Chapter 66 #2
Nikias looked back out at the crowd. “My apologies. I was simply taken aback, but if you didn’t hear me, I said yes.
” He pulled on Aimilia’s hands, reaching down with his other hand to grab her arms and help pull her back to her feet.
He didn’t release her as he said, “Of course I will marry you, Commander Aimilia.”
The crowd erupted into applause, and Nikias pulled Aimilia closer, wrapping an arm around her waist and turning his head in so between her cheek and his hair falling in his face no one could see his lips move as he hissed, “What do you think you’re doing?”
Aimilia put on a smile faker than any illusion Nikias had ever cast. She barely moved her lips as she turned to face him. “I could ask you the same thing.”
Nikias tightened his grip on her and her hands curled into him, her weight shifting.
He needed to speak to her away from all these eyes and ears.
So Nikias turned back out and gave the Runai a cool but satisfied smile as he began accepting congratulations, Aimilia holding onto him, her voice just as fake as it had been moments before.
Nikias barely registered the commanders and lieutenants and other noteworthy Runai rambling on about how wonderful this all was. Nikias kept his eyes darting about, waiting for the right moment.
Finally when his mother and Cyprian slunk off to their own corner, Nikias pulled Aimilia away from some classmate of hers and ushered her toward the peristyle. She gasped, stumbling as she said, “Nikias—”
“We need to talk,” Nikias muttered, his voice low and gravelly.
“I can’t—” Aimilia huffed, putting more of her weight on him. “My legs hurt.”
Nikias turned and within seconds he had her in his arms, sweeping her up and continuing down the hallway. Her cheeks turned a vivid red, but she didn’t push him away.
It wasn’t long before Nikias reached the next courtyard with the fountain. The same spot he’d found Aimilia in after his first failed proposal.
“Nikias…” Aimilia whispered, but he ignored her, simply carrying her over to the fountain and setting her down on the edge.
Aimilia immediately doubled over and began rubbing her legs. He stepped back and crossed his arms.
“Alright, tell me right now what is going on.”
Aimilia’s head snapped up. “Are you really going to act like you don’t know?”
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about that I’m supposed to know.” Nikias gestured to his name around her neck. “Was this your uncle’s doing?”
Aimilia huffed, reaching up and grasping the necklace. “Why were you dragging your feet out there? This is what you wanted!”
“Aimilia, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t seen you since your uncle beat you senseless because you hate me so much you refused to let me be your champion.” Nikias couldn’t deny he wasn’t still smarting from that. Every single scratch Aimilia had ever clawed into him still burned.
She laughed. “Exactly. I saw through your lies and finally stopped falling for your manipulation, so you made sure that if I wouldn’t agree to be yours because of a lie, you would force me to be yours.
Did you think I wouldn’t find Turpis after you tried to scare him off?
As brilliant a strategist as you are, you miscalculated by revealing your true intentions to Turpis.
‘I don’t care what I have to do or who I have to eliminate, Aimilia will marry me if it’s the last thing I ever do.
’ My fate was already sealed when Cyprian challenged me, but you revealed your hand by offering to be my champion.
No matter what I did, I was going to end up here with your name on my neck. ”
“I didn’t say that—I mean, I said something similar, but that wasn’t—I shouldn’t have even said what I did.
” Nikias winced as she threw his jealous, petty behavior back in his face.
“I understand why you think that, but that wasn’t my intention.
All I cared about was the fact that you were injured and Cyprian was trying to take the one thing you wanted from you.
I couldn’t bear to see you get hurt. I wanted to give you what you wanted. ”
Aimilia’s sneer cut through him. “Here you go again. You think I’m going to fall for that line like I did the last time you used it? When are you ever going to drop the mask?”
“It’s not a mask, Aimilia. I’m not trying to manipulate you! All I have ever tried to do is give you what you wanted!” Nikias couldn’t stop his voice from rising. How could he ever get her to believe him? “Whether it was me or not!”
“You’re usually a better liar than that.” Aimilia pressed her lips into a thin line, refusing to look at him.
“I’m not lying!” Nikias knelt in front of her, grabbing the fountain edge and staring up at her, trying to catch her gaze.
“I was a jealous idiot, that’s why I said all those things I never should have to Turpis.
I was losing you; I could feel you slipping away from me.
There was a brief moment I believed what you wanted could be me, and you know better than anyone I’m a desperate, pathetic man.
I was willing to do whatever it took not to lose you.
And in doing so, I ensured exactly what I feared most came to pass. ”
Aimilia clenched her hands into fists as she squeezed her eyes shut, softly shaking her head. “No—No. I won’t fall for it again. I won’t.”
Nikias reached up, catching her jaw in his hands. “I’m sorry. Aimilia, please, I’m so sorry. I’ve made such a mess of everything, but I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to force you into this.”
Aimilia stilled, but she didn’t open her eyes. She just let out a soft, broken whisper. “Stop. Please, just stop.”
“I made a mistake—I’ve made many mistakes, but I meant what I said. I love—”
“Enough!” Aimilia ripped her head back, and she shoved him away with a surprising amount of force, given how she was still pale and shaking.
Nikias landed back on his heels in the grass, looking up at her as her hands hovered in the air.
“Nikias, just stop.” Aimilia’s eyes were full of water. “You’re getting what you want. You win. Let that be enough for you for once in your miserable life. Be happy. It’s over. I’m yours. Leave it at that.”
The words were ash on his lips as he stared up at her.
“Please, Aimilia, I love you. Tell me it’s not hopeless. You must.”
She wouldn’t believe him. There was nothing he could say to make her believe him.
She had convinced herself every word out of his mouth was a lie meant to bend her to his will.
Aimilia was never going to believe that he loved her.
Aimilia was never going to love him.
But there his name still sat on her chest.
At his silence, Aimilia reached into her pocket and pulled out the other necklace, her name he had carefully etched into it by runelight months before. She tossed it at him and he barely caught it, holding it against his heart, right over his scar.
Aimilia reached up and wiped at her eyes. “There.”
Nikias curled his fist around it. He wanted to speak, but his tongue was marble in his mouth. There was nothing he could say. She wouldn’t hear a word of it.
“Can you stop looking at me like that too?” Aimilia turned her head away and stared at the water falling behind her.
“Exactly how am I looking at you?” Nikias whispered, and how exactly was he supposed to stop?
Aimilia’s jaw clenched. “Just put it on and leave me be until the wedding.”
Maybe… Maybe there wasn’t anything he could say, but…
“What if I refuse?”
Aimilia whipped back around. “What?”
Nikias lowered his hand. “You don’t want to marry me. Maybe I don’t want you if you don’t want me.”
Aimilia laughed. “Then my uncle will blame me for it, and I’ll bear the consequences.”
“What exactly are those consequences?”
Aimilia looked down at her hands. They were shaking.
Nikias couldn’t imagine there was anything her uncle could say or do to make Aimilia afraid, and yet…
“Nikias… everyone thinks I’m your she-wolf.
If you don’t marry me, my reputation will be left in the mud it’s been dragged through.
My uncle will—He’ll disown me, obviously.
And you… you refuse to marry anyone but me.
” Each word coming out of her mouth had a strange hollowness even as it rang true.
“Your father’s dead, Marcella can’t get pregnant, you need an heir, need I say more?
How selfish a creature am I to keep refusing you in the face of all that? ”
Everything else flew out of Nikias’ mind.
In a hoarse whisper, he said, “Marcella can’t get pregnant?”
Aimilia’s head shot up, eyes widening. “I—”
“Son?”
Nikias whipped around to see his mother and Aimilia’s mother standing in the peristyle, Cyprian hovering behind them. Aimilia immediately plastered on a shaky smile.
“Pardon me, Your Majesty. I was overwhelmed by my grief for King Nero and my guilt over my happiness Nikias will marry me despite everything. He brought me here so I can recover,” Aimilia said, pushing off the fountain, staggering slightly, but at least she didn’t topple over completely.
Nikias scrambled to his feet regardless, ready to catch her if she stumbled. He held out his arm, and she took it as he said, “Can you blame a man for wanting a moment in private with his bride?”
Mother smiled, slick with poison. “I’m just glad to have some joyous news on this grievous day. All I want is your happiness, son.”
Nikias’ stomach dropped. Was that how he sounded?
No wonder Aimilia didn’t believe him.
He looked over at her, and she faced forward. All the rage and anguish from moments before had vanished. She thought he was the one putting on an act?
Her last words sank into him as they crossed the courtyard.
Marcella couldn’t get pregnant.
It was his fault. It had to be.
Aimilia’s name in his hand weighed heavier than any stone.
Aimilia wasn’t the only one left without a choice now.
Nikias would marry Aimilia and break his vow.
The scar on his chest burned. A sharp, hysterical laugh echoed in his head.
“Stop this futile endeavor. No one will ever love you. No one ever could.”
Nikias had lost.
Hypatia won again.