Chapter Twelve
CHAPTER TWELVE
Scarlett
Applause echoed through the banquet hall like a rumble of thunder. Hundreds of eyes shifted to me in the wake of Emperor Kalias’s announcement – and I tensed as the court raised their goblets, toasting my betrothal to Governor Halvor.
I wrenched my hand from the governor’s, but the damage was done. Down the long table, Severin’s face was resolutely averted from mine, and I could only imagine what he was thinking. In contrast, the empress looked positively delighted. No doubt she would be counting the hours until I was shipped off to Kalure.
The emperor sat and I followed suit along with everyone else, sweeping the silken train of my blush-coloured gown to one side.
Blood red would be more appropriate, I thought. Or mourning black.
But black would come later, once the governor was dead. Tonight, I wanted him to underestimate me – and what better way than by playing up my femininity? It was all the people in this hall seemed to notice.
Ignoring their furtive glances, I tried to focus on the meal. The succulent smell of roast boar – freshly caught on my father’s hunt – made my mouth water. It was displayed proudly in the centre of the main table, servants slicing portions and delivering them on silver platters. I piled my plate with roast vegetables and thick bread dripping with gravy, but it was difficult to savour the food; I was seated next to Roran, and his amused expression was seriously testing my patience.
‘I know you’re involved in this somehow,’ I murmured between bites. ‘What, didn’t have the balls to try to kill me a second time?’
‘Why would I bother?’ Roran asked idly, swirling his wine glass. ‘I have all the power here. You’re nothing to me – hardly worth exterminating.’
‘Yet you tried in Kalure.’
‘That was just entertainment.’ A condescending smile curved his lips. ‘But I’m pleased you survived. It was worth it just for this – to watch you sold like a prize sow to advance Father’s interests. The only surprise is how long it took to marry you off. He must not have had many offers.’
Roran turned his back on me like it was nothing. Like I was nothing.
I stared at the back of his head, wishing I could shatter his skull. Wishing I had an outlet for the wrath building inside me.
Instead, I took a sip from a heavy golden goblet. The cider left a bitter taste in my mouth as Severin avoided my gaze.
Did he blame me for not saying something sooner? For allowing him to find out like this?
He probably did, but there was no way for me to fix it. Not now, with so many people watching.
And it won’t matter, I told myself firmly. I’ll deal with the governor, and things can go back to the way they were.
‘You’ve barely touched your food.’ Governor Halvor’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts.
‘I don’t have much of an appetite,’ I retorted, and his shoulders stiffened. Not for the first time, I wondered what he thought about our impending marriage. Was the prospect as distasteful to him as it was to me?
‘I need some air,’ I said, standing.
‘I’ll accompany you,’ he replied smoothly.
‘It’s really not necessary—’
‘I insist.’
Any more protests would cause a scene, so I reluctantly took his arm. Together, we descended the dais and made our way towards the external doors.
The paved courtyard beyond appeared deserted. I took no enjoyment in being alone with the governor, but the silence and cool air were a relief. Above us, the stars were out, bright pinpricks of lights dotting the sky.
‘I didn’t need a chaperone,’ I said, slipping my arm from his.
‘And how would it have looked, if you had left without me?’ he asked. ‘I know you’re not pleased with this arrangement, but that doesn’t mean we need to be at odds.’
I walked away without answering. When he followed, my hand went to the silver dagger concealed in my gown. Could I do it now? Stab him through the throat and scream for the guards?
It wasn’t the way I’d intended to do it, but with a single brush of my skin, I could make the guards believe they saw the killer fleeing the scene. Any suspicion would be removed from me, and the governor would be unable to bother me again.
Such a tidy thing, plotting murder. Except there was nothing tidy about the actual act .
‘As my wife,’ the governor continued gently, ‘you will be protected. I will keep you safe, and I won’t be cruel to you. Does that sound so terrible?’
Yes.
‘No,’ I murmured, my hold tightening on the dagger. ‘No, it doesn’t sound so terrible.’
His voice softened further. ‘Perhaps it’s too much to wish for your happiness, but I believe you could grow to like Kalure. You would be free to do as you wish there, without needing to worry about your father or brothers.’
He was insightful enough to grasp the dangers of court politics, then. But how little he understood me . I didn’t want a peaceful life as a kept woman. I was too much of my father to be satisfied with anything less than a full victory, and what he proposed would take me right out of the game.
Do it now, I ordered myself. Do it!
But the way he looked at me . . . the kindness in his eyes—
‘I don’t need you to protect me,’ I told him. ‘I don’t need anyone to protect me.’
‘Then what do you need?’ the governor asked softly, still so close. Too close.
How easy it would be. His face was inches from mine; if I kissed him, would he even feel the sting of my blade? It would be quick, so very quick, and he would be gone. It wouldn’t be painful. It wouldn’t be painful at all . . .
‘Right now, all I need from you is to be left alone .’ My tone was filled with enough warning to make him step back. The governor studied me for a moment, nodded sharply, and then left.
‘That was harsh,’ a familiar voice drawled. ‘Even for you.’
I stiffened, slipping the weapon back into the folds of my dress. My eyes searched the gloom before settling on the speaker: a golden-haired figure leaning against the far wall, his high-collared silver tunic reflecting the distant torchlight.
‘You’ve been spying on me,’ I accused as my younger brother sauntered closer.
‘ Spying is a strong word. I’ve merely been observing.’ Cassius’s dark blue eyes lingered on my throat, and I realised I was still wearing Severin’s gift. ‘Nice necklace.’
My heart stuttered. Cassius couldn’t know that Severin had given it to me – could he?
‘There’s no need to be so tense,’ he commented, watching me with amusement. ‘We have something in common, after all.’
‘And what’s that?’
‘We both came here to escape our fiancés.’
Cassius sounded sincere, but that meant nothing: he wore emotions like masks, discarding one and easily replacing it with another. Everything about him was calculated, and he was never more dangerous than when he was being pleasant.
Not that he had ever tried to physically harm me. Cassius wasn’t Roran, and though our relationship had grown tense in recent years, a part of me would always care about him. Even when I’d realised I would need to deal with Roran – in a very permanent way – I’d known I wasn’t willing to do the same with Cassius. For Cassius, I was willing to negotiate. To come up with a deal that suited us both.
Which didn’t mean that I could trust him.
‘I should get back to the party,’ I said, unwilling to become caught up in his games. ‘I’ve stayed away too long as it is.’
Cassius’s lips quirked upwards. ‘Do you always do what people expect of you, Sister?’
‘If you saw me with the governor,’ I retorted, ‘then you know I don’t.’
‘Shall I tell you what I saw?’ His carefree facade disappeared, replaced by a charged intensity. ‘I saw a girl following her mother’s instructions blindly. I saw someone so desperate to be free that she was contemplating murder.’
‘You don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘I know how Zandri thinks. And I know how you think.’ Cassius tilted his head, a lock of blond hair falling across his angular face. ‘But you couldn’t do it. In the end, you hesitated. Why is that?’
I said nothing, but he was undeterred by my silence.
‘A dagger is such a close-range weapon,’ he continued contemplatively. ‘You have to really mean it. Your problem, Scarlett, is that you don’t hate the governor. You need him out of the way, but there’s a world of difference between wanting someone gone and actually stabbing them.’
‘And your point is . . . ?’
‘Your mother overestimated you. If you want your fiancé dead, you need distance.’ Cassius considered me for another long moment. ‘Try Madam Mandrakes in the Lower Districts. It’ll have what you need.’
I stared at him. ‘Why would you tell me that?’
His laugh was low and deep. ‘Let’s just say, I’m curious to discover exactly what you’re capable of.’