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At his side sat Queen Astrid, looking altogether smug as she watched Wren approach. The queen winked and smiled encouragingly, but Wren didn’t react.

Leif was correct. She couldn’t trust anyone.

Least of all, her own judgement.

Astrid had shown her two sides. Now, she was prone to believe the kindness that the queen had shown Wren was just a façade. She suspected Astrid’s behavior in Idril’s castle was in fact her true nature. The queen was just a corrupt as everyone else.

“Thank you for joining us,” Arrik said, pulling her attention to her backstabbing husband.

A beat of silence filled the room, booming off the walls as loud as the bang of cymbals. Wren’s ears rang and her mask slipped as they stared each other down.

She’d say her piece, he’d expect that much from her and then she’d lock away her distain.

“I must have been a fool to believe you,” she spat, straight at Arrik. Now she was seeing his expressionless face up close, she couldn’t contain how livid she was. “If you thought I hated you before, it pales in comparison to how I feel now.”

“Leave us.”

She turned on her heel to storm from the door when his icy voice stopped Wren in her tracks. “Not you,wife. Everyone else.”

Wren slowly turned around and breathed slowly to contain her anger that threatened to overwhelm her and ruin everything. Astrid plopped a grape into her mouth as Arrik glance in her direction and quirked an eyebrow at the queen.

“That includes you, Astrid.”

Wren expected her to complain, but with a nod she got to her feet and swept out of the throne room. On her way past Wren, she gave her a small, genuine smile, but Wren didn’t have it in her to question the woman’s motives anymore. Astrid was out for herself, that much was clear, and that was all that mattered.

Trust no one.

Once the cavernous doors clanged shut, it was only Wren and Arrik left, staring at each other. Effortlessly, he rose to his feet, then descended the dais until he was on level footing with her. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand tall as he approached. He was still so tall that he loomed over her, long silvery braid framing his sinfully handsome face.

“You’re angry.” Two simple words spoken without any feeling.

“And you’re simple minded.” Not her best retort. “What do you want with me?”

He blinked slowly and cocked his head. “Why are you so angry?” he asked, his non-expression finally breaking to show how irked he truly was. “Everything went to plan.”

“To plan?To plan?” Wren couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You didn’t tell me what you were doing! You didn’t keep in contact at all over these last two weeks, and then you sabotage the rebellion’s attack just to—what, humiliate me? To what end did it serve you to drag me in front of your father?”

“I wanted you to witness his death.”

She felt sick. “I don’t understand.”

Keep it together.

Arrik’s eyes were icy but determined. “It was the only way I could distract him enough not to notice the poison I slipped into his wine. He has someone test every bottle after it’s opened, you see. I had to poison it right there beside him.”

Wren felt like screaming. “And what about justice?”

At this Arrik barked out a short, humorless laugh. “Justice? Do you think justice would have been served if he’d been thrown into a dungeon while the council decided what to do with him? No. He would have been set free within a fortnight with a slap to his wrist.” He took a step closer, blue eyes snapping with anger. “And then what do you think he would have done? Punished everyone around him. Justice was served today for all the people he abused in the past. Why can’t you see that? I didn’t think you were that naive.”

She was going to punch him.

“Why didn’t you tell me what you were planning in advance?” Wren demanded, bristling at his insult but otherwise ignoring it. She needed answers, not to get into a match of biting remarks. She needed to play this just right.

“Because you act your most convincing when youaren’tacting.” He smiled softly –intimately– like he had that right. “You put on a wonderful performance.”

Wren couldn’t take it. She closed the gap between them and slapped Arrik in the face. Her hand stung as she pulled back and Wren tipped her chin up.

He let out a low chuckle and rubbed at his jaw, though his eyes were fiery. “I deserved that. Hit me again, if it will make you feel better.” He turned his face for the other side.