Page 39 of A Queen's Game
Keyain glanced at her with a frown. “Things will get better, I promise. I’m reworking my plan. It’d be best if you left the palace altogether,” he said, sipping his drink. “The King wants the information, and I can only stall so much.”
“Is the King aware that I was married to Tilan before you abducted me?” Marietta said, her eyebrows raised in mock speculation.
Keyain looked down and rubbed his nose. “No, no one is. At least not that you willingly married him, anyway. Though that’s still up for debate.”
“Or it’s not up for debate.” She set down her fork, her appetite lost.
“I don’t want to get into this. Whether you like it or not, this is the situation you’re in, Marietta. I’m doing my best to make this as safe as possible for you.”
“By safe, you mean not letting me leave this suite before you can enact whatever new plan you concoct,” Marietta said, looking out the window, resting her head in her hand.
“Unless I’m with you, of course.” He reached across the table for Marietta’s free hand, but she pulled away.
“And when will that be? When you have the time?”
An impatient sigh left his mouth. “I realize I’m busy, but I’ll make time for you. You will stay in the suite, though. I have books in the other room and cards you can play.”
Marietta stood up from the table. “War books—how fun,” she said, walking into the bedroom, hearing Keyain get up and follow.
“Marietta, please don’t make me out to be the enemy. What I did wasn’t great, but my heart was in the right place,” he said, emotion thick in his voice.
Marietta approached her wardrobe to inspect the clothes brought for her, peering over her shoulder at Keyain. “You’re a lot of things, Keyain. In your heart, you’re not an evil person; you just make terrible decisions.” She looked back at the clothes and sifted through them.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” The benched groaned as he sat.
Marietta hesitated, remembering their years together. “You always chose the wrong hills to die on. I asked you to defend me against slurs about being a half-elf, especially with your acquaintances, and you said I was overreacting. Yet if someone flirted with me, you’d make it a fight. You viewed me as a possession, not a person like you do all pilinos.” A dress of pale pink, the fabric thin and gauzy, caught her eye.
The bench groaned again as Keyain stood up. “Is that really how you felt? All of this time?”
The dress dropped from Marietta’s hands as she glared at the floor. “It’s still how I feel. You assumed you could kill my husband, steal me from my life, and conquer my home without repercussions. Now you expect me to trust you.” Dark curls fell on her back as she looked over her shoulder. “How can I trust you? You don’t even see me as a whole person.”
Keyain’s hulking frame approached her. Marietta turned away again as he rested his hands on her shoulders.
“I have always viewed you as a person, Mar.” She cringed at the nickname but let him continue. “Those acquaintances knew me because of my position here. If I had realized this is how you felt, I would’ve spoken up.”
The nerve—how many times had they fought over this very topic when they were together? “I asked you to, so many times.” She turned, surprised to see his face crumpled with emotion. The unexpected pain in his expression made her recoil.
“And I pushed you away by dismissing you, calling you dramatic.” His voice was a whisper. He reached for Marietta’s hands. “I am so sorry. I am so sorry I uprooted your life, and I promise to do what I can to fix it.”
Marietta looked into his eyes, the green ones she loved for so long, and she didn’t believe it. He had countless opportunities to rectify his actions in the past. Now, it was too late. Her hands slipped out of his as she turned back to the wardrobe. “You can’t fix it because I can’t go back to my life. But you could at least help me survive in your court. Trapping me in the suite won’t keep the Queen away for long.” Her voice had more emotion than she had hoped.
Keyain backed up a few paces. “I know. I’ll find a better plan, but until I can, you’ll need to stay in the suite.”
Marietta rolled her eyes. He trapped her in this suite alone with him, the guards stationed outside, and the handmade he assigned. What little hope she had threatened to burn out. With that revelation, she turned back to the clothes. “There are only dresses, by the way.”
“If you dig, I’m sure there are sleeping clothes, too.”
“No, Keyain—there aren’t any shirts or pants.”
“You’re a lady now and ladies only wear dresses.”
She shot him a look. “I’d appreciate it if you could find me some.”
Keyain sighed as her focus shifted to the wardrobe and found the strips of silk that somehow formed a nightgown. “Is this seriously what I have to wear to sleep? I’m not wearing this.” She held it up to Keyain.
Red flushed his cheeks as he laughed. “The Queen sure likes to play her games. It looks like she wanted a pleasurable reunion for us.”
“Do you find this is funny?” Marietta crossed her arms, brows furrowed together.
