Page 25 of Façade

“Perhaps you should go inside away from the sun. We can converse later.” It wasn’t until I’d been presented with the perfect excuse that I realized just how much I’d been hoping to delay this conversation. I tried to justify this stray from my purpose by reminding myself that as desperate as the situation was, I wasn’t such a complete scoundrel as to completely disregard her well-being.

You win this round, Evelyn.

To my surprise, she lowered her hand. “I’m well. I’d much rather endure whatever conversation you have in mind than return inside so soon. I’m admittedly curious considering it’s unusual for you to seek my company, so you must have a compelling reason for it.” By her knowing look, she seemed to have guessed this reason already.

Her large and rather soulful hazel eyes watched me, prodding me to speak…but the words didn’t immediately come. Instead I struggled to sort through my jumble of thoughts before finally taking a wavering breath. “I…was hoping to discuss your magic.”

She pursed her lips in disapproval that already made me feel like a cad. “I see no reason why we need to converse on such a topic.”

I managed a conspiratorial grin as I leaned closer. “Curiosity, my dear.”

She scowled, and despite the gravity of the situation, I found my lips twitching again. The woman was far more entertaining than any wife in an arranged marriage had the right to be. Our union would be many things—including filled with my deceit and dishonor, unfortunately—but at least it wouldn’t be dull.

Her frown deepened. “Though that reason is well played, I’m afraid it isn’t sufficient for me to broach such an unwanted topic.”

Despite having time to carefully prepare my words, I was now at a loss as to what to say in order to convince her. My thoughts tangled, only becoming more muddled with the way her hazel eyes scrutinized me. “I—I just wanted—that is, I want,need…your magic.”

Her jaw tightened and I realized too late how wrongly my words had escaped, far from the delicate way I’d repeatedly mentally rehearsed my request.

“Need?” Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”

She had every right to know, but like the day of our marriage, I hesitated in confiding in her. I knew enough about magic to know a vast amount would be required to save my kingdom, and after she’d made it clear in our earlier conversation that Estoria only produced enough to sustain their small kingdom, I was afraid she wouldn’t cooperate at all if she understood how dire the sacrifice required of her. Words alone wouldn’t be enough to convince her. Perhaps if I found an opportunity to show her the devastation afflicting our land, I’d be able to persuade her.

A tense silence followed, one I fought to endure patiently, holding her gaze even when my instinct was to look away in shame. Her anger deepened the longer our silence extended, causing the semblance of peace between us to vanish, as if the curse dictating my dishonorable actions had seized it along with everything else it touched.

Finally her shoulders slumped. “You admittedly held out longer than I thought you would. I commend you for your patience, though you lose several points due to your lack of subtlety.”

I silently cursed at how obvious I’d been. Despite my intentions, there just wasn’t any polite way to ask my wife for her magic, though I could have at least gone about it a far better way if I hadn’t been so flustered. “My apologies. That came out wrong.”

She cast me a sidelong glance. “I should say that it did. Even so, perhaps I’ll reward you another point for your moment of humility.” She fully faced me with a glint of fire that had been absent before. “Are my powers why you married me, Ryland?”

I hadn’t been expecting such a straightforward question, and for a moment I was at a loss as to how to respond. “I—no, of course not, I—“ My words faltered at her pointed look and I lowered my eyes with a sigh; it was far easier to make such a confession to the ground rather than to her. “I suppose…it’s something I considered…when our families were arranging our marriage.”

“I figured.” She said nothing more. I lifted my gaze to search her expression for what she might be feeling after such an admission, but she kept any negative emotion firmly suppressed, a protection for herself. How I hated being a husband she felt she needed to hide from, but with the situation being what it was, it couldn’t be helped.

“I’ve always understood Estoria’s magic would be the primary incentive for anyone wishing to make an alliance with me,” she continued, her tone emotionless…but her voice shook slightly, betraying the feelings she fought to suppress. “I’ve resigned myself to it. However, you could at least possess enough courtesy to be open with your intentions rather than pretending not to covet my powers.”

I flinched at being called out, despite it being exactly what I deserved. I took a steadying breath, fighting to control my fragile hold over my emotions. “I’m not using you.” My need to defend myself escalated at her skeptical raise of her brow. “My inquiries are within my rights, as any marital agreement comes with a dowry…including ours; that is something Ididnotice in our engagement contract.”

My attempt at a jest did little to quell the self-loathing I felt with every word; I could phrase my rationalizations in whichever way I wished, but that didn’t change the truth about my abhorrent greed.

“Estoria’s magic is in fact part of my dowry,” she said. “But I don’t appreciate being pressured to keep the promise of sharing it with you so early in our marriage when our relationship is still so new.”

In a perfect world, I’d be happy to honor her wishes, but we lived in a time when curses ran rampant, and desperation compelled one to make decisions that were less than ideal.

“We’ve been married over a week…” Though the timeframe was admittedly short, some of the more intimate moments we’d shared made it feel longer—the meal we’d taken together, our dance during the ball, and especially my holding her while she cried. With the memory came the desire to pull her close in order to hold her once more, an impulse I fought to resist; she’d undoubtedly not welcome comfort from the man who was the source of her ire.

“The length of time matters little,” she argued. “We could be married for a year or even a decade and still be strangers. A wife wants to be more than a resource to her husband.”

Annoyance surged, more towards myself than for her; I balled my fists in an effort to curb my escalating emotion. “Then what do you want from me?” I managed through gritted teeth.

“To be courted, for a start.”

Courted?I gaped at her, and her eyebrows lifted at my clear surprise. “Isn’t this a political marriage?” I shakily managed.

“Perhaps you can be content with such a marriage, but such an arrangement would feel like a lifelong sentence for me.”

My frustration bubbled. I didn’t have time to woo her, not when my kingdom needed her powersnow.My fingers grazed the vial still in my pocket, burning to the touch. It’d be so easy to force her to give them to me…and yet despite the temptation created by my urgency, something held me back.

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