Page 129 of Artemysia
The twins left my clothes on after all. When I awoke, my belt was on and the tie of my dress pants was still strung in a knot only I know how to do, for luck. The poison must’ve left me numb and flaccideverywhere. Thank the demons for that. The siblings left me in the study, untouched.
Delphine’s eyes narrow, as if trying to decide if I’m worth the trouble.
The prince paces beside the bed.
“I can’t condone such behavior from a supposed loyal marquis under my rule.”
“Elkshit.” I sit upright, my throbbing head killing me. “You accuse my wife of being a spy, and I find her naked in your room…” I jab a finger at him as the room tilts, and I swallow back the nausea. “Delphine, hand me your dagger, I feel the sudden need to gouge someone’s eyes out.”
The prince towers over me but maintains his distance. “You forget your manners. As well as the laws of the land. I am your crown prince.”
Hard to ignore that Delphine does not disagree with any of this.
“But I’ll offer you a choice, Riev. Imprisonment. For treason and treachery. These actions must not go unpunished.”
“Or?” My hand slides up the bedpost to yank myself up, so I don’t look like a slumping pile of idiot.
“Or you allow me one night with Delphine. Tonight. Until sunrise.”
“What the fuck?!” Fury engulfs my entire body, giving me the strength to push off the bed and rise to my feet. “I’ll go to prison forthe rest of my life, you sick bastard. I’ll rot, festering into a stinking mound of shit before you ever—”
“I will choose for us.” Delphine cuts in. “My husband is in no state of mind to make a rational decision.”
“Don’t you dare…” I’m pleading, though it comes out hoarse when my voice breaks from the agony erupting in my chest.
“Riev, stop.” Her eyes blaze. Why is she angryat me? “I will accompany you for the night, Prince Toryl.”
“No!” I lunge forward to fight this haughty prince, to show him his place in the world.
My world, in which she belongs with me.
But Delphine stands between us and presses a firm hand on my chest. I move to slap it away, but she’s quick and pushes me back onto the bed.
The fucking prince doesn’t smile, even though he’s won.
Instead, his green eyes simmer as he extends his hand toward Delphine, palm up. “Then it’s decided.”
“I’m going to slit your throat the first chance I get and wash myself in your blood—”
“Riev, I think the prince has been generous enough with his time and patience.” Her cheeks are flushed. I can’t tell if she’s embarrassed by me, or even worse, if she actually doesn’t mind spending the night with the prince.
It sickens me, and the need to ram my fist through a wall erupts in my veins.
She offers her hand to him, and he grasps it. My eyes are going to start bleeding if I have to look at Delphine touching him any longer.
“He’s been kind enough to allow you to recover in his bed,” she says serenely.
The bed he wants you in for the rest of the night.
How I am not strangling this fucker to death is beyond me.
I must still be heavily sedated by the drugs.
“Fuck.” This is the worst night of my life. I’m not sure what happened prior to this, but maybe I was too dumb to see that this is what she wants.
No, it can’t be. This isn’t what my Delphine would do.
She’s being coerced.
