Page 58 of Betraying Korth

Boiling rage turned my vision red. All of this could have been avoided if Curdy had just kept his mouth shut.

“At least I did my part!” I shouted, suddenly reinvigorated. “You betrayed us all, and over what? Some stupid infatuation when I told you I was never interested?”

“No, it’s because you’ve been power hungry this whole time and were willing to share your bed with a prince who only cares about your name!”

A scream of frustration tore at my throat. “Is that what you think is going on? Korth is more honorable than you could ever be; that’s why I fell in love with him and never with you! Now we’re all stuck here, and it’s all your fault!”

“I can’t believe I ever liked you!” Curdy shouted back. “Even if I’m in prison, at least you are too, and I’m glad of it. If the ships were already sent, there was no reason for you to marry him after you finished using him.”

Teeth grinding together, I crossed my arms and stared up at the tiny, barred window above my wooden bunk, determined not to show any expression other than anger to Curdy. Though he sneered several more insults my way, I managed to ignore him by focusing on Korth. If we hadn’t done anything, I would be married to him by now. How differently the day wouldhave been. Now, he was probably meeting with advisors and scrambling to bring back the ships sent to aid the rebellion. Would they make it in time?

I had ruined everything. The rebellion would likely fail. I’d broken Korth’s heart along with my own and had nothing to show for it.

“I told you she would do anything to marry him,” Odette told Curdy, her voice still croaky after all her shouting. “It’s her loss that she never liked you. She’s missing out.”

I snuck a glance their way. Odette had stopped trying to call the guards and was leaned against the bars between her and Curdy’s cells, a fawning expression on her face.

“Yeah,” Curdy grumbled. “Too late for that now, though.”

“I can do more for you than she ever could,” Odette cooed. “Once I’m released, I’ll make sure to reward you when I regain my throne.”

I exhaled sharply through my nose. I’d been so fixated on charming Korth that I hadn’t imagined Odette would try the same trick on Curdy. Perhaps she and I really were more alike than I ever cared to admit.

The hours dragged by, occasionally punctuated by a snide comment from Odette or Curdy. As night fell, heavy footsteps approached. I looked up, daring to hope…

And was disappointed. It was simply a guard.

“C’mon you two,” he growled at Curdy and Odette. “Prince’s orders. He wants to talk to you.”

They scrambled to their feet while their cell doors were unlocked. Odette shot a smug look my way. “See, Dahlia,weare free to go becauseweare innocent. I’m sure he’s planning to propose because I, unlike you, am arealprincess.”

“I never said you were free to go,” the guard rumbled, snapping handcuffs onto her. “The prince just wants to talk to you.”

“Oh, he doesn’t want to talk toher?” Odette’s upper lip curled. “I wonder why.”

As they made their way down the hall, I overheard Odette suggesting various punishments for someone who committed treason, the most colorful of which was being dragged in a barrel full of nails behind a team of white horses.

I refused to react as they left, closed my eyes, and tried not to imagine what their conversation with Korth would be. There was no redemption for me after this.

The sound of more footsteps echoed off the stone walls, accompanied by the jangling of many keys on a ring. Metallic scraping came from next to me outside the unoccupied cell, then there was a grunt as someone was flung into it.

“Nice accommodations,” the new prisoner said to the guards. He sounded young, but I was too numb to care. What did age matter in prison? The number of years someone had already lived made no difference when there were only a certain number of days until one died.

A loud bang sounded. It might have made me jump if I hadn’t felt so dead to the world around me.

“Oooh, so threatening to hit iron bars. Am I supposed to be scared?” the young man taunted.

“Do you need me to come in there and teach you a few lessons on manners?” the guard growled.

“I’d welcome it. My guess is that you’re just blustering because you feel the need to intimidate others around you with your size since there’s nothing going on in that rotund head of yours.”

“Don’t bother with him,” the other guard said. “He’s a lunatic, that one is.”

“They all are,” the first guard growled.

“You have a good day, too!” the prisoner shouted back.

From around the corner, I heard Garrik laugh. I continued to stare at the ceiling and ignored the new prisoner in the cell next to me. I heard him pacing, but effortlessly tuned it out. Nothing mattered anymore.

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