Page 207 of A Vow of Embers

We walked in silence the rest of the way to the council’s chambers. Just before we were to enter, he put his hand on the door and came to a stop. “Wife, there is something I must say to you about last night.”

Chapter Sixty-Seven

My chest spasmed as my heart dropped into my stomach. “What do you need to say?”

“I am ashamed of my behavior, and I would ask for your forgiveness.” Xander’s voice was stiff and formal.

“Why do you need my forgiveness?” My heart beat hard in my gut.

There was a long pause and I saw the knot in his throat bobbing up and down. “Because I lied to you. I said things I did not mean.”

“What things didn’t you mean?” I whispered, fearing his answer.

Something flickered in his golden eyes briefly, and then his face hardened. “I didn’t mean any of them.”

I thought of all the beautiful words he’d spoken, the way that they had made me feel. How I had believed every single one of them even though my better judgment had urged me not to.

Despite Io pointing out that I tended to illogically jump to negative conclusions where her brother was concerned, here he was telling me that he had done exactly what I’d been afraid of. That he’d lied and said whatever he’d needed to in order to seduce me.

It hadn’t been done intentionally to hurt me—he had been under the influence of the honeyed wine, with Io overdosing him to make certain that it had worked.

But that didn’t lessen the sting of his confession.

“So you said what you did so that I would ... so that we would ...” My voice trailed off, unsure of how to finish that sentence.

“Yes. I only said them so that I could take you to bed.”

And it had almost worked. Io had said she did it because it was the goddess’s command.

Why would the goddess want this?

The divide between Xander and me seemed to be growing, and I didn’t know what to do. He had wanted me, that much seemed clear. Did that embarrass him, how open he’d been about it?

Or was it the feelings he’d shared with me?

It was then that I saw it. The way that his mouth tightened.

He did that when he was lying.

Something else was happening. Something I didn’t understand. I was always so busy trying to stay away from him that I had focused solely on my own feelings and wants. I hadn’t spent time thinking about what Xander did or didn’t want. What might be holding him back.

Why he might be deliberately putting up a wall between us now by lying about his words last night. He had already told me that he had kissed Chryseis for that reason—to keep me away from him.

He opened the door and strode into the council’s chambers, forcing me to follow. Everyone was there, including Erisa.

“Prince Alexandros, Princess Thalia, we are glad that you could finally join us.” Pelias’s sarcasm was pointed.

“My wife and I were very busy with one another,” Xander responded, and I saw Themis and Heliodora exchange glances at his implication. I realized that my disheveled appearance worked to sell his pretense. “Why did you call us here?”

“There is report of a skirmish in Lycia and they have called for aid.”

“Isn’t Lycia mostly made up of farmers?” Erisa asked, the disdain dripping from her voice. “It is up to them to protect themselves. We can’t be expected to go gallivanting around the countryside every time a group of thieves attacks someone.”

“I will go and check on Lycia,” Xander said.

She smothered a grin, as if she were about to win an argument. “A king’s place is here in the palace. You can’t lead from Lycia.”

“A true king cares about the welfare of his people. I will make certain myself that they are well and tend to their needs.”