Page 250 of A Queen's Game
“My intention was to never harm you, Marietta.” He raised her hand to his mouth, brushing a kiss across her knuckles. Shesavored the touch of him, the intimacy. “I am never a danger to you; I am on your side. Always.”
He was the elven King, kneeling before her in an infirmary bed. If he didn’t care, then he would have never come. “I see that now.”
“We can’t fight two wars.” He rested his forehead against their joined hands. “The ministers are adding her murder to the list of your charges.”
Marietta stared the blue-black strands of his hair. “That’s why the temple couldn’t help.” Her voice was far away. “They’re going to execute me.”
Wyltam raised his head, his jaw set and eyes burning. “Not if I can help it. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
She offered a weak smile. “Well, I did hand off information.”
“Sure, but you thought it was to an ally I’m trying to gain,” he said, raising his hand to cup her cheek. “So, I can argue that it’s not worth your life. I need to convince my council that an alliance with Enomenos is better than attempting to save relations with Reyila.”
“An impossible task.” Her stomach sank. “They will never side with Enomenos, not if it meant changing the laws on Pilinos.”
“I think I have a way,” Wyltam said, hesitating. “Do you mind if I have Minister Adryan come in while I ask you a few questions? He’ll need to witness your raw reaction and answers to them.”
“Who?”
“The Minister of Commerce. He was the only person besides Keyain who voted against your treason.” Wyltam paused, as if he didn’t want to say the next part. “And he was the only minister who didn’t vote for the additional murder charge.”
The only minister. In the end, Keyain protected himself. “Why did this Minister Adryan vote against them?” she said, not having the heart to bring up Keyain.
“He knew of you before you came to Satiros.”
“He did?”
The corner of his mouth tilted. “Said you’re a damn good businessperson and had an overwhelming amount of people reach out to him when news of your marriage to Keyain became public.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“You can ask him yourself, if you’d like.”
She nodded in response. Wyltam stood and went to the door, opening it to beckon in Minister Adryan. He stood shorter than the King, with a flock of golden hair coiffed back from his face, and walked as if he wasn’t facing someone on trial for murder. His posture was casual and his smile easy. “Marietta Lytpier,” he said, holding out his hand. “A pleasure to finally meet you.”
She furrowed her brows at her father’s surname as she took his hand. “To finally meet me?”
“Keyain has been avoiding me for months.” He smiled and placed his hands in his pocket. “Made the mistake of telling him I have friends who have worked with you in Enomenos. Nothing but wonderful things to say.”
If she could have furrowed her brows further, she would have. “Why would a Minister of Satiros have worked with people from Enomenos?”
“A question I get often, I’m afraid. Business is business, regardless of who’s buying and who’s selling,” Adryan said. “As Minister of Commerce, I care about the economic stability of our city-state, which means I am open to the idea of trading with our neighbors.”
“A progressive view in Syllogi,” she said. “Unfortunate that there aren’t more of you.”
“There’s more than you’d think.” His smile spread, and he gestured to the King. “We should get this done, though, Your Grace.”
The two males sat on chairs across from Marietta. Wyltam nodded his head and asked, “What can you share about your parents?”
“My parents?”
“Yes.”
Marietta shook her head. “Why are you asking about them?”
“What do they do for a living?”
“At the sculpture garden, I shared with you that my mother is an herbalist.” She paused, furrowing her brows. “My father is a retired traveling merchant.”
