The Betrayed

by Kiera Cass

  I simply nodded, and he smiled as he stood back up.

  The music changed, and I saw the space in the middle of the floor clear.

  “Oh, Hollis,” Uncle Reid called. “Could you please accompany Etan in the first dance?”

  “What?”

  “It’s tradition,” Aunt Jovana added. “The highest families dance to honor the new couple.”

  “But I don’t know the dance,” I squeaked out in fear. “Why not have Scar—” Where had Scarlet gone? I scanned the room, and saw she was holding something that looked delicious in her hands and right across from her was a very tall and bashful-looking Julien, smiling as he tried to talk around whatever he’d just taken a bite of. They looked so precious. Even if I could have raced across the room to steal her away, I wouldn’t have.

  I turned back to Etan.

  “Are you doubting my ability to lead?” he asked, that joking tone ever on his lips.

  His lips.

  “The only other partners I’ve seen you with are those fellows in the joust, and I’d rather leave this room standing on my own two feet, if you don’t mind.”

  Mother laughed at that, but Etan held out his hand, undeterred. I took it, and he led me onto the dance floor. “It’s simply a volta. If you know that, then you’re fine.”

  “Oh! I love the volta.”

  “Perfect. Then you don’t need me at all.”

  I looked at him out of the side of my eyes. “You say that as if I ever have.”

  He smiled.

  Other couples were flooding the floor, and I stood toward the center beside the other women, with the men on the outside forming a shape like a flower. When the music began, Etan and I wove past one another, circling around and going to the next couple. The dance was so full of movement that it excused any lack of conversation. So, instead, we danced, hand to hand.

  Etan did as he said, waiting exactly where he said he would, exactly when he was meant to. His hair kept flopping in his face, and he kept flicking it back, keeping his eyes on me. I was smiling. I could feel it in the very soles of my feet my smile went so deep. We came to the section where we could move side by side, and Etan held me tight.

  He looked down at me, eyes locked. There was something in them that said he wanted to speak, to say something now that all our family wasn’t right over our shoulders. He just kept studying my face, maybe trying to judge how he’d be received if he did speak. I tried to wordlessly tell him that I welcomed his apology or explanation or whatever he felt he needed to say. I was prepared for it all.

  All he did was smile.

  The end of the dance was coming, and it was a good thing, as I was already breathless. Three lifts back to back, and then it would be over. I swept around the circle a final time, coming to Etan’s ready arms, and he was smirking, ready to prove he was capable. I jumped as he lifted me up, throwing my head back in delight. The watching crowds were gasping at the sight of the couples moving in time, many of the members applauding. He lifted me a second time, and I laughed at Etan’s mocking groan, as if I were too heavy to pick up more than once. The third lift, I found myself looking down at him, and he seemed . . . happy.

  I thought about the day we’d met. He must have been so miserable, forced to bring his family into the den of his enemy, into the home of people who’d killed his friends. I thought of how he’d hated it when I’d wormed my way into his home, infiltrating the one place in the world that ought to have been his. I thought of how much anger had passed between us. Where had it all gone? Now he was holding me in the air with such care, I knew if the ground shook the very foundations of this castle, he would still keep me aloft.

  People were not their introductions. They were not their lineage or country. They were but themselves. And we had to dig past all the rest to find them.

  We finished the dance with a flourish to the applause of the entire room, including the newlyweds. Etan was still holding my hand as he led me away from the floor.

  “I haven’t danced like that in ages,” I said breathlessly. “I didn’t realize how much I missed it.”

  “You’re telling me Scarlet hasn’t attempted to lift you yet?” he asked in mock disbelief.

  “There hasn’t really been an opportunity.”

  “Ah, well.” He led me over to a window, and we watched as more couples took to the floor, dancing to something a little bit slower.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “For what?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure. Maybe everything.”

  He chuckled. “Well, you’re welcome, then.” After a long sigh that was still tinted with his smile, he added, “And I’m sorry. For last night. Not sure what came over me.”

  I’d been getting into the habit of kissing boys when I oughtn’t.

  “Well, it stopped an argument, so bravo. And there’s no need to apologize. It’s been a very . . . eventful trip.”

  “And it’s not even over.”

  I shook my head, wide-eyed. “Not even close.”

  “I’m dying to know what Valentina managed to get ahold of. I suspect Father will read them first.”

  “We need to find a way to get her out of the castle. I promised her as much.”

  He nodded. “If need be, I can take her to the country myself. If we don’t succeed, the king will never let her rest. If he can find her, he’ll make her pay for leaving.”

  “Then we have to make sure he can’t.”

  Etan looked at me, all traces of his smile gone. “You have my word.”

  And that was more than enough. “Thank you.”

  “So, I have a proposition, Hollis.”

  “Oh, I’m dying to hear this.” I propped myself up on the windowsill by my elbow, staring at him intently. Did his eyes always have specks of silver in them?

  “After everything, all we’ve said and done, do you think we could end this, not as unwilling partners in crime, but friends?” he asked hopefully.

  If he had proposed this back in Coroa, or even at Pearfield, I would have leaped from my chair in joy. Now? Now it felt like a lance knocking me from my horse. But Etan and I had very different paths, very different goals.

  With a pained heart that reminded me with every beat that this was all we could ever be, I smiled. “I have always wanted to be your friend, Etan.”

  “Good. Now, one more dance I think,” he said quickly, pulling me back onto the floor. “Let’s leave them scandalized, Hollis. These poor people need something to talk about.”

  And I laughed, moving eagerly, remembering the way his hand felt in mine.

  Twenty-Five

  I WAITED IN UNPARALLELED WORRY as Uncle Reid sorted through the letters. For the first time, I saw Scarlet pray. I knew a little about her faith through Silas, through the vows he insisted we speak, through the traditions that seemed to focus more on people than paper. I’d never been what someone might call pious, and I wasn’t even sure if I knew how to pray. If I had, I’d have attempted it long before now.

  Still, I folded my hands together and said the only thing I could think of. “Please.” It wasn’t much, but I couldn’t have said anything with deeper sincerity. I sat, head and heart bent down in desperation. “Please.”

  A moment later, Uncle Reid emerged from his room, a score of opened letters in his hand. We all sprang to our feet in anticipation.

  “Hollis, do you know if Valentina read any of these before she gave them to you?”

  “No, sir, I don’t.”

  He sighed and set them on the table before us. “Let’s hope not. No one should have to read how much their husband is paying to kill their families.”

  I gasped. “That’s in there?”

  He nodded. I knew he wanted proof; we all did. It was another thing entirely to have to go through all the details.

  “Some of these are inconsequential, but several of them put the king’s hand on many of the prominent deaths caused by the so-called Darkest Knights in recent memory, including Valentina’s pa
rents. We have names of victims, and I think identities of at least two of the murderers. If this is what Valentina could grab and hide in a matter of moments, there must be so much more.”

  His heart was undeniably heavy. And so was mine. There was one question I needed to ask, had to. Yet I couldn’t find a way to form the words.

  But Mother did. “Is Dashiell in there? My boys?”

  Uncle Reid shook his head. “There are plenty of deaths not accounted for. That doesn’t mean he’s innocent in them. But the deaths are not the most shocking piece of evidence here,” he said tiredly.

  “What could possibly be worse?” Etan asked.

  Uncle Reid slowly reached into the pile and held up a single letter. “We wondered why this wedding was so public. It was to mark time. So that the kingdom could presume Phillipa conceived tonight.

  “In reality, the king has paid her handsomely to join the royal family. And he has also given a fortune to a peasant girl for her child, one that appears to have been conceived about a month ago.”

  “No,” Scarlet whispered.

  Uncle Reid nodded. “He’s so desperate to keep his crown that he pushed Queen Vera all her life for more children. And he’s pushed Hadrian year after year though it was clear he was never healthy enough to do the job. The only reason that poor boy has survived this long is because of our advances in medicine. If he’d been born in Mooreland or Catal, he’d be dead.”

  I watched as he swallowed, maybe seeing Hadrian for the first time the same way I saw Valentina: just a piece in someone else’s game. “When he worried that our families were stronger than him, he picked away at us. Took our lands, rejoiced when we lost our children, ran us from the country. He married Valentina for her youth. When her parents questioned the king’s motives, they were murdered. When she was found unable to make him a better heir, he bypassed her for Phillipa, who is at least smart enough to know who her in-laws are. She wanted money and the promise that once a proper time of mourning passes after Hadrian inevitably dies, she could marry whoever she pleases. She has all of these things in writing,” he said, pointing to the letter, and shaking his head. “If Hadrian dies, it doesn’t matter. People could still believe Phillipa was having his child.”

  I couldn’t stop the shiver running through me. Quinten had been so malicious, so calculating. He’d played every piece on the board to ensure that he’d never lose his crown, that he’d control who it went to.

  “We have undeniable proof now, Father. What do we do?” Etan asked.

  Uncle Reid paused for a long time. Then he stood and walked back into his room. When he came out, he was holding a sheathed sword.

  “Is that . . . ?” Mother asked, leaving the question hanging.

  Uncle Reid nodded. “Jedreck’s sword. It has seen war, and it has knighted several men. This is the sword of a king, and now we’ll use it to lead a battle.”

  I waited for Uncle Reid to move for the door, to take some sort of action . . . but he walked over and held the sword out to his son.

  Etan’s eyes flickered over to me and then back to his father. He was hesitating, and I was stunned.

  When I thought of people who would take the throne, the obvious choices were Scarlet and Uncle Reid. Mother was not a direct descendant, and Etan was still his father’s son. But, now that I thought about it—why had people been championing Silas instead of his father? I supposed after someone as old as Quinten, they wanted a ruler who still had a lifetime to dedicate to making things right. Etan certainly had that.

  “You haven’t asked my cousin if she wants it,” Etan offered. “I’d bend my knee to Queen Scarlet.” He looked to her, his eyes almost pleading.

  I turned to watch her, realizing history was happening before my eyes. She smiled sweetly, taking careful steps toward Etan.

  “No,” Scarlet insisted quietly. “I don’t want a sword, or a battle, or a crown. All I’ve ever wanted was a chance at a life I could call my own, and I know I’d never have it as queen.”

  “Are you sure?” Mother asked carefully.

  “I am. I’ve had plenty of time to think about this. I don’t want the power or the obligation. And I will never challenge you for your crown, Etan. You will have my absolute allegiance, I swear.”

  Etan’s eyes flashed over to me again, then back to his father. “I don’t . . . I can’t . . .”

  “Etan, we’ve come all this way,” his father reminded him.

  “Why not you?” he questioned.

  Uncle Reid’s face was perfectly calm. “If I were younger, maybe. But I cannot lead. Not like you could.”

  “You are so brave, son,” Aunt Jovana said.

  “And intelligent,” Scarlet added.

  “You have impressive military experience, and . . . a presence not many people could pull off,” Mother agreed.

  “You’re a natural leader, Etan,” I said, fearing I may say too much. Still, I kept on, knowing that now, more than ever, he needed to hear it. “You’re passionate, strong, and kinder than you’d let anyone know.” His eyes moved to his family and back to me. “Whatever you may think, part of my heart is Isolten, and I, for one, would rejoice to have you as my king.” He stared deep into my eyes for a very long time. I watched as fear and hope and desperation flashed across his face. And then, as if the act was almost physically painful, he reached out and took his father’s sword.

  “What do I do?” he asked.

  “Go back to our lands,” Uncle Reid commanded. “Call up the army. Take some of these letters with you, and our people will rally behind the truth. We will quietly get word to some of the less-than-happy nobles and explain what’s happening, offer them secure places in your government for their support. By the time you get back, everything will be in place. And while I’m confident we have numbers on our side, you must be careful. If you speak to the wrong person . . .”

  Etan nodded. “I know.”

  “You should go now,” Uncle Reid insisted. “We will be watching for your return.”

  “Wait,” Etan said, raising a hand. “We need to get Valentina here first.” He looked at me. “If she’s going to have a chance at escape, I have to take her with me now. I can do that, but I need your help.”

  I didn’t hesitate. “Anything.”

  Twenty-Six

  IT TOOK A WHILE TO find a maid willing to go to the queen’s rooms and deliver a message. Poor Valentina. Even the staff feared being near her. Finally, we were able to send word to her that the girl from Coroa had found something of hers and would like to return it to her.

  Valentina showed up to our rooms wearing her nightgown and a robe embroidered with silver thread.

  “Your Majesty,” Uncle Reid greeted her, bowing his head. “We apologize for giving you no warning, but if you’re truly ready to flee, this is your only way.”

  She looked to me. “Hollis?”

  I walked over to her, gripping her hands. “Valentina, you have delivered your country. You’ve saved so many people today. And we cannot thank you enough.”

  Her eyes welled. “I wasn’t sure . . . but it’s enough?”

  I nodded.

  She closed her eyes, letting the tears run down quietly. “Who’s to take his place?”

  I cast my eyes to Etan.

  She turned to him, exchanging a long look. She was about to throw away a crown; he was about to take one. Their circumstances were about to reverse forever, and they had this strange and almost beautiful moment of connection.

  “You shall have my endless support, sir.”

  He nodded to her, his head still going respectfully low.

  “Trade robes with me,” I insisted, grabbing mine and shoving it into her hands. “In a few minutes, you will leave with Etan on horseback, under the guise of him escorting his cousin home. He will take you to Pearfield, and from there, he’ll make arrangements to get you to Coroa. These papers,” I said, holding up a handful of parchment, “are to get you across the border, and instructions for my household staf
f. Hester will guard you. And we have gold.” I set it all on the desk beside her.

  She stared at the papers, taking it all in. “If he figures this out, you’ll be dead, Hollis. I just . . . you have to know that before I leave.” Despite her warning, Valentina pulled off her robe and shrugged into mine, her face painted with fear.

  “I already know. And I’m choosing to do it all the same. I have very few people left in this world who I care about. You’re one of them. I’ll take care of you.”

  Her eyes welled. She looked around to the warm faces in the room. I wondered how long it had been since she’d been treated with kindness. “How can I ever thank you all?”

  “It is we who are indebted,” Uncle Reid insisted. “In fact, we’re hoping you’ll be able to forgive us. We should have seen you needed help, and we didn’t. We’d have still considered you aligned with Quinten had it not been for Hollis.”

  Her teary eyes turned to mine. Perhaps there were things we should have said then, words of gratitude or of love, but in the end I couldn’t say any of it. I wouldn’t tell her goodbye in any form; it felt too final. And if I had to will Valentina into being beside me at the end of this, then that was what I’d do.

  “Please send word once you’re at Varinger Hall. I just need to know when you’re safe.”

  She squinted at me. “Won’t you be coming there soon?”

  Etan was looking at the ground just then, and thank goodness. If I saw those slate-blue eyes with their secret streaks of silver, I might have lost any resolve and several pieces of my heart. He was stealing it, bit by bit, with traces of smiles and quiet glances. And what would happen to me when he’d gotten all my heart, and I had none of his?

  “Yes, of course. I’ll come. I just don’t know when. Stay safe,” I said, coming over to kiss her cheek.

  “We should go,” Etan said.

  I stepped away, a chill running down my back that had nothing to do with the constant Isolten winds.