CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
IRIS
And I was right.
It had been twelve days, and I still hadn’t said a word.
We had met in secret whenever we could. At the riverbank.
Beneath the same tall tree with the two swings that swayed in the wind.
We talked. We laughed. We read The Song of the Willow Bride until I knew every word by heart.
Each time, I told myself I would tell him the truth.
Each time, my courage slipped away before I could.
But today would be different. It had to be.
The air was soft and warm. I wore a pale pink dress with short sleeves and white lace tied across the front. The skirt brushed my knees when I moved. A white headband kept my hair back, though a few strands had already escaped.
I sat on one of the branches of the swing tree, just above where the ropes hung. The bark pressed cool against my legs as I waited, looking out toward the river. The water caught the light, moving slow and silver beneath the morning sun.
We hadn’t planned to meet today. But some part of me hoped he would still come.
The forest was quiet, save for the usual sound of the river and the faint creak of the old rope below me.
Suddenly, the air changed. Footsteps approached.
I turned.
William stepped through the trees, sunlight falling across his shoulders as if it had been waiting for him. He was wearing a black blouse, the fabric loose at his collar and fitted close across his chest. When he moved, the fabric pulled faintly over his biceps, tracing the shape of muscle beneath.
My breath caught before I could stop it.
He always looked different like this. Less like a knight. More like someone real. The kind of real that made my chest feel unsteady.
I leaned forward slightly, smiling to myself. Maybe I could surprise him. Just once.
But the branch shifted beneath me.
It gave a soft creak, and before I could grab the rope, my foot slipped. The world tilted. My heart lurched. A startled breath left my lips—
And then strong arms caught me.
Everything stopped.
I blinked up at him, breathless. His hold was steady, his chest rising against mine. For a heartbeat, I could feel nothing but the warmth of him, the soft thud of his pulse where his arms wrapped around me.
He looked down at me, brown eyes soft with amusement. A
small smile tugged at his lips. “Good morning,” he said quietly. “Interesting way to greet someone.”
Heat climbed to my cheeks before I could think. “I didn’t mean to fall.”
A low chuckle rumbled from his chest. “Then I’d say you’re lucky I came early.”
His arms didn’t loosen right away.
For a long moment, neither of us moved. He just held me there, close enough that I could feel his breath against my cheek. The air between us shifted, warm and still, wrapping around us like it didn’t want to let go.
My hands rested lightly against his chest. Beneath my palm, his heartbeat was steady and strong, grounding in a way that made it hard to think. I could feel the heat of him through his shirt, the faint shift of muscle when he breathed.
Then his hand moved. Slowly. Carefully. He brushed a stray strand of hair from my face, his fingers grazing my skin. The touch was soft but deliberate, and it sent a shiver through me I couldn’t hide.
My breath caught. I didn’t mean for it to.
His fingers lingered just long enough for my skin to burn where he’d touched. His eyes searched mine before they dropped to my lips.
The space between us tightened.
He leaned in, just a little, and the world narrowed until there was only him. The scent of pine. The warmth of his hand. The sound of his breathing, steady but uneven now. My heart hammered so hard I thought he might hear it.
I couldn’t let this happen. Not yet. Not before he knew.
Not when he still thought I was Elara the healer, the girl who didn’t belong to a crown or a father’s cruel temper. Letting him kiss me now, before he knew the truth, would be wrong. Misleading. Unfair.
I turned my face away, the movement small but enough to break the moment.
The air shifted again. It was cool now where his warmth had been. I drew in a shaky breath, trying to find my voice. “William,” I said in an almost whisper.
He stilled, his hand still resting lightly against my back. “What is it?”
I hesitated. The truth sat heavy on my tongue. I couldn’t look at him, not when he still thought I was someone else. Someone simpler.
“I need to tell you something,” I said finally. My voice trembled, but the words were real this time.
His brow furrowed slightly, but his tone stayed gentle. “Alright,” he said. “I’m listening.”
He set me down carefully, his hands steady until I found my
balance. My skirts brushed against his boots as I stepped back, trying to steady the shake in my breath.
I brushed the dust from my dress and lifted my eyes to his. He looked at me with that same quiet patience, waiting for whatever I had to say. I opened my mouth, ready to speak, ready to let the truth out at last.
“William,” I began, my voice low. “There’s something I—”
“Iris!”
The sound of my real name cut through the air like a blade.
I froze.
Every thought, every breath, stopped at once.
Raven was running toward us, her braid loose, her chest heaving from running. Her eyes darted between us, first to William and then to me.
“You need to come now,” she said, breathless. “The kin—” She caught herself, swallowed hard. “The mistress would like to have a word with you. Now.”
My blood turned to ice. The way she said it told me everything she wasn’t allowed to say.
It wasn’t the mistress.
It was my father.
For a moment, I couldn’t move. The world around me dimmed, the warmth of William’s nearness fading into something sharp and cold. The pulse that had raced for him now thundered for another
reason entirely.
Raven’s voice came again, softer but urgent. “Iris, please.”
I nodded slowly, forcing air back into my lungs. “Alright.”
Behind me, William’s brow furrowed. “Iris?”
The sound of my real name from his lips made my chest twist. Hearing it from him was worse than I could have imagined. It sounded wrong in his mouth, because he wasn’t supposed to know. Not like this.
I couldn’t look at him. I didn’t dare.
“Let’s go,” I whispered to Raven, my throat tight.
Raven grabbed my arm, and we moved fast, the grass whispering under our steps. My pulse pounded in my ears, every beat too loud. I could feel William’s confusion behind me, heavy as the silence he didn’t break.
When we reached the edge of the forest, I finally hissed under my breath, “Why on earth did you use my real name? In front of him!”
Raven didn’t slow. Her braid bounced behind her as she ran. “I was panicking! The king sent guards looking for you, and I had to tell them something. I said you were helping in the village, but it won’t hold for long. Now come on, we have to hurry before he finds out.”
The words hit me like cold rain. My father had sent guards. He must already know I’d left again.
I pushed harder, my feet hitting the dirt path as we ran toward the castle gates. The wind tugged at my hair, pulling loose the white headband. My lungs burned, but I didn’t stop.
The gates loomed ahead. The guards recognized me at once and moved aside without question. We slipped through, running across the courtyard and into the quiet halls of the castle.
By the time we reached the healer’s wing, both of us were breathless. Raven bent over slightly, one hand pressed to her side.
“He’s waiting,” she managed, her voice low. “In the throne room.”
My pulse beat faster with every step. The corridors felt longer than ever, the air thick and still around me. My palms were slick with sweat, and I had to press them against my dress to steady them.
The guards stood by the tall doors of the throne room, their faces unreadable. When they saw me, they bowed without a word and pulled the heavy doors open. The echo of it filled the hall.
He was there.
My father sat straight on the throne, his expression carved in stone. His crown caught the faint light from the high windows, but his eyes were colder than the gold that framed them. They locked on me the moment I stepped inside.
My throat tightened. I forced my legs to move forward until I stood before him. The carpet beneath my slippers felt too soft, too quiet. I lowered myself into a curtsy, keeping my gaze on the floor.
“Father,” I said softly.
The silence stretched between us. I could hear the faint ticking of the clock above the doors. Then his voice came, calm and sharp at once.
“I have an important matter to discuss.”
The words sent a chill through me. They always did. I lifted my head slowly, afraid of what I would hear next.
His gaze stayed fixed on me, cold and steady. “The decision has
been made,” he said at last.
Something in his tone made my stomach twist. “What decision?” I asked, my voice barely steady.
He rose slightly, his voice calm but absolute. “Within a few days, you will be married off to Prince Lorenzo of Valebran.”
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. The words hit like a blade pressed against my chest. “What? No. You can’t.”
“I can,” he said firmly, “and I have. The decision is final. The threats against our borders are too great to ignore.”
“What threats?” My voice broke as I spoke. “You keep saying that, but I’ve heard nothing of it.”
He looked at me the way he always did when I questioned him, with that same quiet disappointment that felt worse than anger. “None that concern you,” he said. “Your only duty is to build an
alliance with Valebran.”
Tears stung my eyes. I shook my head, stepping back. “I don’t even know him. And I’m not eighteen yet!”
He stood then, his shadow falling across the table. His voice rose for the first time, cutting through the quiet like a crack of thunder. “Do you think that matters? Your mother did not know me when we married. She was fifteen. It is your duty to your people.”
Tears stung my eyes, hot and useless. “But I don’t love him.”
“You will learn,” he said sharply.
I flinched at the sound of it.
His tone softened only slightly as he looked past me, as though seeing something that wasn’t there. “Your mother passed seventeen years ago,” he said. “I have not taken another wife since. That is love, Iris. Love built through duty.”
I felt the floor tilt beneath me. “That’s not fair,” I whispered. “I’m your daughter. And you’re sending me away?”
He looked at me as if my words meant nothing. “I care for my people. We cannot stand against two kingdoms alone. Valebran is our only chance for hope.”
My tears blurred my vision, but I still glared at him. He didn’t flinch.
“There are tailors waiting in your bedchamber,” he said, his tone final. “You will prepare yourself. The announcement will be made tonight.”
My breath caught painfully. Tonight. He would announce it tonight. In front of everyone. I thought he found out I snuck out, but this is worse. William would hear. This wasn’t how he was supposed to find out.
Before I could speak, he flicked his hand toward the guards. Two servants stepped forward at once, their hands firm on my arms.
“Father, please—”
“Enough,” he said.
They dragged me from the throne room. My slippers slid against the polished floor as I tried to steady myself. The great doors shut behind me with a heavy thud that echoed through the hall.
I kept my head low as the servants pulled me through the corridors, my tears falling freely now.
By the time we reached my chamber, my heart felt hollow.