Page 55 of Betraying Korth

Tears trickled down my face as I looked at myself in the full-length mirror, dressed in the regal wedding dress that was never meant to belong to me. I hadn’t been made into a princess; I was a traitor in a costume, nothing more.

“Most brides smile on their wedding day,” Gerta teased, giving my elbow a slight jiggle. “I hope those are happy tears.”

I managed a watery smile but feared that any speech would exit as a croak. Already, a lump had formed in my throat that was impossible to swallow away. I took several deep breaths, trying to steady myself and prevent a full breakdown.

“I know it’s sad that your father wasn’t here for this,” she went on, bending down to fix my train and handing me my bouquet of pure white roses as she straightened. “But Prince Korth is a lucky man.”

How wrong she was. Korth was the least lucky man in the world. Each time I thought of him, I was seized with guilt so acute that I feared I would be eaten alive from the inside out from the shame of it all. Korth deserved someone who wouldn’t use him as I had done. He deserved someone who would love him without reservation, the way he had so freely loved me.

If I went through with it…

Korth’s face appeared in my mind, kneeling across an altar as a priest joined us in matrimony. I had my vows planned out, the few words I managed to string together that I would be able to say that weren’t complete lies. The moment I tried to think of what vows he would give, I was hit with the realization that he would be making those vows to Princess Odette, not to me. Even if we both signed our marriage license, our union would never be real because I wasn’t Princess Odette. I was an imposter, and Korth deserved better.

“I want to see Korth,” I announced suddenly. “Right now.”

“But…it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride on?—”

“I don’t care.” It would be worse than any amount of bad luck if I married Korth under a false pretense. He would be devastated when I finally revealed that our entire relationship had been a lie, but at least that way, I could do one thing honorably. Curdy and the other members of the rebellion would be furious, but I couldn’t continue the façade any longer. The ships had been sent; it was better to turn myself in than marry Korth and force him into marriage with the likes of me. The truth would be revealed eventually; it was better to do it now than after our wedding. I dropped my bouquet, gathered my skirts, and strode purposefully toward the door.

“But…my lady!” Gerta scurried after me, trying to lift my train so it wouldn’t pick up dirt. “Please wait!”

I didn’t wait.

I ran through corridors and down winding staircases until I came to Korth’s door, breathless and windswept from the run. A few strands had come loose from my hairdo and hung in front of my face and over my ears. The guards on either side of the door froze as I lifted my fist and pounded on the door.

“Korth!” I shouted, still winded from my run. “I need to talk to you!”

“My…my lady,” Gerta panted. She caught up to me, clutching a stitch in her side and gasping for breath. “It’s tradition…for the bride…”

“I’m aware of the tradition, Gerta. But this is too important.” I turned back to the door. “Korth!”

The door opened. Korth stood there, dressed in a suit of pure white trimmed with gold buttons and sewn with golden thread. His hair was perfectly combed, he was clean shaven, and I could immediately smell that he had bathed using fragrant soaps. He looked every inch a groom.

His mouth hung open. “You look beautiful, Odette.”

It was the use of the false name that was my ultimate undoing. “I need to talk to you. Now. And privately.”

“I told her about our tradition, Your Highness,” Gerta panted, still holding her hand to her side. “She wouldn’t listen.”

“What my bride wants is more important than any tradition. Come in,” Korth said graciously, sweeping his hand to invite me to enter. Godfrey, ever at hand, made to follow, but Korth held up his hand. “She said privately.”

“But you need a chaperone!” Godfrey looked appalled.

“I’m sure a few minutes alone won’t make much difference in the grand scheme of things when we’ll be married today anyway,” Korth said politely. “If you stay outside the door, we will finish our conversation quickly, and I promise to sit on my hands.”

The door clicked shut and Korth turned to stare at me, his eyes soft. “You really do look stunning. I don’t have words to express?—”

“I need to tell you something,” I said, keeping my eyes downcast. “Before we get married…if you still want to marry me?—”

“Of course I want to marry you,” Korth interrupted. “We’ve been planning our entire lives to get married, and these pastweeks have only reinforced just how much I’ve come to love you.”

I held up my hand to stem his speech before he went any farther. “Wait until you hear what I have to say.”

Korth clamped his mouth shut and sat on the cedar chest at the foot of his bed. True to his word to Godfrey, he tucked his hands beneath him. I paced up and down the room, crossing from the wall panel that hid the dumbwaiter all the way to the window that boasted an open view of the ocean and back again.

“I haven’t been totally honest with you,” I confessed, but then fumbled for where to begin.

“Start with what you’ve told me that is true, then,” Korth prompted gently. “We can work through the other things together.”

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