Contents ( 48)
- Dedication
- Map
- Contents
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Three Months Later
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- About the Author
- Books by Kiera Cass
- Back Ad
- Copyright
- About the Publisher
He sighed. “Ten.”
“One hundred,” I countered.
He shook his head. “I don’t need to barter with you, my lady.”
I pulled my head high, using what bravado I could muster. “But you do. Surely you know my place in King Jameson’s life. If I am traveling with someone from Isolte, I must be secure as well.” I kept my nose in the air, my tone calm and sure.
The guard huffed. “Twenty.”
“Fifty.”
He frowned. “Fifty, then. Go on.”
Etan trotted back to the men, speaking quietly as a group of fifty was divided from the rest of the crowd. When they were decided upon, we made our way over the Coroan border. But as we passed into my homeland, I looked back at all those men who had not only stood for Etan this morning but were willing to stand for me now. I blew them a kiss, and they silently raised their swords in the air in salute.
It looked like they had no intention of leaving until we came back with word.
“Are you sure you don’t have a king somewhere in your family tree, too?” Etan asked.
“What? No. Why do you ask?”
“Because if I hadn’t known any better, I’d have taken a knee to you back there.”
He smiled and moved to lead his men as we went to right the last wrong.
Thirty-Two
WE RODE OVER THE COUNTRYSIDE at top speed, only slowing when we could see the towering shape of Keresken Castle in the distance. I looked upon it with new eyes. The river where I’d lost my shoes felt like a threatening moat, the city folk more like nosy acquaintances than welcoming allies. And that castle . . .
The place where I’d done so much living and breathing, the place where Delia Grace became my best friend and I fell in love with Silas, the place where I’d danced and slept and hoped . . . from here it looked like a cell.
“Are you all right?” Etan asked, breaking me from my thoughts.
I swallowed and nodded. “I’m scared to go back in there.”
“Hey,” he said, forcing me to look his way. “You are not walking in alone. And if we can confront one king and have it end in peace, then there’s no reason why we can’t confront two.”
I wished I could believe that was true. But I now saw Jameson the way I had always seen Quinten: If he was capable of something so cold and cruel, how could I trust him to show any mercy to me?
We crossed the bridge and made our way to the winding road that led up to the castle. At the sight of such a gathering of men, some women who ran shops along the main street clutched the hands of their children and pulled them inside, while others looked at my face, doing double takes, unsure if they were truly seeing the woman who’d jilted their king.