by Zoey Ellis
"Who?" Ana asked.
Ryden shot Darcel a look, and led Ana to a nearby chair. "The alliance for this particular purpose is made up of houses Redcrest, Goldfrost, and Thorneshaw," Ryden said. He turned to the rest of the room. "Firstly, I have to ask, are all the families within your houses in agreement with this?"
“We are here, aren’t we?” Everard of Goldfrost said dryly.
Each royal house was comprised of three distinct families who had close ties to each other. Some families were small, others were large, encompassing uncles, nieces and cousins. The size of the family depended on the wealth of the house and how it was distributed, but each family had a representative who spoke and acted on behalf of the house. The two representatives from each house in Ryden’s lounge made up the majority of their house.
“That doesn’t mean your whole house is in agreement,” Aldous said dryly.
“Whatever we decide, the other family will either be in support or fall in line,” Everard said.
"Same with us," Duchess Rhoslyn said.
“Good.” Ryden handed Ana a glass of fruit wine and she took a deep mouthful, relishing the fresh and fruity flavor. “Then we are officially in alliance, since all the Redcrest families are in agreement as well.”
"When do we challenge the promise with the court?" Darcel asked. "When do we bring this alliance to the court and the people and start building momentum with this?"
"I think it's more important that Ana and I marry first," Ryden said. "Our marriage will bring more power to the situation and allow us to make more legitimate requests of the people and the crown."
"When is the quickest you can get married?" Duke Aldous asked. Aldous was Ryden’s uncle, and a powerful man within the Redcrest house and the court. It was no secret that Ryden looked up to him, and Ana also liked him. He’d always been kind to Ana, visiting her and bringing gifts, and even sending her books to study. He’d always made it clear how pleased he was that Ryden had been matched with her and was the one in court who’d been aggressively arguing against Maddoc’s request.
"It is possible in three or four days," Ryden said.
Ana inhaled a sharp breath. Three days until she was married?
Ryden glanced at her. "We're just bringing it forward, Ana," he said reassuringly. "Just like we discussed before we left."
Ana nodded. She wasn't sure what made her uncomfortable about the idea of marrying the man that she’d been planning to marry for years; it just seemed so final. Maybe that was a good thing. "Three days is fine."
“Use your head. We cannot wait three days before we bring the matter of the Royal Promise to the court." The growl came from Duke Theodore who was leaning against the wall by the fireplace staring out the window. His posture appeared relaxed, but the agitation in his voice rumbled around the room with force. He was known to be a difficult Alpha to please—one who wasn’t concerned about politeness or etiquette. Ana had seen him rouse many Alphas into a foaming-mouthed fury by his lack of respect for them in court. “That is too much time for the king to do something,” he continued, “either in court, or to collect his daughter with the full force of the crown. And we don’t know what this outlaw and his mad men will do."
"If we could do it tomorrow, I would," Ryden said. "But we need to prepare the announcement tour and the ceremony. It’s important no one can say it was done improperly."
Theodore lifted a shoulder. "We still must bring our argument to the court tomorrow," he said firmly. "We can announce it, we spread the word, and ask for all to attend, make a big spectacle of it that the king cannot avoid, just like Maddoc did."
"The king was intending to make a big spectacle out of Maddoc and that severely backfired," Aldous pointed out. "Are you sure this won’t?"
Theodore pushed off the wall and glared at him. "That is the risk we take every time we hold court. We just have to make sure we are prepared—our argument must be strong. We need the public to agree with us."
"We could do with having a day to prepare, then," Ryden said. "It would strengthen our position. The commoners could be difficult to deal with about not honoring the promise."
"You have been arguing this since Maddoc first showed up at the court,” Theodore growled. “What are you afraid of?”
Ryden matched his growl, squaring his shoulders toward him. “Nothing. It just needs to be done right.”
“We don’t need more time.” Theodore paused for a moment. “What we need is a distraction. Your wedding announcement and tour should be enough. It needs to happen at the same time as the hearing."
Ryden frowned. "That means I cannot be in court arguing in support of Redcrest.”
Theodore raised his ale, a grim grin on his face. “Then you will need to trust the rest of us.”
Ryan’s unease filled the silence that followed. But after a moment, his posture relaxed. “Tonight we plan our argument for the dismissal of the promise. Tomorrow we present our arguments in court and announce the wedding, and the following day Ana and I marry. Is everyone in agreement?"
A wave of nods dipped around the room while Ana looked between them. "I just want to ask Princess Ana one thing," Everard said, leaning forward toward her. "Are you aware what was agreed for our support in this."
“Now is not the time, Everard.” Ryden’s face darkened.
“I will not move forward unless I know the princess is fully aware of the agreement,” Theodore said sharply. “We are all taking too much of a risk.”
“Agreed,” Everard said. “We have only tonight to confirm this alliance.”
Ryden stilled. “Fine,” he said, after a long moment. He turned to Ana. “I didn’t want to tell you all this tonight, Ana, but it is important you know.”
Ana stared up at him, her stomach souring. “What is it?”
“Once we are married, the alliance between the three houses will petition to overthrow your parents.”
Ana’s throat tightened. For a moment, she couldn’t speak.
“And our children will need to be paired with children from Thorneshaw and Goldfrost.”
“Our children?”
Ryden nodded. “Our first- and third-born to Goldfrost. Our second-born to Thorneshaw.”
Ana’s head spun. “But how can we decide who they are paired with? It’s not up to us to decide.”
“The fated mates pairing process only applies to Alphas and Omegas.” Aldous stepped forward, his voice gentle. “Of course, that will not be interfered with. But if you have Beta children, or Alphas whose true mates are not identified by the age of twenty-two, they are to be matched accordingly.”
Ana was unable to draw on any words. Making an arrangement with one child was one thing. But three? And if they were Betas, they wouldn’t have any freedom to find partners they truly loved; they would be stuck with whomever the houses decided for them. How could she do that to her own children? As an Omega she had the security of knowing her pairing was something beyond her own decision, but her Beta children would be forced into a life that didn’t guarantee their happiness—all because of this alliance.
Ana shook her head slowly as she bought her eyes up to meet the gazes on her. “How and why would you ask that of me?”
Theodore huffed out a breath, shaking his head and muttering as he turned away.
“Each child who marries into another house, strengthens our bond with that house, Ana,” Ryden said. “This is how we ensure that the houses benefit from helping us.”
“Helping us do what?” Ana asked, sharply. “Usurp my parents? Since when was that a priority?”
“Since they whored you out to that bastard!” Ryden boomed, his eyes flashing. “Sacrifices have to be made to ensure we can correct the damage they have done.”
“And what sacrifices are you making?” Ana questioned, rising to her feet, her breath hot in her lungs. “How can you be happy about making our children miserable by forcing them to marry into other houses? How is this in their best interest? Are you not simply whor
ing them out the same way you accuse my parents of doing?”
A moment of stunned silence followed her outburst.
“Ana!” Ryden’s face darkened as he roared her name, and the prickling rush along her arms made her hair stand on end.
Before he could say anything further, Aldous stepped in front of him. “No one will force any of your children to remain in a loveless marriage, Ana. That is not the point of this alliance.”
Ana dragged her eyes from Ryden to Aldous. “Then what is the point of it?”
“Surely the princess cannot be so unaware of how things are done?” Theodore said, the grit in his voice both bitter and sarcastic. “This kind of arrangement is not unusual, Princess Ana.”
“I told you to let me explain things to her,” Ryden said hotly. “I don’t know what she knows and what she doesn’t.”
“Then you should have thought of that before seeking us out to do this,” Theodore said sharply. “We need her in agreement.”
At that, everyone in the room quietened, and Ana stared at them all in confusion, dread fogging up her throat. There were clearly things she didn’t know that they all did. Maddoc’s words came flooding back to her, as did her mother’s. How much didn’t she know? A bracing apprehension gripped her. Nothing was how it seemed anymore—her life was built on falsehood upon falsehood. How could she know who she was if nothing in her life was the way she perceived it? And how could she possibly rule?
“We will give you tonight to rest, princess,” Darcel said, gently. “I think nothing can be decided or agreed tonight.”
Rhoslyn rose from her seat. “I agree with Ryden that we should have let the princess rest before discussing this. She has just been through an ordeal for the past two nights and was preparing to suffer it again today. She needs time.”
“We don’t have time to spare,” Theodore said bluntly. “We cannot all gather again before tomorrow and we cannot move forward with our plans until this is decided. This decision is not that hard—it is common.”
“Is it?” Rhoslyn said, raising a brow. She turned to the Goldfrost men in the room. “So if I arranged for a huge, violent Alpha to fuck you raw for the next two nights, you’d be in a good frame of mind to make life-changing decisions on behalf of your children immediately after?”
Aldous’ laughter burst out across the room while Theodore’s eyes narrowed, his entire body stiffening.
Rhoslyn didn’t wait for an answer. “We will await confirmation of the princess’ decision tomorrow when she visits us on the announcement tour. Court won’t be until midafternoon, anyway. By the time she has visited at least one of our two houses, we will know whether or not to proceed.”
Ana nodded, smiling weakly at her. She didn’t think she could ever make such a decision, but everything rested on this alliance, and her Alpha had already agreed to it. She just needed to understand it.
Ryden called on a servant to take her to her room and prepare for bed, and as she rose to her feet, he kissed her forehead. “I didn’t want to tell you like this. We will talk more tomorrow.”
Ana nodded, but didn’t respond. Somehow his words felt as empty as her mother’s, and she couldn’t bear another moment listening to them. As she followed the servant who wasn’t Milly, into a bedchamber that wasn’t her own, she blinked away the tears that had built. Maddoc had been right about a lot of things so far, but she wouldn’t let him be right about her. She wasn’t a puppet for anyone. And as soon as she’d rested, she’d address her concerns with this alliance.
Humid heat encased her whole body, and a solid weight pinned her to the bed. Ana sighed, relishing the peaceful security underneath her Alpha. But as her consciousness awakened, her eyes flickered open. Everything smelled wrong. And the feel of his flesh on hers was… uncomfortable.
Stiffening, Ana tilted her head to see Ryden on top of her, his arms wrapped firmly around her body, securing her to him. An intense panic rose before she even recognized it. Thrashing, writhing, and twisting as hard as she could, she tried to get out of his hold, but the dead weight of an Alpha was no simple thing for an Omega to shift. Soon, her increasingly desperate movements woke him with a growl. “What is it?”
He lifted himself a little off the bed, and Ana scooted out from under him, scrabbling to the edge of the bed on all fours, breathing hard as the panic made her heart thump in her ears.
“What, Ana?” Ryden growled in annoyance.
Ana grabbed the sheets with her fists and forced herself to still. Panting, she tried to answer, but couldn’t speak.
Ryden watched her. "Ana?"
"Nothing," Ana finally said, her breathing calming. "I just felt… You were on top of me and…" Her words faded away. How could she tell him that his scent was all wrong? That the feel of his body wasn't right? That the muscles along his chest and arms were not the ones she wanted pressing her down, cuddling her or rubbing on her bare skin? How could she tell him she wasn't comfortable underneath him? He was supposed to be her mate.
Ryden watched her, his frown deepening. "Ana. You belong with me."
"I know," Ana said, even though the idea of it made her tense. "It's just…"
When she didn’t continue, Ryden leaned forward slowly and reached for her, monitoring her carefully as he moved closer.
Ana could not stop tensing, digging her nails harder into the bed the closer he came. She desperately did not want to be touched. When his thumb grazed her cheek, tears sprung to her eyes, and Ryden growled in annoyance. Moving swiftly, he hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her down to the bed and underneath him.
Ana forced herself not to squeal as her back hit the bed. Ryden loomed over, brushed his hand up her leg, and hooked an arm under her knee.
Ana slapped a hand on his chest in alarm. "Ryden, what are you doing?
"You have to get past what happened, Ana," Ryden growled. "You only have the memories of him. You need to create fresh memories with me." Before she had a chance to respond, he lowered his body and crushed his mouth on hers.
The kiss was rough and insistent, his hot breath and his warm mouth smothered her, his tongue seeking entry, and for a moment Ana allowed herself to experience it with him. But within a few moments the uncomfortable feeling returned full force, suffocating her and forcing her panic to resurface.
She dragged her mouth away and tried again to claw away from him, fighting as her breathing increased.
"Ana!" Ryden growled as he let her scramble away again. "It won’t be like with him."
Ana kept her head low and nodded, taking a deep breath before raising her eyes to him. Maybe that was what she was afraid of. "I just need time, Ryden" she said, almost pleading. "Please give me time to get used to being close to you. My first sexual experience was with him and… I just need time."
Ryden's eyes flashed. "You are my mate. I will not have you withdrawing from me."
Ana’s mouth tightened at his tone. "Yes," she remarked bitterly. "We have to get on with our breeding duties to pay for this alliance, don't we?"
He moved so quickly she didn't even have time to yelp before he grabbed her and threw her onto the bed.
"I allowed your comments last night because I understood you were distressed.” Ryden’s contorted features made him look like a different man—still beautiful, still Ryden, but sinister. Fear crept into Ana's chest as she stared up at him. "But you will not use that tone with me again, Ana. I don’t know what happened during those nights with him—I’m sure you screamed and fought and withdrew from him. But you will not behave that way with me. You will be respectful of me. Do you understand?"
Ana nodded, her eyes wide.
The anger seeped from Ryden's eyes and he relaxed his grip on her. "You are the perfect princess," he murmured, his voice slightly softer. "And we are a perfect match. We just need to overcome the difficult start we’ve had." He lowered his mouth onto hers again, and this time Ana tried to kiss him back. She had to at least try to spark the feelings she knew were there f
or him. Squeezing her eyes tight and ignoring all the alarm signals in her body telling her something was wrong, she pressed her lips back against his. But eventually she couldn't help but wrench her mouth away and turn her head to the side.
Ryden lifted up, watching her for a long moment, a blend of annoyance and resignation in his eyes. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "If you need time, you can have time," he said, his voice low. "But on our wedding night there will be no more abstinence between us, Ana." He looked at her. “I will take what I need from my mate. Do you understand?”
She nodded, trying to control the fear building in her throat. To some degree she understood his anger—she had already been with another man when he had been waiting for her, and now she was pulling away from him, acting like she couldn't stand his touch. No mate would be happy with that. She couldn't imagine Father being at all happy if Mother behaved that way with him.
But what really concerned her was the reaction to his touch. It was strange to react that way with her own mate. She couldn’t recall feeling that way about Maddoc, and while she didn’t want to compare them, she had nothing else to go by. She’d been looking forward to her experience with Ryden’s touch eradicating memories of Maddoc, but how could it if she couldn’t bear to even kiss him? Maybe it really was trauma.
Ryden stood and grabbed his clothes. “Have you had time to think about the agreement with the alliance?”
Ana relaxed on the bed. “No, but I don’t understand why it’s necessary.”
“Because the houses need guarantees that they will get something out of helping us,” Ryden said as he dressed. “And marrying into the ruling family raises the status of their houses.”
When Ana looked at him blankly he continued with a growl.
“You know the houses are not all equal, surely?”
“Yes, I know,” she replied, almost indignantly. “Redcrest and Sterling are the wealthiest.”
“Right. And greater opportunities to grow that wealth come from having a pleasant relationship with the crown. Whether it is a son or daughter who is king or queen, or simply a good history of positive and profitable dealings, all houses want to be on good terms with the crown.” He tilted his head. “I am surprised you are unaware of this.”