Page 232 of A Queen's Game
Valeriya
After Wyltam left, Valeriya and Katya remained silent. Alone for the first time in seven years, Valeriya didn’t know what to say—not after the information Wyltam revealed to them. Never would she have thought this was how it played out.
After sharing the information she handed to the Chorys Dasians, including a packet about Marietta, he had become deadly quiet. Wyltam was convinced that the Chorys Dasians would discover how valuable Marietta was, and that posed another problem. To have seen Wyltam nervous had put Valeriya on edge.
Katya paced like a caged wildcat, anger fueling her movements. Valeriya watched, absorbing the elegant way her body moved, the soft swishing of her hair. At least there was one positive: they would finally be together. Yes, Valeriya must give up everything she had worked for in Satiros, give up the legacy she had been building, but the tradeoff was the woman she loved. That was infinitely better than dying at the hands of the King’s Council.
If anything, this outcome was better than she imagined. Well, almost better. She’d have to leave behind Mycaub. Valeriya’sbreath hitched at the thought, bringing tears to her eyes. That evening would be the last time she saw him until it was safe for her to return—if it ever was. Of all the sacrifices she had to make, that one hurt her the most, threatening to rip her heart from her chest.
“His plan has too many holes,” Katya said again. “There are too many ways it could go wrong.”
“What other choice do we have, Kat? Chorys Dasi and Reyila now also pose a threat,” Valeriya said, sitting up straighter at the edge of the couch. She brought her hand to her chin in thought. “Alone, Satiros can’t defend against them. But united—”
“It’s still too much!” Katya snapped. “Yes, you gave information away, but you’ve done more good for this city-state than anyone. Why do you need to flee?”
“Stop with the selfishness, Katya.”
With a shaky sigh, her eyes turned toward Valeriya, shining in the light. “For you, I can be selfish.”
“No, you can’t.”
“I can!” she yelled, approaching Valeriya. “You are the only thing I’m selfish for, Valeriya—the only thing I gave myself!” Katya held Valeriya’s face, her glare intense as she raged. “I’ve dedicated my life to everyone else—just like you. But you, Valeriya,” she said, shaking, “you are my everything. For you, I am selfish. For you, I fight for your life, your existence. I will die defending you and all the good you bring to the world.”
Valeriya didn’t breathe as she stared up at Katya, hot tears running down her face. After all that time, her feelings hadn’t faded. Their relationship was as it had been—as it would always be. Even now, as Katya raged, the three words were present in every seething word. Three words Valeriya needed to say—that Katya needed to hear. “I love you, Kat.”
Katya’s face crumpled, the tears falling faster as she pulled Valeriya’s face close, kissing her. Gentle and feather-soft, unlikeanything else on Katya, her lips pressed into hers with all of her intensity. “I love you, Valeriya.”
Her fingers wove into Katya’s hair, pulling her into her lap as her tongue brushed along hers, with seven years of built-up affection behind it. To feel her—to kiss her—was enough to give her the strength she needed, for her sacrifice was more than them. So that people like Katya had a future where they could love and live freely. She wished there was something more she could do—a different outcome, a different solution for their problem—yet, the truth Wyltam shared meant Valeriya had to leave everything behind, including her son.
“It’ll be okay,” Valeriya murmured into her. “I won’t lose everything, for I gain a future with you.”
“That isn’t what you want,” she said, her bright eyes lined with tears.
“You were always what I wanted but what I could never have.” Valeriya pressed a kiss into Katya’s temple. “We’ll return when the dust settles in a few years. I’ll get Mycaub and my future with you. It’s all working out for us.”
“But they’ll hunt us down—we’ll know no peace.”
“Wyltam ensured Keyain wouldn’t send anyone after us.”
Katya brushed back a lock of Valeriya’s hair. “And if the Chorys Dasians do?”
“We’ll give them the fight of their lives,” Valeriya said with a sad smile. “After all, we were Arkym’s best students.”
Smiling into their kiss, Katya finally conceded. “Okay,” she murmured. “If you’ve made your peace, then I’ll stand by your side. Always.”
Overwhelming emotion swept through Valeriya, a melancholic joy that brought her to tears. There would be no more legacy. She’d leave her son behind in Satiros. Her home and her sister were both gone. The guiding light through it—the joy—was the female she loved. A crown would no longer hangover Valeriya’s head. No responsibilities besides keeping each other safe. Valeriya would lose everything but gain something she always wanted but never thought he could have: a future with Katya.
Chapter Ninety-One
Marietta
Hours later, the door to the suite opened, the call of Amryth’s voice far off. She came into view, and Marietta stared at her friend, unable to hear her words. Amryth slapped her in the face. “Marietta,” she hissed. “Snap out of it. What in the gods happened?”
Marietta shook her head. “A mage attacked the Queen and me, and when I fled, Keyain found me in the tunnel. And Tilan.” Her throat constricted.
“Gods, what about Tilan?” Amryth sighed.
“He’s alive. In the dungeon. He was alive this whole time.”
