Page 98 of A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash

‘I am to be married,’ she muttered, her voice unexpectedly soft, almost childlike. ‘I am to marry Zahian Noor.’

Kai let his head fall against the bench, groaning. ‘Which one is that?’

‘Does it even matter?’

‘Well… If I am forced to marry someone, I would prefer them to be somewhat to my liking.’ He smiled.

‘I do not care. I will be sent off to a foreign land and forced to deal with a man I hardly know. He will…’ She pulled a face. ‘He will put babies in my belly and then forget all about me.’

‘That does sound rather awful when you paint it in such a descriptive and imaginative way, princess.’

‘You are mocking me. Again.’

‘I would not dare. No after the last time.’ He could still recall the heat of her lips on his, the way she had kissed him like she was drowning and he was the only air left in the world. But when he had stepped away, when he had put a stop to it, fury had burnt in her eyes—a fire hotter than any drakonian forge.

And now, here she was again, eyes searching, uncertain.

‘I don’t know what to do,’ she admitted, her small hands curling into fists.

Kai watched her, then spoke simply. ‘You could say no.’

‘Pardon?’ She blinked, as if the very thought had never once crossed her mind. ‘Say no? To the king and queen of House of Flames? They would burn me alive before allowing me to say no.’

‘Have you tried?’

Alina regarded him as if he had suddenly sprouted a second head, her expression a mixture of disbelief and exasperation. ‘Well, no… But one does not simply say no to them.’

Kai tilted his head, amusementshining in those dark eyes. ‘Sometimes, when we never say no, the other person begins to believe the word does not exist. Perhaps, princess, if you dared to utter it, your parents might actually come to understand that you are capable of refusal. They may even—gods forbid—respect you for it.’

A sharp snort escaped her lips, the notion so absurd she could hardly entertain it. ‘I do not know what your land is like,’ she said, arms crossing over her chest. ‘But here, in my kingdom, my parents do not take no for an answer.’

Kai leaned back, gazing up at the canopy of trees above them, their branches full of fruits he did not recognise. This land was so different from his own. And yet, he did notmisshis kingdom. ‘Our trees have white barks and black leaves that only fall when someone enters the Forest of Silent Cries. Each leaf is a soul attached to our land and it will only fall when that soul returns home.’

Alina’s anger melted into something quieter, something akin to wonder. ‘What happens to the tree when all the leaves have fallen?’

Kai beamed. ‘I’ve never seen such a thing, princess. When a new soul enters our world, a new leaf grows.’ He let out a breath, staring at the sky. ‘Time is a river. No matter how much we wish to control it, to twist it backwards and forwards and to even stop it, we cannot. The river continues to flow. All you can do is let it guide you.’

‘So you think I should marry Zahian.’

Kai chuckled. ‘Ithink, princess, that others should not be thinking for you.’

He turned to look at her, searching her face, wondering if she would ever find the courage to stand against those who sought to control her. He knew how strong she was, how sharp,how capable. And yet… she hesitated.

It was not easy to defy a land built on the bones of old traditions. But perhaps—with a wyverian as their future queen—things might change.

Alina’s lips curled into something soft, something warm. A smile so brilliant it felt like sunlight against his skin. She leaned forward, her gaze dipping to his lips.

Kai’s breath hitched. He knew what she wanted. Every part of his body screamed at him to close the space between them, to pull her into him, to kiss her until she forgot everything but the taste of his mouth. Forget consequences, forget honour.Just take what you want.

But Alina was engaged to another. And no matter what her gaze pleaded for, he knew the truth.

She did not wanthim.

She wanted to feel like she had a choice. This was not about love, not about desire. This was about power. About control.

‘Do you not wish to kiss me?’ she asked, her voice breaking slightly.

‘Believe me when I say I do, princess.’

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