Kern took another step forward and brushed a hand across her cheek. “After the evening you’ve had, you probably need me to take the pain.”
She glanced up at him from under her lashes and nodded. Then she pulled her hand from behind her back and hid the dagger in the folds of her dress. Kern lowered his head. He would kiss her. He would be distracted. This was her chance.
His lips pressed against hers and his hand slid behind her head.
She gripped the dagger and shoved with all her might. It slid through his skin and penetrated deep until the hilt rested against his ribs. She fought back revulsion just as she heard his sharp intake of breath.
And then it was over.
He grasped her wrists and yanked, squeezing until she lost all feeling in her hands.
His eyes bored into her, and she couldn’t bring herself to look away. She wanted to see his expression as he realized he was going to die. And she wanted to be looking at him when the pain came.
Only it didn’t.
Instead, he threw back his head and laughed. “Like you could really kill me. Still, well done. When your potion plan didn’t work, I thought you’d give up. But this,” he glanced to the dagger embedded in his side. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”
He thrust her away from him, and she stumbled backwards and fell. So he’d known about the potion all along. Somehow, it didn’t surprise her.
He pulled the dagger from his side and studied the growing red spot on his shirt. “Inconvenient, but not impossible.” He closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath.
She watched in amazement as the blood disappeared, as if it was drawn right back into the wound. When he opened his eyes a moment later, there was no evidence he’d even been injured.
“That was actually quite serious,” he finally said. “It might have killed someone without my particular talents.” He gave her an appraising look. “Maybe you are worthy to be my wife.”
She stared up at him in disbelief and confusion. That was it? No torture. No threats. He just laughed and told her he approved. “Get out.”
He frowned. “Excuse me?”
“I said, get out.”
“And leave you here alone at a time when your emotions are obviously so unbalanced?” He laughed again and pulled her from the floor. “What kind of fiancé would that make me?”
She ducked away from him.
“I don’t care what you do to me. I don’t care about anything. I just want you gone.” She didn’t even know what she was saying anymore, didn’t care. “You’ve hurt everyone I care about. You’re the reason I’m dying. You’re the reason I had to sit there tonight reliving one of the worst moments of my life.”
“Ah, poor Maren.” He laughed again. “I think you hate me.”
“There aren’t words to describe what I feel for you.”
He leaned back against the bedpost and folded his arms over his chest. “And yet you’re going to marry me and watch me kill Daric and become king.”
She opened her mouth to tell him she’d rather be dead. Then her more rational side kicked in. She’d failed tonight, but that didn’t mean everything was lost. Kern just had to think she’d given up. She pressed her lips together and stared at the floor. Submission.
“That’s what I thought.” He took her trembling hands and stared down at the ring Daric had given her. “I must admit, I wasn’t expecting him to go this far, but I can’t say I’m not pleased.”
He lifted his eyes to hers.
For one moment, she didn’t understand what she saw. Then his hands traveled up her arms, and she felt trapped like an unsuspecting animal. It was hunger in his eyes. He was going to kiss her. Not like before, to test her, to take away her pain, to get a reaction from Philip. No, he was going to kiss her because he wanted to. And somehow, that was even worse.
Panic seized her and she struggled to pull away, but his grip on her arms was like steel.
“Please,” she begged, knowing her voice shook with fear. “Just leave.”
But he still didn’t let go. “And what about the pain?”
“I don’t care about the pain.”
His right hand slid around her waist, and he pulled her to him. “Unfortunately I do care. I can’t have you dying on me just as victory is within reach, and if I don’t take your pain, I’m not sure you could last the night. But now that Daric’s made you part of his family, you’re more useful than ever.” His finger traced her jawline. Then he bent and brushed his lips against hers.
If she was scared before, now she was terrified. That kiss wasn’t like any of the others. It was more intimate. As if he actually wanted to marry her for reasons that weren’t part of his plan.
Her knees buckled, only letting him pull her closer.
She tried again to step out of his grasp but he held firm, and something inside her snapped. She beat against his chests with her fists, screaming at him to get out of her room, to leave her alone, to just let her be miserable in peace for one night.
The next thing she knew, his hand was around her throat, cutting off any air, and making sure she couldn’t scream anymore. Her eyes went wide and she struggled with every last bit of her strength, but he was too strong. His fingers dug into her neck, and the world started to spin and go black around the edges. She almost welcomed it. He’d said himself he still wanted her alive. Leaving her unconscious was the next best thing.
Instead, he let go. Her knees hit the ground hard and her body followed. She gasped for breath, only making her bruised skin and lungs burn more.
“Not your smartest move, Maren.” He yanked her to her feet and pulled her so close she could feel his breath against her hair.
She tried to claw at his face but, he caught her hands and wrenched them behind her back. She tried to kick him but found her legs bound by the same invisible cords he’d used before. Desperate and on the verge of hysteria, she rammed her head into his. He paused momentarily to run a finger along a cut on his lip before picking her up and shoving her against the wall, knocking her breath away and causing her vision to blur.
“Stop,” she begged. “Please, stop. Do whatever you want. Just stop.”
A slow smile spread across his face and he pressed his lips to hers, taking away every last drop of pain until she slumped to the floor in relief.
“I’ll see you in the morning, my dear,” he commented from the doorway. “Don’t worry, it will all be over soon.”
* * *
Kira found her a half hour later, still in a heap on the floor as shuddering sobs wracked her body.
“Maren!” Kira pushed the hair out of Maren’s face and forced her to meet her eyes. “Maren, what happened?”
She buried her face back in her hands. “He…he…”
“I’ll get Philip.”
A few minutes later, Philip wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, running his hand along her hair. “What happened?”
She told them. About trying to kill Kern. About him healing himself. About him kissing her differently. About his parting comment that it would all be over soon.
When she finished, no one said anything for a long time. But Maren could feel Philip’s anger. It was in his breathe on her forehead and the tension in his arms around her.
“We can’t let anything happen to the king,” Kira finally said.
Philip pulled himself from the floor and reached a hand to Maren. “I’ll assign someone discreet to watch his room tonight. And tomorrow he’s going hunting. Kern will be there, but so will a number of others. I’d go myself, but Daric has specifically asked me to get a legion ready to send out to see about some problems in the south. Kern knows that and would be suspicious if I changed my plans. But I’ll send some of the Guard. Daric will be surrounded by people who’s job it is to keep him safe.”
“So we just need to decide what to do after that,” Kira said.
Philip frowned. “There’s no way Daric is going to let the Guard follow him around. And I can’
t be with him all the time.”
“What about telling a few of the Guard that Daric is in danger?” Maren suggested. “Tell them Daric doesn’t want people to know and get worried but ask them to keep an eye out.”
“That might work,” Philip said. “It’s at least somewhere to start.”
Maren should have felt relieved. Instead, Kern’s actions tonight weighed on her. She couldn’t escape the dread his words had brought.
Twenty-eight
Maren let the warm, autumn breeze brush across her skin. It was one of those days, where the bitter, harshness of winter loomed just over the horizon but hadn’t yet claimed the earth as its hostage. Instead, the sun sat high in the sky, promising that winter would come to an end and life would renew.
She felt as if it were mocking her, because right now, it was hard to see an end that included life and renewal.
“What do you think, Maren?”
Her attention snapped back to Adare and the other ladies who were gathered around a table in the garden.
“Well...” She examined the various blooms that littered the table. “I think the red is too harsh. But the white isn’t exactly what I like either.” She picked up a pink rose with a color so rich and warm it caught her attention immediately. It’s what she’d choose if she were marrying Philip. But it was too beautiful for Kern. She placed it back on the table and picked up a pale yellow. “I think this. With the cream as an accent.”
Kira took the yellow and held it up alongside the cream. “It’s beautiful.”
“And since Maren’s gown is cream instead of white, it’s the perfect—” Adare was interrupted by a commotion behind them.
She glanced over her shoulder. “What are they doing back already?” Adare sounded more perturbed than anything. “We’re not done.”
Maren examined the group of horsemen riding through the castle gates. “It’s not everyone,” she said, glancing at their lack of numbers. “Someone must have wanted to come back early.”
She turned her attention to Kira, who studied a long list of names, some of whom Maren was merely acquainted with, and some she didn’t know at all. “Who’s Lord Cal—”
A scream so soul wrenching it made her heart stop rent the air, and she spun around in her seat, searching for its source.
Adare was already running towards the horsemen. Maren followed a step or two behind, her body almost numb from dread as she heard Adare’s continued cries of “No, no, no…”
And then she saw what Adare had noticed immediately. A man’s body was slumped over the saddle of one of the horses. An arrow protruded from his back, directly behind his heart, and even his crimson tunic couldn’t hide the blood.
Daric!
No! This wasn’t supposed to happen. Philip had sent extra guards. They were told the king was in danger, that they needed to make sure… She wanted to scream, but she couldn’t. Neither could she push away the thought that by Daric making her one of his family, he’d sealed his own fate.
She wanted to stop and fall to her knees until the world was right again. But Adare needed her.
She caught up to the queen just as Daric’s body was lifted from the horse. Adare grabbed for him, but Maren caught her in her arms. “Let them take him inside where everyone isn’t watching.”
Adare buried her head in Maren’s shoulder, her body so wracked by pain that Maren could barely keep them both upright. She motioned to Kira who helped usher Adare into the castle where the men laid Daric on a table. Adare rushed to him, brushing her hands across his face and pressing her forehead against his. Worst of all, however, was listening to her call his name over and over again in such anguish. It was horrible to hear and to watch, and Maren stood in shock, not knowing what to do.
The only problem was that everyone else was doing the same thing. No one had called for a healer – although Maren knew it was useless. She’d seen death before. No one even moved.
She motioned to one of the soldiers. “Go fetch the king’s healer. Be as unobtrusive as you can. We don’t want word of this to get out yet.”
Then she grabbed the captain of the Guard unit. “Tell me what happened.”
He wrung his hands. “I don’t know. We were riding just like we always do. Lord Teige and the king were at the front, and they’d spotted a fox just inside the tree line. They were laughing, joking about how good…” A shudder rippled through his body. “The next thing I knew, the king was slumped forward in the saddle with an arrow out his back.”
Maren frowned. Kern had been next to Daric. He couldn’t have fired that arrow himself, but he was responsible for this.
“Where are Lord Teige and the others now?” she managed.
“They went to find the shooter. Lord Teige said he wouldn’t come back until he had.”
She thanked the captain and then pressed her fists against her eyes. This was all her fault.
“Maren?”
Kira stood a few steps away nodding towards Adare. “We need to do something. You need to do something. I think you’re the only one who can.”
Maren straightened her shoulders and crossed the room with a determination she didn’t feel. She pulled Adare away from Daric’s body and held her close until she dared let go.
“Adare, I need to get Philip. He has to know about this. He’ll know what to do.” She motioned to Kira. “Kira will stay with you.”
Then Maren ran, away from the sights behind her, away from Adare’s heartache, and more than anything else, away from her own guilt. She ran through the castle doors, down the steps, and through the gardens, towards the soldiers’ training field, without shedding a single tear. She didn’t even know why. This is what she’d been afraid of all along. This is what she’d been trying to avoid. Kern had won.
No! She pushed herself harder. He hadn’t won yet. He wasn’t king.
She heard the ring of steel before she even entered the field, but as she pushed her way through the soldiers crowded around to watch, the sounds of fighting faded. She stumbled to the middle of the field, expecting to find Philip. Instead, a hundred eyes stared at her as if they’d never seen a woman before.
“I need to see Lord Philip.”
A few men whispered to each other, some regarded her with confusion, but no one answered. She felt the anger she hadn’t had the chance to deal with boil to the surface.
“Are you not listening? I need to see Lord Philip!” She glared at the men, waiting for one of them to tell her where to go. Instead, they backed away, looking at her as if she’d gone mad. She brought a hand to her hair and realized it was no longer smoothed back into a ribbon. Her dress wasn’t much better and was covered in blood where Adare’s hands had clutched her. No wonder the men were afraid to speak.
“Please,” she begged. “This is important. I need Lord Philip.”
“Maren?” The men moved away as Philip stepped between them, looking as shocked as they had at her presence. Then he took in her appearance and rushed forward, putting a hand on each of her arms, searching her for injury. “What’s wrong?”
“He’s dead,” she whispered, finding it was all she had left. “Daric’s dead.” And then the tears came, stinging her eyes and staining her cheeks, as the realization truly hit that she’d lost a friend, a man as close to a brother as she had. She’d failed.
She felt Philip’s hands tremble as much as her own. But he didn’t say anything.
He just looked at her with an expression that was as much shock as it was acceptance. Then he pulled her into his arms before turning to his men. “The King is dead,” he said in a voice full of sorrow but laced with determination.
The silence from the men was oppressive, and she didn’t know if she could bear anymore.
“I need men at every gate,” Philip continued. “No one enters or leaves the city unless I say. You,” he pointed at one of the captains, “take a group to guard the body. And you,” he pointed to a different man, “get a dozen soldiers mounted and ready for instructions.”
The soldiers just stood there for a minute, too shocked to move, and then their training kicked in. They scattered in all directions, looking grateful for something to keep them occupied, and with anger in their eyes that Maren recognized.
Philip pulled her into a more secluded corner. “I need to get to the castle, but first you need to tell me what happened. Everything.”
“There isn’t much to tell.” She wiped at her eyes and recounted what the captain had told her. “But we both know Kern is behind this. We know it’s part of his plan to become King. Murder Daric, marry m—”
“Maren, I already told you. I won’t let it get that far.”
“We didn’t think he’d actually murder Daric, either,” she said. “And he did, and Adare is crumbling with grief, and we still don’t have any idea what to do.”
He gently pushed her away and took her hands in his. “Maren, we failed Daric. But I promise you.” His voice was more determined than she’d ever heard. “I promise. I will do whatever it takes to end this.”
There was something there, in his body language, his eyes, even the way he squeezed her hands, that confirmed he hadn’t told her everything, just as she’d suspected. She examined his face, noting the angry lines around his eyes, and opened her mouth to beg him to tell her. But she never got the chance.
“Lord Philip!”
Philip released her and faced the soldier.
“Lord Teige is at the gate requesting entry. He says he’s found the person who murdered the king.”
Philip glanced between the guard and Maren, as if weighing something. “By all means, let him in.”
The great hall was crowded, even more so than the day Philip had returned after the siege ended. Except for the aisle and the front of the room, which had been cordoned off, every available space was taken. And unlike the usual formal occasions where the hall was bursting with nobility, today the common and noble alike had come. To see the man who’d killed the king they loved.
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