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I let out a huff and shook my head.

“I would get rid of them if I knew how to,” I admitted. “But they did say that you were in danger. That the prince and someone close to you were going to use you as a scapegoat. Is that true?”

It felt weird to tell her the truth. But it was also freeing in a way.

Her eyes searched my face. It felt different that time. Not in a criticizing type of way, but like she was desperately searching for an answer that I couldn’t give her.

“I have it handled,” she said and took a look at the feather in her hand. “Are you sure you still don’t want in on the deal? This may be your last chance.”

This may be my last chance.Maybe she had something planned? Had Cedar gotten it wrong?

I wouldn’t be surprised if she did. Aurelia was cunning. I saw that much with what she had tried to do with the magical poison.

But would it work?

For some reason, I wanted it to.

“I don’t want your father’s head,” I whispered. “He holds no value to me. But you could kill him if you wanted.”

She let out a scoff. “Me? Kill Father?” She let out a bitter laugh. “What makes you say such astupidthing?”

“I don’t think it’s stupid. I think you could, and I think your people would thank you.” Another truth. One that was even more dangerous than the first.

Her reddened eyes met mine. I almost felt bad for the way hope lit them up. But it was diminished quickly.

“There is a reason why I worked to get on his good side all these years,” she whispered. “After Mother died, I fought him—almost too much. And it cost me. You think the people are on my side? Maybe, but the people he employed certainly are not. They fear him enough to do whatever. Even torture their own princess.”

I couldn’t hear it. I didn’t want to. I was afraid of what it would change in me.

“I can’t help you with this, princess,” I whispered.

She gave me a quick nod, all hope in her expression crumbled in seconds. Then, she turned her back to me.

“Leave, then. I have a lot to do.”

I didn’t want to, but my feet moved me to the door. I wanted to ask her to tell me what she knew. I wanted her to ask me to help. To ask me to save her.

Because, at this point, I’m not confident I could say no.

But there were no more words shared between us. Not as I opened and shut her bedroom door. And not as I walked down the dark hallway in silence, only for it to be broken by the sound of Aurelia’s frustrated scream and the muted shattering of glass against the wall.

Aurelia

Iwas going to die.

It became clearer and clearer as the day of my wedding got closer.

I had no plan. At least, not one that would save me.

Vesper’s words had been on a near-constant repeat in my head since she uttered them.Why don’t you kill him?

Why didn’t I kill him?It was a laughable notion to even entertain the thought ofmekilling someone like him.

She didn’t understand what I went through after my mother’s death. Didn’t understand what he put me through to remind me thathewas the one in charge.

My mother told me to stay fierce. That was exactly what I did, until it was beaten and starved out of me.

And most of all, I wanted tolive. I didn’t want to escape here as a corpse. I wanted torule. I wanted tothrive.And nowhere in my mind was risking my life to murder my father a part of that plan.