Page 126 of A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash

Mal shrugged, tearing off another piece of meat.

For a while, they ate in silence, until in a voice too casual to be careless, she asked, ‘Why do they call you a cruel prince?’

Ash’s gripon his fork tightened.‘W-who calls me that?’ Mal’s lips curved, but she did not answer. He sighed, gaze dropping to his plate. ‘The world s-sees what it wishes to s-see. It sees a q-quiet prince that spends his t-time alone or with his men and be-believe he must be up to no good. So they deem him as c-cruel.’

He had never spoken this much in front of her before. But Mal did not flinch at his stutter. She did not shift uncomfortably or cast her gaze downward. She simply listened. And for the first time, Ash wondered if perhaps the weight of his words mattered more than the way they stumbled from his lips.

‘They see a girl with wild hair and bare feet and deem her a savage,’ Mal replied, leaning back in her chair.

Ash lifted his gaze to hers, something unreadable stirring in his chest. ‘I suppose we are all as b-bad as each other. We see what we wish to s-see.’

She tilted her head, studying him from across the table.

‘And what doyousee, husband?’

His chest tightened.

A pause.

And then, in a voice steadier than he thought himself capable of, he answered, ‘You.’

…

Alina had missed her brother’s speech. She had run through the winding corridors of the castle, her skirts tangling around her legs, her breath burning in her lungs, but by the time she reached the Grand Hall, it was already empty. The echoes of murmured conversations trailed through the castle like ghosts, whispers of what had transpired reaching her ears before she could even ask.

Herbrother had stood before them all, had tried to force words past his lips, and failed. He had faltered, had suffered, and she had not been there.

Instead, she had been in the woods, with Kai.

A sickening wave rolled through her stomach. Alina stumbled into the gardens, bracing herself against the nearest bush, and retched.

What is wrong with me?

She was to be married to Prince Zahian, bound to duty, and yet she had let another man touch her—had wanted him to. The rules of her kingdom forbade her from wielding a sword, and yet there she was, sneaking into the woods, training in secret. Her brother had needed her, and she had abandoned him for the taste of stolen wyverian fire.

The Queen would throw her in the dungeons if she ever found out.

A voice, cool and amused, drifted towards her. ‘It would seem your brother’s wife is not as unkind as some would think.’

Alina turned sharply, wiping her mouth as Princess Flora Hawthorne approached, her emerald gown shimmering against the sunlight.

‘She swooped right in to give his speech for him,’ Flora continued, tilting her head in admiration.

‘My brother sometimes gets a little overwhelmed—’

‘Oh, do not worry, princess.’ Flora waved a dismissive hand, her dark skin glowing beneath the afternoon sun. ‘In my kingdom we do not judge. A butterfly is still beautiful even if it has a crumpled wing. Beauty should not be measured by looks, do you not agree?’

‘I think that is rather easy to say when the person saying it is deemedbeautiful.’

Flora laughed, a soft, lilting sound, before looping her arm through Alina’s, guiding her into a gentle stroll through the gardens. ‘Let’s go for a stroll. Do not worry about your brother. He is in good hands.’

‘He may need me.’ Alina hesitated, glancing back towards the castle.

Flora’s expression softened. ‘I am sure he does. But his wife stepped in and is now with him. I would let them be.’ She pointed at the garden. ‘It would be rather foolish to not make the most of the day. It is rather exquisite.’

Alina swallowed, nodding stiffly as she bit her lip.

‘Are you excited about your engagement to prince Zahian?’

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