Page 96 of The Court of Secrets
My heart skipped a beat. Blaise pulled me back as I instinctively moved toward him. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but anger propelled me.
“Get settled,” he said to his guests. He gripped my wrist, holding me in place. “We will meet for dinner and dancing this evening.”
Kiros looked at me, then Blaise and turned. Everyone else followed him. Cedric shot me a worried glance before leaving with his brother and Neoma. Tears trickled unwantedly as I thought of how those green eyes were probably the last thing André ever saw. Now he was stuck in the spirit realm, and I was queen. That man had altered history. He’d torn apart a family, and now he’d come for peace.
I hadn’t readied myself to meet him, but I was sure no amount of time would have prepared me to come face-to-face with André’s murderer. Blaise twirled me around and pulled me against him. “Not here, love. Let’s go to my room. You can punch and kick things there,” he said, leading me out as I wiped tears away.
***
Blaise hushed me as I watched Cedric and his brother enter the ballroom.
“I’ll kill him.”
“You promised you’d rein it in a little, love.”
I gritted my teeth. “I did, but seeing him brings it all back to the surface. He murdered André.”
He hesitated, and I placed my hand on my hip, facing him. “Say it, whatever it is you’re not saying.”
His shoulders slumped. “It was a casualty of war. I know for you it’s personal, but he was following orders.”
Tears brimmed my eyes. “Screw you, Blaise.” I turned on my heel and stomped to the entrance where two blue-suited guards stood by the arched door. Inside, snow had been magicked to fall from the ceiling but disappear before reaching the white-and-gray marbled floor. I buried my hands in the layered purple fabrics on the skirt of my dress. My beaded bodice was tight, revealing more cleavage than would be deemed appropriate at Ash Court. My eyes focused on the back of the taller brother, the murderer. He was laughing with one of the dark fae women. His wings were tucked in, but a hint of gold shimmered through.
Someone approached in my peripheral vision. Light hair, wearing a gold crown, in a suit only fit for a king in cream with gold fastenings… It was Kiros. I pulled my gaze from Cedric’s brother to the man whom I’d promised peace too. He looked me up and down and held his breath.
“Kiros.” My voice broke as his name rolled off my tongue.
“Winter.” He took my hand in his and kissed it. At least he was doing something other than stare at me like earlier. I wasn’t sure what had lessened the anger he’d had, but I wasn’t going to linger on it.
“Thank you for coming and making the journey.”
His eyes flicked down toward my chest, then back at my eyes. A flash of embarrassment pinked his cheeks. “I’m delighted to enter a new relationship with Magaelor.” His tone was drier than I remembered.
“We should talk first.” The corners of my eyes crinkled. Around us, music played, notes swirling from the violinists at the edges of the room who had burst into melody. The harpist by the door took a break and got up—to refill his drink, by the looks of things. Everyone had such colorful hair in Lepidus… greens and reds, blues and whites. It was unlike anything in either Magaelor or Berovia, and it appeared Kiros was as enchanted by the place as I was.
“No need.” He cleared his throat, taking a step back. “This is strictly political. There’s no need for sentiment or apologies.”
I shook my head slowly. “You should tell your mood that. Earlier, it looked like you wanted to take that sword”—I glanced down at the ruby-encrusted hilt—“and run it through me.”
His eyes widened, his lips parting enough to see his teeth. “I would never think such a thing of another monarch.”
“You were visibly angry at me when you saw me earlier. Let’s not pretend this is purely political. We can’t move forward with a peace treaty until you move past your hatred for me.” My fingers entwined over my skirt. “I understand you were hurt that I broke your heart.”
He winced. It was subtle but there.
“Understand, Kiros, I had no choice. I was forced to marry you. I’m sorry I led you to believe I…” I hesitated, my stomach knotting. “That I loved you, but I was trying to survive. I was a prisoner.”
He exhaled shakily. “You stood me up in front of the entire kingdom.”
I gave him an apologetic look, but he had to understand the position I had been in. “I’m sorry I hurt you. The situation I was in called for it, but I did feel guilt for doing that to you. I want you to know that.”
He cast his eyes downward, averting his gaze to his shoes or probably anywhere that wasn’t my eyes. “You were placed in an unfair situation. I wanted to protect you. My father would have killed you. I wasn’t your capturer.”
“I know,” I whispered, recalling how it had been Kiros who had brokered the marriage alliance that let me live. If he hadn’t, I’d have died in that cage. “You’re not a bad person, Kiros. I know that, and I knew it then, but you could have helped me escape.”
Unease flashed his expression. “I never thought of that.”
“I want us to move on from it. It was unfortunate it all happened the way it did, but we can try to be friends.”
