Page 16 of The Dragon King's Bride
It’s the day of the final round of the competition. Instead of sleeping in, I’m gazing out my window, watching the sun rise. Not that I’d be getting much sleep anyway. I was tossing and turning all throughout the night. It’s almost a blessing that Kaiser never returned to my room. Trying to maintain a façade of normality around him would only make things more difficult.
As my thoughts turn to Kaiser, a single tear slips down my cheek. The last couple days with the man have been wonderful. I’m the happiest I’ve been since my father died. It feels like such a curse that I’m going to have to say goodbye just when things are starting to get good.
Why did I let things come down to this? Why is the first man I let into my heart the one person who will never accept me for who I am? When I was younger, I used to tell myself that I would find myself a husband I could share my secret with. I wanted a partner in the truest sense of the word. What was I thinking? Falling for a man like Kaiser was never part of the plan.
To make matters worse, I’m no longer a virgin. What man will want me now? A single night of passion has doomed me to a future of loneliness and heartache. Part of me thinks I deserve it for being so damn stupid.
From my place on the windowsill, I notice a lone figure skitter past. It’s Maya, I realize, one of the remaining competitors. What is she doing wandering around first thing in the morning? I have a bad feeling about this. The girl had been shooting me suspicious, wary looks all throughout our meal yesterday. It’s like she suspected that I was the one responsible for the overgrowth. Yet, she can’t possibly have any proof. Right?
I reassure myself that there’s no proof because there’s nothing else that I can do. Perhaps she’s just trying to get me to try and escape, knowing I’ll surely be executed if I try it. For the rest of the morning I wait inside my room with bated breath. If they discovered my secret, then surely they’d come to execute me,right? When no one comes to get me, I’m sure that I’m right about Maya trying to bait me.
Mallory comes to get me as soon as the sun has fully risen. She tuts at me for already being up but helps me get dressed for the final round. The dress she puts on me is similar to the one I wore during the last stage of the competition. I take it to mean there are more physical tasks ahead of me. This time, I won’t let myself pass, even if Kaiser realizes what I’m doing.
I’m already armed with an excuse if he questions me about it. There’s no doubt he saw my fearful reaction to him raging out the day before. I’ll tell him I’m frightened of him. I’ll tell him I don’t want to marry a man who scares me. Given the circumstances, he’ll have no choice but to believe me.
I solved the Darkwood Forest puzzle before Kaiser came to visit me the night we slept together. The location of the final round will be the throne room. It feels like fate. The place where I first saw Kaiser will also be the last.
Everyone is waiting for me by the time I enter the throne room. Kaiser, his advisors, the other girls; they’re all paying me close attention as I step through the double doors. To my discomfort, they all look like they’ve been specifically waiting for me. My stomach turns as I take in the smug look on Maya’s face. My earlier fears are realized. She’s said something to them, I just know it.
I pause at the entrance, wondering if I should try and run. Wilcox steps forward, and the decision is made for me. They’re not hauling me off just yet, but I can see the truth stone glittering in the man’s palm. If he forces that onto me in front of everyone, there’s nothing I can do to stop it.
I do everything I can to avoid Kaiser’s gaze, despite the fact that I can tell he’s trying to catch my eye. I can’t look at him right now. I can’t bear to see him doubting me after everything we’ve shared. “What’s going on?” I ask, though I’ve already guessed.
“Allegations have been made against you, Miss Havenbrook,” Wilcox answers solemnly. “Earlier this morning, Miss Ashton informed the guard that she suspected you were the cause of the overgrowth. We need you to verify whether or not this is true..”
“I only need you to answer my questions,” Kaiser reassures me, and my gaze finally swings to him. His eyes are full of softness and trust, which is actually worse than the doubt I’d been imagining. The softness disappears as he glances towards Maya. He levels her with a gaze of pure spite, causing the girl to flinch. “If the accusations turn out to be untrue, then your accuser will pay dearly.”
Maya’s chin lifts in a show of defiance. “I’m not wrong about this,” she insists. “I peeked in on you two during your night together, Your Highness. I saw the way her skin glowed. I remember reading about it in one of my family’s old tomes, and this morning they verified through a letter that I was correct. The members of the Fae royal family glow during sexual arousal. Is that not what was happening with Ava, sire?”
For a second, doubt flickers in Kaiser’s eyes. But in the next second that doubt is gone, replaced by a steely determination. “An old family tome, you say,” he mocks, gazing down at her with contempt. “It’s mighty convenient that your only proof is a book you don’t even have on you, Miss Ashton.”
I can only gape at them as the conversation plays out in front of me. Did she just say that my glow is a trait of Fae royalty? How is that possible? What would a princess be doing wandering around a serf fiefdom all on her own?
“Now, now,” Wilcox interrupts. “The dubiousness of Miss Ashton’s explanation is why Miss Havenbrook will be questioned via the truth stone.”
He walks over to me and places the stone in my hands. I’m shaking so hard my teeth are chattering. Is there a way out ofthis? Can I deliver vague enough answers to fool the stone? I suppose there’s only one way to find out.
Kaiser turns to me. He’s trying to be reassuring, but I won’t rest easy until I know that I’m safe. “Ava, are you secretly a member of the Fae royal family?”
I let out a shaky laugh. I can work with that question. “I don’t see how that’s possible, Your Highness. I’ve lived my whole life as a serf girl.”
The stone glows gold. I’m in the clear. Kaiser breathes out a sigh of relief. “Next question. Ava, were you ordered here as a spy?”
Yet another question I can answer truthfully. I relax a little bit, a smile forming on my mouth. “No, Your Highness. I’m here by your command, just like everyone else.”
The room watches the stone turn gold again, and the tension begins to dissipate. Kaiser and I both relax. His gaze is warm again as he watches me.
“Ava, are you my father’s murderer?”
I shake my head. “I am not, Your Highness. That incident in the forest is the first time I’ve ever taken a life.”
Gold again. Kaiser’s mouth lifts into a half smile. “Excellent. One final question, Ava. Are you the one responsible for the overgrowth in the garden?”
The smile immediately drops from my mouth. Damn it. This is what I was afraid of. I can’t answer that question. My whole body is frozen as the room waits for me to respond.
Kaiser’s smile begins to fade at my reaction. Maya is looking over at me as well, looking thoroughly pleased now that she knows that I’m caught. Kaiser’s gaze turns icy as he pins me in place with sight alone. “Answer the question, Ava,” he demands. “Are you responsible for the overgrowth.”
“N-not that I was aware of, Your Highness,” the stone begins to glow blue, “I-I mean I didn’t perform magic intentionally. I’m not your enemy, Kaiser. I’ve never even met a fairy before.”
