Chapter Twenty-Three
JOON
Violet is still sound asleep when I wake at dawn. Her hair is loose and wild around her.
I slip my arm out from under her head, then. The demon, who has attached themselves to her, opens one eye, peering at me as I tread with silent footsteps toward the door.
“It would be best if no one else knew about you,” I whisper as I pass.
Violet might be my wife through our bargain, but as far as anyone else is concerned, she is merely another I will eventually turn to ice, as all those who came before her. A pawn to use against the people of this kingdom—to remind them of my power.
Should my enemies assume she is anything more, they won’t hesitate to use her as a weapon.
Iseul stands in the middle of the hall, watching me slip from Violet’s room like a thief.
Were she anyone else, I wouldn’t hesitate to threaten them into silence. She and Mingi have been like siblings as well as close friends since we were all children. One of the few things I have a clear recollection of.
Iseul stalks forward, her dark eyes silently demanding answers I have no obligation to give.
“You can forget whatever lurid thoughts are in your head.”
“That makes you sound guilty when I haven’t even said anything yet, Your Highness,” Iseul says with an arched brow as she reaches me.
“She came down with a fever last night,” I say anyway, offering a partial truth. “I was already with her when it started, so I did not see the need to send for you.”
I leave out the part regarding the demon attack. It would only make Iseul feel guilty when there was nothing she could have done.
“Is she…?” Iseul trails off, looking past me as if she could see Violet through the door.
“Violet is well. Let her sleep a bit longer.”
Iseul scrunches up one side of her face.
“Why are you giving me that look?”
She snorts. “No reason. It’s unexpected, that’s all.”
“What is?” I ask flatly.
Iseul lowers her voice to a mock whisper. “Does my brother know our Crown Prince has been playing nursemaid to her all night—in her bedroom? Alone?” she draws the last word out, making her implication clear.
I briefly debate telling her about Violet’s new pet, sleeping in her room like a loyal dog, but I think I will let her be surprised.
“Who would have thought that our little Joon would grow up to be so sof—”
“Finish that sentence, and you might not like the consequences,” I warn, though we both know the threat is empty.
I move past her, then stop when a thought pushes itself to the forefront of my mind.
Looking back, I ask, “Did you deliver a note to Violet yesterday evening?”
Iseul frowns. “No, Your Highness.”
It is as expected. I’ve never wanted to be wrong before in my life. I needed to confirm on the off chance I am being paranoid.
Head bowed and one hand resting on the pommel of his sword, Mingi raises a fist to knock on the door to my apartments.
“Your Highness?” he calls, a note of uncertainty in his voice.
“You may go in.”
He spins on his heel, then strides over to walk with me the remainder of the way. “Your Highness,” he says again.
This time, there is a litany of questions hidden within those two words, which I ignore until we are inside.
I glance through the open door of my bedchamber. Imugi is stretched out across the bed, tail swishing lethargically over the edge of the mattress. They lazily lift their pale, shimmery head, then let it flop back down.
I take a seat behind the low-legged table at the back of the main area. Mingi follows, shooting Imugi a sharp glare as he passes before sitting across from me.
“You should have let me know when you left this morning, Your Highness.” The way he uses my title shows his irritation over how difficult he finds me as of late.
Few would dare to show such feelings to any royal or noble above them without expecting swift repercussions. It has been this way with both him and Iseul since I brought them into the palace.
An unspoken agreement between the three of us.
In private, they are friends. Confidants. They allow me the freedom to move about without reporting my movements, and I allow them to speak freely in my presence without fear of punishment, regardless of what they have to say.
“I left last night and am only now returning. I was with Violet all night. She was not well.” I send a side glance in the demon’s direction. “Imugi should have informed you.”
As a compromise for my constant secrecy, Imugi will inform Mingi of my general whereabouts.
“I will send for the head physician.”
I wave him off. “There is no need.” A sense of guilt, burdened with shame, fills me. “She had a fever from a build-up of the frost bloom in her blood.”
“It’s not like you to hold off for so long.” Mingi frowns.
There is no logical reason I can give him to make him understand. Delaying puts the entire kingdom in jeopardy. No single life should be put before the needs of Arum.
Siphoning wears on Violet in a way it never wore on the others. Not that I spent significant time with them, the way I do with her, so perhaps I am wrong.
“Did you happen to notice anything out of the ordinary yesterday?” I must first rule out those closest to me,
He blinks.
“By chance, did someone ask you to deliver anything to Violet yesterday?”
Mingi’s unimpressed expression quickly changes to mild confusion. “No. If I had, I would come to you first.”
“Are you aware of anyone who might want to meet with Violet in private?”
“Not off the top of my head. Did something happen?” He shifts and leans forward.
I nod. “Last night, Violet received a message asking to meet with them in the Garden of Stars. She said it wasn’t signed, but she went, thinking it was from me.”
“I may be able to identify the handwriting if I saw it.”
“Unfortunately, it was gone by the time she returned. There was also a complete lack of evidence of anyone having entered her room without notice.”
“She is certain it was real? Not a hallucination from the effects of the frost bloom?” he asks hesitantly.
“When I found her, she was outside and the door was locked behind her,” I say. “This was intentional. Someone lured her out by making her think I was waiting.”
“Odd. Nothing like this has happened with the others.”
I appreciate Mingi’s ability to focus on the important details.
“We both know I have many enemies within the palace walls. But beyond rumors, none have dared to act against me before now. I have a few suspicions, though nothing more than a gut feeling. I’d like for you to keep an ear out for any whisperings or anything out of the ordinary.
For now, we should keep last night’s incident quiet.
“As for the why of it, I believe it was to endanger her life, if not outright kill her. The wards were down around the garden, and three wild, higher demons made it within the palace walls. Have Minister Yeona reinforce all the wards in the palace immediately.”
“Consider it done.” He dips his chin in acknowledgment of his orders, awaiting dismissal.
“One more thing.”
Mingi lifts his gaze to meet mine.
“I want Violet moved to the adjoining apartments by the end of the day. If someone comes after her again, then I want her as close to me as possible at all times. I won’t risk everything by taking any chances.
Fill Iseul in on the details when you can, but for now, say nothing to Violet about my suspicions.
She doesn’t need to constantly look over her shoulder.
The added stress could take an unnecessary toll on her that could negatively affect the power of the frost bloom. ”
Imugi takes cover between the tall collar of my outer coat and my neck as I aimlessly wander the palace grounds. I find myself halfway to the Southern Court before I bother to notice my surroundings. I turn and head in the direction of the Winter Garden.
“Nephew,” Uncle’s voice calls from behind, breaking through my thoughts.
I turn and bow. “Good afternoon, Uncle.” With no one else around, we address each other by our familial titles.
“I was hoping to see you today.” He smiles pleasantly, though he remains as guarded as ever. It is more kindness than I deserve. “What brings you out here?”
As if sensing I’ve yet to collect my scattered thoughts, Imugi prods the back of my neck and hisses, “The weather.”
“The—” I stop myself in time from speaking the obvious lie and quickly correct myself, “I wanted to get some air.”
I feel Imugi’s amused chuckle more than hear it.
The king’s gaze narrows, either from a flash of sunlight peeking out from behind a cloud or because he heard Imugi. It’s gone before I can be entirely sure.
Or perhaps it is because you took everything from him, and he still chose to try to care for you anyway, a voice at the back of my mind whispers.
Even after all these years, I still feel like a child when I stand before him. The guilt is as heavy as it was the day I stood in the middle of the aftermath of my destruction.
I do not deserve to be free of it. My actions were unforgivable.
“I was about to walk through the garden. Would you like to join me?”
“I think I will. There is something I wanted to speak with you about.”
I defer to him, letting him choose the way through the open Central Court’s public outdoor garden. The wending paths are seemingly random while intersecting at the right spots to offer ideal views of the garden’s beauty.
We walk in silence along the stone path that follows the largest stream cutting through the grounds.
“Miss Hawthorn has been at the palace for some time now.”
“She has,” I agree.
“Why has she not been introduced to the court yet?”
Why indeed…
I will not make it another full year. I felt the truth of that in my bones even before I found Violet.
He has never shown interest in my previous wives until they had been around for nearly a full year.
And by then, the power of the frost bloom had grown so weak I could no longer siphon enough to control the dragon.
It would break free of its prison and freeze them shortly before or after they were presented.
It would be pointless, especially knowing someone within these walls wishes her harm.
My uncle may be one of the few I can trust, yet the thought of introducing her to my enemies who lie hidden behind pleasant smiles and operate under the cover of shadows has a thread of annoyance coiling through me.
“It is customary to wait a year. None of my wives were ever introduced early before,” I say dryly. “There is hardly a reason to start now.”
“Look around you, Nephew.” Uncle spreads his arms out wide. “The frost is gone more often than not, and sightings of the Winter Dragon have nearly halted altogether. Everything is different now.”
“She is… different.” The thought slips past my tongue without meaning to.
“Different? Different how? That is precisely what I mean,” he cuts me off. “We can all see as much, but you leave us in the dark. They deserve to know—I deserve to know. We must begin searching ahead of time for another with the qualities she possesses that inspire such a drastic change.”
Ire sparks in me at the petty interference of those who have been whispering in his ear.
“She hides away, claiming to be unwell. It sets a bad example. My brother’s wife—your mother—would never let a headache or minor illness keep her from her duties to the people.
I will not allow this woman to ruin everything I have worked to accomplish—for this kingdom and for you,” he snaps.
Then, with a breath, he releases his frustration.
“I tell you this because the nobles have begun to talk, and the Ministers are suspicious.”
My boots scrape against loose gravel between the stepping stones as I halt in my tracks. “What are they saying?”
The king stops and faces me, clasping his hands behind his back in a casual manner. “That she has done something to you. There are whispers she is a witch, or if not that, then she enlisted the help of one to cast an enchantment to bewitch you.”
“That is absurd,” I scoff.
“Perhaps,” he agrees. “But what do you expect when you have changed so drastically since the Choosing?”
I want to deny it, but he is right. Even I can see the changes in me, though not for such a preposterous reason.
“To prevent a scandal, we must act sooner rather than later—before talk reaches the people.” He shakes his head, and a loose strand of hair falls over the rim of the wide circlet crown. The metal band bears an embossed image of the official—a symbol of his temporary status.
“I will think on it.”
“Your absences have not gone unnoticed either, Nephew. You do not seem to be present at the palace for long these days. If you are not careful, there will be consequences, and I can only do so much to mitigate them. The entire court worries that you are not taking your position seriously,” he continues.
“I cannot help but think that this is her doing.”
If only they knew how seriously I am taking my duties.
“There is nothing so sinister about her.” I lower my head in respect. “She is merely a sheltered woman who grew up with naive ideals. The changes to her life as she settles into her role have been overwhelming.” Even as I say the words I once believed, I know it would hurt her if she heard me.
Uncle places a hand on my shoulder. “Then consider the presentation an act of goodwill. It would go a long way to cut these rumors off at the ankles.”
I lift my head to meet his gaze and remind myself that he has been on my side since the beginning.
“The others had almost eight months to prepare and learn the expected etiquette after they settled in. I ask that you grant her adequate time.”
“How much time?”
“Five months.”
His hand falls away. “You ask for too much.” The rejection is soft, though it does nothing to ease the blow.
“Two months then.”
He purses his lips as he considers. He is no longer my uncle in this moment, but the king. Whatever his next words are, they will be as good as law.
“Very well. You have two months. Not a day longer. I do not need to tell you that the court’s expectations of her are high. She should be the image of perfection.”
The tension in my back eases. I am careful to keep all emotion from my face and voice. “Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you for your generosity.” I bow, then straighten. “I will attend the next council meeting to personally inform them.”
Violet will be gone before the time comes. Either we will have broken the curse, and she will be free to return home, or we will both be dead.
None of this will matter in the end, and in the meantime, I will play their game.