Page 45 of Betraying Korth

My abdomen clenched at the second suggestion. How long could I continue this façade without the guilt consuming me?

Korth, unaware of my internal struggle, had uncorked the ink bottle and scribbled down a vow. With trembling fingers, I did the same.

“Odette, I vow to always be honest with you. I promise to love you unconditionally and to always put you as my top priority. When we get married, I want you to never doubt me or my feelings for you.” He dropped his vow into the vase, beaming at me.

My heart shriveled and tears threatened to pool in my eyes. Korth deserved someone much better than I was. I cleared my throat several times and read my own vows. “Korth, you are the first man I’ve ever truly trusted and honestly believed that you wanted what was best for me. Even if your feelings for me do change someday, I promise to always love you, no matter what happens.”

I clutched the paper. How I wished I could also vow to be honest with Korth, but I couldn’t. As great as my feelings for Korth were, I couldn’t let down the thousands of people who were depending on me. It was only until we received word that the coup had been successful, I told myself. Then, I would come clean with Korth. He deserved that. Even if he hated me forever afterward, he deserved the truth.

The paper fluttered out of my fingers and into the vase.

CHAPTER 20

As we walked slowly back to the castle, after the hubbub had died down and we’d retrieved our portrait from the artist, I posed a question to Korth. “Do you truly believe that people can love unconditionally?”

“Of course. Don’t you?”

I considered it. “I think people want to believe that they can love unconditionally, but I don’t know if they fully realize what that would require.”

“How so? You just…you just simply choose to love them anyway, even with their flaws.”

“But what if the other person does something to hurt them? What if…what if a couple vows to love each other unconditionally, and the husband is unfaithful to his wife? Should she still love him even though he betrayed her trust?”

Korth’s brows furrowed. “If he cheated, then he would have lied when he said that he would always love her. If you truly love someone, you would never do anything to hurt them.”

“But what if…what if I did something to hurt you?”

“You wouldn’t, though.” Korth grinned as if it was some big joke. “What, are you planning to run off with someone else?”

“No, I’d never do that. But there are more ways to hurt someone than cheating on them. That was just an example.”

“Even if other people aren’t true to their vows, we’re different. Neither of us would do something like that. I would never do anything that would hurt you in any way.”

I swallowed the lump rising in my throat. “I don’t want you to ever get hurt, either,” I whispered. If only it were as simple as choosing what was right.

A brisk wind ruffled the feathers on my mask. I shivered, and Korth instantly whipped off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. “You’ll be cold,” I protested, but Korth shook his head.

“Keep it. You need it more than I do.”

I couldn’t help but feel warmed, not only by the jacket but by his chivalry as well. Ever since meeting Korth, I’d been waiting for him to show the same signs of selfishness and entitlement that I’d grown to expect from all royalty. Even with other men like Curdy, there was always the expectation that they would watch out for themselves first and everyone else second. But Korth…he was different. He genuinely cared. Instead of feeling obligated to shower him with praise as a transactional exchange, I wanted to show my appreciation for his caring for me.

When he had finished wrapping the jacket around my shoulders, he went to let go of me, but I caught his hands. “Korth, I love you. I hope you know that.”

He smiled, a look of pure elation on his face. “I love you too.”

As we snuck over the footbridge, Korth pulled me to a stop. “Don’t forget our new tradition.”

“We might get spotted.”

“Isn’t that part of the fun?” he asked, drawing me in. His kiss this time was brief. It left me wanting more but also despising myself for taking advantage of Korth’s guileless nature. Someone like him ought to be preserved, not exploited.The inner conflict boiled within me, churning and bubbling so I was torn between confessing my sins and running away to protect Korth from a traitor like me. How dreadful to have my selfish desires align with the needs of my people at the expense of his trust.

As we snuck back into the castle, retrieved our original clothing, and made our way down the hall toward the dumbwaiter, Korth beamed at me, so perfectly happy that I couldn’t help but love him a little bit more with each of his smiles.

Since my guilt kept nudging me, it was easier than before to keep my hands to myself this time as Korth pulled the dumbwaiter back up to my room. I pushed the doors open but didn’t get out. I tapped my finger on the edge of the small portrait sitting on the dumbwaiter’s floor.

“Bridges and dumbwaiters in the same night, plus a portraitandour first kiss. I can’t imagine a better person to sneak out with,” I told him, tracing my finger along his jawline.

“Nor can I.” Korth leaned over to kiss me, but as his grip on the rope slackened, the dumbwaiter gave a heart-stopping lurch and we plummeted a few feet. The dumbwaiter’s doors splintered and snapped off their hinges before Korth redoubled his hold on the rope with a gasp of surprise while I clapped my hand over my mouth to muffle my scream. “Sorry; I forgot to set the brake.”

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