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“Iamthinking about her!” Larchmont snarled, releasing me. “She’d want us to get revenge for how he humiliated her in front of the whole world.”

His words gave me enough strength to lift my head and glare at him. “She would never want that.”

“Don’t kid yourself. Nova was always one of us.” He straightened his cuffs. “Put him down. Get his phone.”

Richard dropped me to the concrete. It didn’t even hurt, not compared to everything else. It was actually nice to lie down. I was so damn tired. I felt him search my pockets, taking my phone.

The door creaked open. I could see the light shining inside from the hall, their shadows as the two of them walked over the threshold. Larchmont paused, his heels holding still in the doorway.

He watched me closely. “Remember what I said. Don’t waste an iota of energy worrying about her. I’m telling you this for your own good, it’s my one act of kindness. Never say I did nothing for you, Funny Man.” Grabbing the door, he shut it behind him.

I was alone.

- CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN -

NOVA

My phone buzzed. Looking at it, I read Thorne’s message.Hey, how are you feeling today? Better?

My thumb skimmed over the keyboard. “Don’t,” Mom said. She fixed me with an intense look. “It’s best not to speak to anyone yet.”

“But it’s Thorne,” I said, showing her the screen. “Myhusband.The king.”

“Even more reason to stay silent.”

“I don’t understand. I cleaned up, I ate some food, I feel fine. I don’t want to sit in bed all day, I want to see Thorne.”I need to tell him what we’ve done.I cupped my stomach and my mother watched me.

Darla kept typing into her phone as she sat in the corner of my room. “Who are you talking to?” I asked.

She looked up at me, her face going pale. Then she shifted, showing me her back. “Nobody. Why don’t you worry about your own stuff, you’ve got a lot going on right now.”

Frowning, I turned toward my mother. “Can I please just get up and walk around a bit?”

Darla shot me a look and said, “I think Mom’s right. You should stay in bed. You know, for your health and all. And the baby.”

She didn’t sound sincere to my ears. My mom sighed, coming to sit beside me on the bed. “Nova, if you really, really want to walk around, you can. But think about this. Everyone in this city saw the newspapers this morning. It’s only been a few hours, do you really think it’s good for you to go on a stroll while everybody stares at you, wondering if the rumors are true? We need to keep this on the down low until we know how to present the news to everyone. You’re not the greatest liar, I’m afraid if some servant girl looks at you the wrong way you’ll spill the beans.”

Twisting my fingers in my blankets, I glanced out the window. “I’ll stay here until the evening, but after that I’m getting up and meeting with Thorne.” I checked my phone again, wondering if I should reply to his messages, even if my mother had told me no.

“This evening will be fine,” my mom said, giving me a benevolent smile. “Maybe you should try to get some sleep until then.” She got up and closed the curtains, darkening the room before I could respond. “You had a rough night from all this nausea, I’ll bring you some soda water to help your stomach. Close your eyes and get some rest. You and the new baby both need it.”

“I’ll come with you,” Darla said, hopping up onto her pink heels. Both of them shot me one more quick look, then they exited into the hall. Puffing air through my tight lips in frustration, I flopped back on the pillows and shut my eyes. Iwasa little tired, a nap wouldn’t hurt.

Shifting onto my side, I laid my cheek on the silky pillow.Later,I thought to myself, tucking my phone to my side protectively,I’ll tell Thorne the news in person. Thinking of how he would react, imagining the delight and excitement in his wide eyes and wider smile, I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up later, no one was in the room with me.

On my bedside table I found a bottle of soda water and some slices of fresh bread. Stretching, I went over to the window to move the curtains and bring more light into my dark room. The sight of the setting sun made my breath catch.How did it get so late?

I went to the bathroom to clean up a bit and straighten my hair. I wasn’t feeling sick anymore; on the way back by the bed, I grabbed a piece of bread and took a bite. Gripping my phone, I checked for new messages from Thorne, but didn’t find any.

I imagined that he’d probably come by my room, and someone—either my sister or mother—had told him that I was resting and that he should leave me alone. Why else hadn’t I heard from him?

Looking around, as if there was someone in the room with me who’d interfere, I sat back down on the mattress. My mother had told me not to message Thorne about the pregnancy, but I wanted to let him know that I was awake now. I wanted to see him. I was ready to give him the news in person.

Me:Hey there. I know I should say good evening, but it still feels like good afternoon to me. Did you have dinner already?

Holding my phone, I watched the screen eagerly. I sat like that for five minutes, and when no replies came, I frowned. Looking over at my door, I made a quick decision. I changed into some clothes that were not rumpled from sleep, slid on some comfortable flats, then opened my door to the hallway. There was a guard standing outside. He perked up at the sight of me. “Your Highness,” he said, bowing his head. “Your parents asked me to stay here in case you woke up and to make sure that nobody bothered you.”