Page 41 of A Vow of Embers

I was both proud of my sister for defending herself and furious with this man for provoking her to that kind of anger. I had to talk to her. I needed to know what was going on and why Thrax was spending so much time with her.

I turned toward the prince. “You need to produce my sister immediately. You told me that I would see her at ...”

The words in my throat died when I finally caught sight of Quynh.

She was in a basic beige tunic, and she was pouring wine for a man two tables away from me.

Alexandros had forced her to be a kitchen maid.

Chapter Fourteen

The prince had told me that I would see her at the wedding feast. I had assumed she would be here as an honored guest, the sister of the bride.

But he’d said it because he had known I would see her working. It was bad enough that he had forced her to be a servant, but a kitchen maid? There was a hierarchy of servants in a palace and working in the kitchens was the entry point. The bottom rung.

Then I realized something even worse.

Her hair had been cut off. It was up to her chin.

He hadn’t shaved her head, but cutting it was still a violation. Our hair was sacred to us.

He couldn’t have dishonored her more if he’d tried.

Thrax seemed to realize what was happening and excused himself, practically sprinting away.

“Don’t make a scene,” Alexandros said.

Don’t make a scene? I was going to do more than make a scene. I was going to burn this entire palace to the ground.

I breathed deeply in and out, and every single time, it felt like I was drawing fire in and out of my lungs. I had been so angry so many times over the last few days, but this was the worst.

This was why there were rumors about him being half-man and half-beast. He was an absolute monster that wore human skin.

My voice trembled as I said, “When this is over and you are king, our contract complete, I am going to kill you for the disrespect you have shown my sister. She is a princess of Locris!”

“I’m sure you’ll try.” There was a weariness in his voice.

“This is not an idle threat.” My internal temperature blazed.

He turned fully toward me, fury burning in his eyes. “Your sister requested that position and I permitted it.”

Did he think me such a gullible fool? I knew I’d been one in the past, easy for him to seduce and manipulate, but that was over. I was no longer going to fall for his lies.

“You expect me to believe that my sister asked to become a servant in your palace?”

“I don’t care if you believe it. It’s the truth. And she’s safer in the kitchens than she would be in the bedroom next to yours.”

That wasn’t true. If she were in the bedroom next to me, I could protect her. “Why would being close to me put her in danger?”

“Do you not see that you’re a target? If my stepmother kills you, no one in Ilion will care. You’re just a Locrian. And she would eliminate my marriage and any potential heir that I might have, possibly destroying my chance to become king.”

Io had certainly told me enough bad things about Erisa to make the prince’s statements somewhat believable. “Do you really think she’s going to try to kill me?”

Or was this just another ploy?

“She’s made attempts on every other member of my family, so why do you think you’d be any different? You’re my wife, which now makes you family, too.” He let out a long sigh. “I told Io that I would be nice and not yell at you today, and you’re making it very difficult to do that.”

“Why isn’t your stepmother locked up?”

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