Chapter 27
T he next morning when I wake, Xandros is gone, his side of the bed cold, like he has been gone for a while, only his faint lingering scent remains, reminding me last night was not some nightmare my mind conjured up. Getting up, I get dressed, getting ready for another repetitive day.
As the maid unlocks my door, the other servants give me strange looks.
I navigate my way through the castle to the kitchens for breakfast, which consists of burned toast because I forgot to turn the toaster down.
As the day goes on, I don’t see Xandros, and I find Carina’s absence bizarre; she usually has a never-ending list of things for me to do, ensuring I don’t get a chance to rest while with her.
The castle is abuzz with whispers and murmurs.
The wedding has been postponed. I overhear one of the maids gossiping about it, and my heart skips a beat.
A flicker of hope ignites within me, only it’s quickly extinguished by the weight of reality.
I’m still trapped here, still bound by the mate bond to a man who is supposed to marry another woman.
So where does that leave me now? He clearly doesn’t want me and even if he did, I don’t want to be a prisoner, plus his mother hates me, that is a disaster waiting to happen.
As I’m dusting off a tall bookshelf in the library, I hear voices coming from the adjacent room. Curiosity piques, so I quietly creep closer, pressing my ear against the heavy oak door.
The voices grow louder, and for a heartbeat I catch a glimpse of a familiar figure through the keyhole.
Carina. My heart jumps into my throat as she talks to someone else, her voice low and urgent.
The other person’s voice is not hearable, so I figure she must be on the phone, since I can make out parts of their conversation.
“Father, please, I will convince him. You don’t need to send for me.” Carina’s voice echoes through the door, laced with desperation.
A cold, harsh voice responds, though it is crackly, so I definitely know it’s the loudspeaker on her phone.
His voice sends shivers down my spine. “You should’ve thought about that before you jeopardized the treaty, Carina.
If Xandros doesn’t marry you, or you haven’t fallen pregnant by next month, you’ll have to face the consequences. ”
My heart pounds against my chest as I listen in, fear coiling in my stomach like a venomous snake. I’ve never heard Carina sound so vulnerable, so scared. I quickly retreat, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping.
Later that day, I find Carina in the garden, her face pale and eyes red-rimmed from crying. As much as I despise her, we’re both pawns in this game, trapped in a life neither of us chose.
“What’s going to happen to you if you go back home?
” I find myself asking. She doesn’t answer for a long time, her gaze lost in the blooming roses.
She lifts her head and raises an eyebrow at me.
“I overheard you, speaking on the phone this morning,” I admit, and she sighs heavily, returning to staring at the gardens.
“I can’t go home, Sienna,” she finally says, her voice barely a whisper. “If Xandros doesn’t marry me or give me a child, I might not have a choice.”
For the first time, I see a glimpse of the woman beneath the facade, a woman trapped and scared, much like me. I don’t ask any more questions, and we spend the rest of the day in silence, each lost in our own thoughts, each grappling with our own fears.
When she heads back inside, I follow beside her when we spot Xandros. He pauses and so does his mother as they walk down the stairs toward us. “Did you just come from the gardens, dear?”
Carina nods. Queen Adina eyes me, her lips pursing before she turns her attention back to Carina. “Well, the weather is lovely today,” she says, the tension in the room becoming suffocating.
“Tea, Adina?” Carina asks her and Queen Adina smiles. “Sounds lovely,” she answers, and Carina turns to me. “You are finished for the day,” she dismisses me, and I watch her leave with Queen Adina; however, Xandros remains. I glance at him.
“Did you really postpone the wedding?” I ask and he watches me for a second.
“Yes, I pushed it back a month,” he answers. I clench my teeth, and swallow down the strange lump that forms in my throat. My bond aches for the man, and I despise it just as much as I despise him.
“Sienna?” he murmurs, stepping closer to me, and I take a step back. “I have chores,” I whisper, stepping around him when he grabs my arm. He pulls me back in front of him, dropping his head to lean closer. “I… everything will work out, I’ll keep you safe,” he whispers.
“From whom?” I ask. Does he not realize the pain he causes me by forcing me to watch him play house with another woman.
“From my mother, Carina. Who else?” he whispers.
“And who will keep me safe from you?” I ask him, and he stands straighter, staring down at me. His lips part and I hate how my eyes instantly go to them.
“I won’t hurt you, Sienna.”
“You already have, you do, by forcing me to remain here when clearly you don’t want me.”
“That’s for your own safety, I have to keep my distance. Do you think the bond doesn’t affect me?” he growls.
“You’re not the one who sleeps alone every night, you’re not the one forced to watch me be with another,” I whisper, my eyes stinging at how much those words hurt leaving my lips.
Hearing footsteps, Xandros lets me go, and I make haste to get away from him, climbing the steps and rushing to my room.