Page 11 of Song of the Heart Scale
Lord Zacharia unflinchingly met my gaze. “They're one and the same, at this point.”
Something wasn’t right. Zacharia would never do this to his daughter Arya…unlesshe knew I wasn’t her.
I leaned back in my chair, my heart pounding with anger. Damien’s words echoed in my mind—I’ll find a way. I trusted him, but I didn’t plan to rely solely on anyone else’s plans. Especially not Zacharia’s, and certainly not when the stakes were my freedom. Particularly if he knew the truth.
I leaned forward and placed my palms flat against the polished table, my voice deceptively calm despite the storm building within. “So let me get this straight—you want me to marry Thorne to save your asses from the emperor finding out you've been lying through your teeth for three years? Seriously?That'syour grand plan?”
Lord Zacharia’s expression darkened, clearly unused to anyone—especially Arya— openly challenging him. “Mind your tone, Arya. This isn’t a discussion. It's your duty.”
“Oh, my duty? Right. My bad. Almost forgot my primary job description around here is to cover your incompetence with a smile,” I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Beside me,Jacob shifted uncomfortably, clearly torn between his father’s authority and the obvious logic of my argument.
“You need to understand the situation—” Zacharia began, attempting a measured tone.
“Oh, I understand perfectly,” I interrupted. “You screwed up. Big time.Yougambled everything on those mines and lost, and then you decided to hide it and lie. And nowI’msupposed to waltz into a loveless marriage with a narcissistic sociopath just to keep your heads from rolling.”
Jacob raised a hesitant hand, clearly uncertain of his role in this conflict. “Arya, we don’t want to force you, but there are real consequences here—”
I whipped around to face him, frustration bubbling over. “Jacob, you literally just found out your father’s been lying to you! Wake up and smell the bullshit. He's manipulating you as much as he's trying to manipulate me!”
“Arya!” Zacharia snapped. He abruptly stood, his chair scraping harshly against the stone floor. “That’s enough! This marriagewillhappen. There is no alternative.”
“Oh, there are plenty of alternatives!” I retorted, rising to match him and meeting his glare head-on. “But since you’re too cowardly to face them, you’d rather sacrifice me like a pawn.”
“Arya,please,” Jacob urgently whispered, trying to ease the tension. “We’re family. Surely, we can find a middle ground?”
My expression softened when I turned to Jacob. “Jacob, family doesn’t treat each other like disposable assets. Family protects each other.” I jerked a thumb towards Zacharia. “Thisisn’t protection. This is exploitation.”
Zacharia’s voice cut through, ice-cold and unyielding. “Your insolence grows tiresome. Whether you agree or not, preparations will continue. The emperor expects this union and we cannot disappoint him.”
“Right. Wouldn't want to disappoint the emperor,” I mocked, bitterness seeping through every word. “And what happens when he realizes you’ve been selling him empty promises? Think marrying me off will suddenly erase years of deception?”
His eyes narrowed dangerously. “It might not erase it, but it buys us time.”
“Oh, good.Time,” I spat. “Because what’s another few years of lies and manipulation?”
Jacob reached out, gently gripping my arm. His voice softened, pleading. “Arya, maybe—”
I shook him off but firmly held his gaze. “Jacob, I care about you, but you have to decide whose side you’re on. Because this?” I gestured angrily between Zacharia and myself. “Thisisn’t sustainable. You can’t play both sides forever.”
I glared at my so-called father, the man who was the doppelgänger of my real father back in my world. I hated that they looked alike. Hated that this was the man who should be protecting me here in this world but wasn’t. And oddly, I felt sorry for the real Lady Arya. Because if she was here, I wondered whether Lord Zacharia would have treated her this way.
Without waiting to hear another word, I turned on my heel and marched towards the dining room door.
“Arya! Stop right there! I’m not done talking!” Zacharia shouted behind me.
I flipped him the middle finger and kept walking.
Maeve moved swiftly to follow, shooting me a worried glance as I stormed out into the corridor. “My lady, are you alright?” she asked softly, quickening her pace to match mine.
I inhaled deeply and forced myself to steady the fury raging inside. “I’ll be fine, Maeve. But mark my words—I won’t be anyone’s sacrificial lamb. Least of all Zacharia’s.”
Maeve nodded, loyalty shining in her eyes. “Whatever you need, my lady, I’m with you.”
I offered her a grateful smile, my chest tightening with genuine affection. “Thank you, Maeve. Right now, I need to figure out how to blow this entire charade wide open without getting us killed in the process.”
A mischievous smile unexpectedly curved her lips. “That sounds terrifying. But also, oddly exciting.”
I laughed despite myself, feeling a small, comforting warmth at her unwavering support. “Stick with me, Maeve. Things are about to get interesting.”
