Page 39 of Façade

Silence reigned until we reached the dining room, where my warring conscience finally emerged as victor to extend a token of peace…a gesture I tried to convince myself was solely so we’d be able to better convince the court we were happily married rather than because of my own emerging desires.

With a resolute breath I faced her. “Just as careful consideration guided your choice to marry me in place of the true princess, I have my own reasons for my decisions. I regret they required such a high price.” It was the best I could currently offer her.

Confusion puckered her bow, but before she could ask for further details, I offered her my arm, wriggling it encouragingly when once again she refused to take it. She wrinkled her nose in distaste before reluctantly accepting it with the lightest touch. Even this minimal contact was enough to cause my heart to pound for no particular reason at all.

After taking a moment to steel myself, I faced the doors. At my nod to the attending footman, the doors swung open and we entered the dining room together.

Immediately the suffocating anxiety from the court pressed against my chest, making it difficult to breathe. Evelyn stiffened beside me, a testament to her own aversion to the unwanted formal event. This similarity created a sense of camaraderie, a few interwoven threads that connected us and provided me with enough strength to face the performance expected of me.

Upon our entrance, Lucian greeted me with a grim nod before his lips turned down at the sight of my wife on my arm, subtle enough to hide his annoyance from the attending nobles if not from me. Though Father had managed to maintain relative calm despite the direness of the situation, Lucian hadn’t taken the news of Evelyn’s duplicity well; I suspected only our audience prevented his anger from confronting her.

At his sharp glare, Evelyn bridged her determined distance between us to press herself closer to me. A strange thrill rippled over me from her nearness. Instinctively my hold tightened around her, an inexplicable need to protect her despite her position as the enemy.

When she made no move to push me away, I maintained this protective nearness and kept my hand against her lower back as I guided her to her seat and helped her with her chair like a dutiful husband. Once I took my own seat, the dinner commenced with the first course and the beginning of the tedious conversations of the court.

To make up for my earlier show of consideration, I did my best to divert my attention from my wife, only giving her enough attention not to rouse the gossiping nobles’ suspicion that our marriage was on the brink of ending…only to find myself drawn to her anyway, an impulse I fought to resist until the curiosity became too unbearable. With a steadying breath I stole a single sideways glance…only to immediately regret it. Her usual perfect posture had faltered, a silent rebellion against the monotony of the evening; I bit my lip to stifle the laugh vying to escape at how utterly bored the poor girl looked.

As if she sensed my stare, she met it evenly with a look daring me to stop her before slumping in her seat with an exaggerated yawn. In response, I slumped in my own seat and even took my mischief a step further by resting my elbow on the table before giving her a mischievous smirk in return.

Predictably, she accepted my silent challenge and subtly picked up a piece of asparagus with her fingers, an impolite gesture I countered with my own by dipping my pinky into my goblet and allowing some of the wine to drip onto the tablecloth before meeting her gaze again with a wink.

Her lips twitched in temptation to smile before the impulse vanished as quickly as the fleeting emotion had come, replaced with a brow furrowed in confusion…an emotion I shared. What in the blazes was I doingwinkingat my wife? I should be ignoring her entirely, not offering a gesture that was almostflirtatious. Flirting had no place in a marriage I would determinedly end, despite my increasingly foolish reluctance to the idea.

Unnerved by my behavior, I forced my attention away from Evelyn and was met by my brother’s glare. The inappropriateness of my behavior settled over me as too late I remembered my duty to uphold the image of the royal family for the dignitaries and courtiers present. I hastily suppressed my amusement, and Evelyn was considerate enough to do the same. The rest of the meal passed with slow tedium, the usual boredom that accompanied formal events stretching the meal at an agonizing pace.

However, midst the final course, a bright spark suddenly flashed in my peripheral vision. I startled and swiveled around to face Evelyn, who stared at the glimmer floating just above her plate with bulging eyes. I had little time to wonder what this strange light was when it suddenly vanished, thankfully before anyone else at the table noticed.

Evelyn slumped in her seat, and without thought I lurched forward to wrap my arms around her to keep her upright. “Are you alright?”

She didn’t immediately answer, her weary gaze still locked straight ahead at where the light had been moments before. “What was that?” she whispered.

“I don’t know.” But strangely, I found I didn’t particularly care about the phenomenon, not when my wife looked near a faint. “Evelyn?” I gently jostled her shoulders.

“I’m fine,” she snapped and, disgruntled by my show of concern, tried to shake my arm off. I didn’t want to force the issue, but she looked too weak to remain upright without my support. Even so, she made another attempt to shake me off, movement that drew several curious gazes from our guests.

Worry and frustration filled my sigh as I considered what to do. Though I didn’t know my wife well, I’d begun to notice several patterns to her behavior and considered how to use them to my advantage. “Forgive me for overreacting, it appears you’re fine.”

I hoped she’d be inclined to admit her sudden illness just to contradict me. Sure enough, after a brief inner battle, her shoulders slumped in defeat. “I suppose…I’ve been better.”

She finally gave up the fight to shake off my arm and instead eyed the place where the strange light had suddenly appeared and vanished, leaving behind a rather tingly energy…or perhaps that was the result of our proximity.

Puzzlement furrowed her brows. “I don’t understand.”

Pallor gradually swallowed her complexion, and her hand fluttered up to rub her temples, as if warding off a headache. I needed to get her away from the stares of the court, already eying her with sharp judgement. My flare of protectiveness escalated with each heated whisper, causing me to scoot my chair closer to more easily draw her against my side.

She seemed too weary to put up much of a fight. Instead she glanced almost accusingly at her slice of apple pie. “You didn’t poison this, did you?” Her whisper was loud enough to draw Lucian’s sharp gaze.

Amusement felt a far safer emotion than the worry searing through me. I leaned towards her ear. “Perhaps I did. What say you to that?”

She heaved a dejected sigh. “I knew you wanted to kill me. I wish you’d been considerate enough to at least wait untilafterdessert; I’m rather fond of pie.” She leaned her head on my shoulder, causing me to stiffen. She must be feeling quite ill to be seeking comfort from someone she hated as adamantly as she did me.

Thankfully for my wildly pounding heart, she didn’t remain in this position for long before she sat up to glare accusingly at my shoulder. “Too bony.” She gave it a little poke. Only my escalating concern kept the laugh that normally might have escaped at such a charming comment firmly at bay.

We were drawing too much attention. I leaned back down towards her ear. “Would you hate me a little less if I allowed you to leave dinner early?”

She managed a weak smile. “It appears you’re finally learning how to be a doting husband. Better late than never.”

I took that as ayes.

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