Page 51 of A Vow of Embers

“Wait,” I said. Part of me wanted to make him talk to me. My curiosity wanted to find out why he was so upset but I intuited that now was not the time to push him.

He had his hand on the door and was staring at me, expecting me to speak.

“What am I supposed to do today?” I asked. I was used to having a regimented schedule.

“I don’t care what you do.”

“That wasn’t what I asked you,” I said. “Do I have responsibilities?”

“Yes. Pretend as if you like me,” he said sarcastically.

“That’s not what I meant. Am I ...” I didn’t know what royalty in Ilion did. I should have asked Io. “Am I supposed to weave or help plan meals or—”

“The only thing you have to worry about today is having dinner with my phratry.”

I wanted to ask more about that but he was making it clear how thin his patience was. I should have let him leave but there was one more question I needed answered.

“Am I allowed to leave this room?”

He gave me an incredulous look, like I had insulted him. “You’re my wife, not a prisoner. You may come and go as you wish.”

“I don’t see a difference between the two.”

He muttered under his breath and I was certain I heard more than one curse word as he threw open the bedroom door and headed out into the hallway.

Leaving me alone.

I was someone who had never been on my own. I’d always had some kind of family with me—first in my home and then with my adelphia. This was so uncomfortable and strange and it made me ache. It was painful to not know what I was meant to do, to feel useless.

I offered up a quick and silent prayer.Please don’t let me be completely alone.

There was a knock at the door and a pretty woman in her early thirties walked into the room. She had extremely curly red hair piled on top of her head, soft brown eyes, and fair skin.

An answer to my prayer.

She was also noticeably pregnant.

I inadvertently put my hand over my own womb as my mind flashed to that waking dream I’d had about being pregnant myself.

With Alexandros as the father. I shook my head, trying to rid myself of that memory.

“I’m Parthenia. I’ve been told that I’m to serve as your maid.” She had the most comforting smile I’d ever seen. I instantly liked her.

“I’m Lia. Io told me to ask for you.”

Somehow her smile got even bigger. “She did? Oh, I have missed her so much. She doesn’t even know that I’m pregnant.”

“When will you have your baby?”

“I’m not even halfway through,” she said in an exasperated tone. “I am grateful that I have stopped vomiting all the time, though.”

“Are you Thracian?” I asked. If she was related to Thrax, I didn’t think I’d be able to work with her.

“On my mother’s side. My father is Ilionian. Are you from Thrace as well?”

I had forgotten about my own red hair. “No. I am Locrian.”

“The maiden who survived the race. And now you are married to the prince. That’s wonderful.” She had a calming personality that reminded me of Suri. No wonder Io had gravitated toward Suri when they’d met.

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