Page 19 of Betraying Korth

“Don’t you also care about teaching literacy to civilians?” he prompted after an extended silence.

“Yes, yes of course,” I said in a rush. “That’s very important to me. We just focus more on job training. After all, fishermen don’t need to know how to read in order to fish.”

“But literacy would help them research more effective methods and aid them in ensuring that they aren’t being taken advantage of during trade.”

I nodded pensively. “That’s true. I would be very interested to examine systems you have in place to achieve such a high literacy rate so we can implement a similar model in Ebora.”

Korth spent the rest of our walk eagerly explaining in detail how his kingdom had managed to educate all of their citizens while still preparing them for the specific skill sets required of their occupations.

“Uneducated people are easy to control,” Korth told me, his forehead creasing from how sincerely he was speaking. My gaze was continually drawn to it, and I found it oddly adorable. “And I want my subjects to think for themselves so they aren’t manipulated or taken advantage of.”

My heart throbbed. “I wish every leader thought that way.” With his earnest idealism and stalwart convictions in addition to his physical attractiveness, I was still baffled by his claim of being inexperienced with romance. Were all other women in this kingdom blind and oblivious? Or had he truly been completely faithful to a distant fiancée he barely knew for all these years?

As I prepared for bed that evening, I couldn’t help but think of Korth and how to handle gaining his confidence. If I threw myself at him or tried to seduce him outright, he would panic and withdraw, I knew it. Not to mention that the dratted chaperone tailed us closely no matter where we went. Korth already liked me; I knew enough about men to at least know he found me attractive, and we shared similar interests. Was it enough to convince him to lend me his army when the time came?

The pillow cushioned my head as I slowly lowered it, staring out of the open window. The sheer, sea-blue curtains fluttered as the salty breeze flurried around the room, ruffling any loosepapers and tugging playfully at my hair. Everything here in Haven Harbor seemed to run so smoothly. The economy was prospering, the citizens were hardworking and educated, and their navy was legendary. It was no wonder that Raquel was so eager for his daughter to marry into the royal family here. Every leader would want to form a political union. I tucked my arm under my pillow. Any father would be thrilled to have his daughter marry a man like Korth.

Memories from that day danced across my mind’s eye, and as drowsiness overtook me, they shifted into visions that were increasingly unrealistic. I had always hated dreaming. One would assume that I would look forward to each night given that I was now sleeping in more comfort than I ever had before, but I despised the fact that my subconscious could play tricks on me when I was at my most vulnerable and give me thoughts that should never cross my mind. As I fell asleep that night, I was reminded of exactly why I wished I could never dream again.

I laughedat Odette as she fled from a gaggle of angry geese, Curdy taunting her as she ran away, her kerchief flying off as her hair whipped around her neck. I relished the idea of Odette struggling so much when she’d had everything handed to her on a silver platter her entire life. She deserved this humiliation and suffering. Every noble should have to labor as much as the common class. Perhaps that way, she would finally have the slap of reality that she so desperately needed.

Mud splattered Odette’s face and clothing as she waded through the marsh at her feet. Often, the geese would flap theirmassive wings and advance with frightening speed to peck at the princess.

“Remember your duty is to the rebellion,” a voice that sounded like Father’s chided me. “Why do you waste your time mocking Odette when you have a mission to complete?”

Of course. I mustn’t delay my true assignment. I glided away from the goose yard to find Korth, the lake around me dissolving as my mind searched to locate the reason I was in Haven Harbor.

The setting around me swam, and when it came back into focus, I found myself back at home in my tiny servant-sized bedroom, with Korth materializing in front of me, looking just as much at home as I felt. As much as I wished that I didn’t notice, my eyes were continually drawn to the taut fabric that stretched between his shoulders, accentuating his broad, muscled chest. Heat rose to color my cheeks.

This time, he didn’t call me by the princess’s name. “Dahlia,” he said softly, his voice seducing me far more effectively than any love potion ever could. “Dahlia,” he repeated, reaching out for me. I felt my hands slip around his broad shoulders. Even if he was considered to be a dull rule-follower, he really was unusually handsome. I found myself examining his tanned face and strong jaw. His dark hair, always so neatly combed and parted, had flopped across his forehead in an unruly way, giving him a dashing, roguish look. He looked far more like the nefarious outlaw I deserved rather than the upstanding, handsome prince I knew.

His dark brown eyes bored into mine with a smoldering heat that rendered me breathless. For Ebora, I thought, clutching at the vain hope that this wild, instinctual attraction was merely my way of showing that I was completely devoted to my mission, willing to do anything to make Korth fall in love with me.

And falling in love with me was exactly what Korth was doing. His hands caressed my sides, drawing me closer as any thought of this being a sham relationship faded from my thoughts. How had I never noticed the goodness and honesty in Korth? Of course he had been physically attractive, but he embodied everything I wished I could be—just and loyal, trustworthy and sincere… I wished that for a moment, I could purge myself of my lies and deceit and experience what it was like to be loved with no ulterior motive in play.

“Dahlia,” he whispered once more. I would never tire of hearing him say my real name. A burning desire flared up down to the very depths of my soul as he inclined his face toward mine, and I realized that more than anything, I wanted to be with Korth.

I woke in a cold sweat,night’s darkness still pressing on my eyes. “What wasthat?” I choked out, hands shaking as I pressed my palm across my forehead. My finger traced along my lower lip. I could still vividly imagine the passion with which Korth had been about to kiss me in my dream as if it had been real. My heart leapt within my chest, applauding the outrageous idea my brain had concocted for a night-time vision.

“My lady?” One of the guards assigned to me gently knocked on the door to my chambers, his voice hesitant, no doubt wondering if he had imagined me speaking or not. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine!” I called back, eager to be left alone. “Nothing to worry about.”

Though the specifics of most dreams trickled away as quickly as water trying to stay in cupped hands, the details of this particular dream stayed fresh and sharp in my mind, replaying over and over no matter how many times I tried to ward off the improper thoughts. I pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes. Korth was a means to an end. Nothing more. I couldn’t think of him as anything else, or I wouldn’t have the strength to betray him when the time came.

CHAPTER 10

For the rest of that night, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t fall asleep. I stared at the canopy over my bed, but the only image that came to mind was Korth with his tousled hair from my dream. After more than an hour of lying in bed, I finally concluded that I wouldn’t get back to sleep and got up, wrapping a robe around myself and walking out to the balcony. From what I could tell, there were very few illuminated windows this early in the morning. The bakers would no doubt be awake already, and a few fishing boats dotted the horizon, but everything else remained still and silent.

Elbows supported by the railing, I propped my chin on my hand and stared at the quiet, prosperous town sprawled out below me. I wanted a life like this for the people in Ebora. Back home, commoners didn’t know what it was like to live without fear. When Korth walked through town, people would likely bow or raise their hands in greeting with smiles on their faces. When Princess Odette walked through town in Ebora, her citizens had scurried away, averting their sunken eyes and shielding their children.

Here, everything felt vibrant and colorful while Ebora was a drudgery of dull greys and misery. I couldn’t imagine thatKorth would ever have been happy married to Odette, but his dedication to duty would undoubtedly drive him to fulfill his commitments. Knowing his idealism, he would probably hold out hope that he would be able to inspire change in Ebora if he was engaged to the true Princess Odette.

I sighed. Even if Korth wanted to help the people in Ebora and had married Odette, I knew enough about politics to know that it would take months, if not years, to enact any proposed laws. Then there would be the issue of formalized committees to analyze the current situation and formulate action plans. My fellow countrymen couldn’t afford to wait on the hope of change someday in the distant future. Families were being torn apart and lives were being destroyed right now. We didn’t need a slow change in the political climate over a period of time; we needed to be liberated.

The sky shifted from pitch-black to inky blue, the first sign of the impending dawn. I stared hungrily at the horizon. How long until my people would emerge from the eternal night we were forced into and get to see the dawn of a new era? Any king would be better than Raquel. When I was a young girl, I kept hoping for an end to the siren plague. Not because I was particularly frightened at the prospect of a siren calling to me, but because I longed for the day when a foreign nation would see the injustices dealt to the subjects in Ebora and have the bravery to step up and act on behalf of those who couldn’t defend themselves.

That hope had been blotted out over the years. Each beating I witnessed and each mother’s cry I heard reinforced the message that we were entirely on our own. Unless I managed to trick Korth into sending an army, it wouldn’t happen. A wry smile lifted my lips as I tried to imagine how the confession would go if I tried to be honest.

---