wind that you arrived with a cart full of flowers that you had harnessed to your shoulders like you were a work horse.”

She didn’t have the money for a horse or a donkey. So she had to do it herself. That was something this man would never understand.

He continued speaking, “No, that is not why I’m thanking you. My daughter is a particular young woman. You could say she doesn’t make friends easily, nor is she all that interested in doing so. When she came to my rooms claiming that you were going to be standing up there with her, I was rather surprised.”

“Truth be told, so am I.”

“I’m sure you are.” He walked around in front of her, his shadow blocking out the light in the room, and then slowly, he lifted her veil.

She’d heard he was handsome, and he was. Though his hair had turned silver, there was still strength in his square jaw. The once broken ridge of his nose might have been ugly on anyone else, but on him, it was austere. Shrewd brown eyes stared into her very soul, making it hard to look at anything but them.

Still, she looked. She looked at the golden crown on his head and the gold tunic he wore. But mostly, she looked at the malice in his eyes.

This was a man unused to being kind. Maia had been around people like him her entire life. She’d come to learn how to read them, and in this moment, she knew he wanted to hurt her.

The king’s hands came down on her shoulders, squeezing just a little too hard. “Are you loyal to your kingdom?”

The change in subject was so unusual, she wasn’t exactly sure how to respond. “I am.”

“Are you certain?”

“I love this kingdom with all my heart. It’s my home, and I’m proud of it.” Was that what he wanted? She could continue if he needed to hear her say other parts that she loved.

He sighed, those hands squeezing harder until she thought her bones might break. But then he released her, and Maia had to lock her knees so she didn’t fall onto the floor.

“You’re shaking like a leaf,” he grumbled. “My daughter claimed you were far braver than that.”

How would the princess know? She had seen Maia for only a few moments before she’d made some insane decision.

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