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“No one is forcing you to get married,” Voshell told Navok, his mouth twisting with distaste. “And that’s your intended you’re talking about. Have a care with your words.”

Navok sent him a haughty look. “Or what, Vosh?”

The Caramor prince didn’t stand down, as Navok had clearly anticipated.

“Or you and I will have more problems than we already do,” Voshell stated.

The king leaned back in his throne, eyeing his ally thoughtfully. His expression turned calculating as he mused, “It seems something has happened since we last spoke.”

“Indeed,” Voshell said shortly. “We have much to discuss.” His gaze swept the room, from the trembling Kiva to the eager-eyed Xuru, and he finished, “In private.”

Navok’s interest was piqued, even if he couldn’t quite hide his annoyance — whether because he could no longer torture Kiva or because Voshell wasn’t acting like a weak-willed fool, Kiva didn’t know. Nor did she care. Because the longer she stood there, the more her desire to throw up — or pass out — deepened.

Sensing her growing anguish, Serafine turned kind eyes to her and said, “Come. We need to see to your wounds.”

Kiva didn’t dare look back at Navok as the princess carefully wrapped a supportive arm around her waist and led her from the throne room. Every slow step was agony, her shoulder on fire, her face throbbing.

She just needed to make it to her room, Kiva told herself. Then she needed to get rid of the princess. And somehow get Brynn to leave, too. Then she had to find her way down to Galdric.

Andthenshe needed to escape.

Kiva whimpered at the thought of how impossible all of that seemedwithouther having become so injured that she could barely walkunassisted. But she refused to let hopelessness overwhelm her. There was no alternative — she absolutely had to be gone from Blackmount before she was forced to set foot anywherenearan altar.

As they ascended their second staircase, Kiva’s burn became so excruciating that she was desperate for something to take her mind off it, so she said, perhaps unwisely, “I know about you and Mirryn.” When the princess tensed at her side, she went on, more hesitantly, “I’m sorry about Voshell.”

Serafine relaxed again, and sent a small but genuine smile to Kiva. “Voshell is a good man. I feel worse for him than for me. He deserves someone who can love him in a way that I can’t.”

“You deserve that, too,” Kiva said. Even if she despised Mirryn for her betrayal, she could still understandwhythe Vallentis princess had allied with Zuleeka. Love made fools of them all.

“Mirry and I...” Serafine shook her head sadly. “We’re not meant to be.”

There was a deep sorrow in her voice, one that was mirrored in her expression.

Kiva’s heart went out to her, and she asked, “I heard the betrothal was your brother’s idea. Why go through with it?”

Serafine sighed. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Maybe not,” Kiva said. “But I’d like to.”

If anything, the princess only looked more miserable. “He’s all I have left in the world. If I disobey him...” She shuddered slightly against Kiva. But then something changed in her, as if she suddenly remembered she was speaking to Navok’s intended bride. “He’s not always terrible. He can be — he can be very protective.”

Possessive, more like, Kiva thought bitterly.

“And he rewards those who are loyal to him,” Serafine went on, as if listing Navok’s qualities would make Kiva forgive how he’d treated her.Torturedher. “He’s also incredibly ambitious and goal-oriented.”

“Enough to want to conquer kingdoms that don’t belong to him,” Kiva muttered.

Serafine stiffened again, and this time she didn’t relax. Her voice lowered as she said, “I’m not defending what he did to you. He has a temper, but he doesn’t usually get physical. What he did was wrong, in every possible way. But I just —” She glanced away, the green in her eyes dulling. In an emotion-clogged voice, she shared, “Late at night when the world is asleep, I stare up at the stars and dream of how different things might be, in another life. I dream of the family I wish I had, of the freedom I long to feel. I dream of someone loving me enough to save me from all of this.” She looked down at her feet. “Voshell isn’t who I hoped for, but he’ll take care of me. And I know this won’t make sense to you, but I’ll be making my brother happy. That means something to me — even if I wish it didn’t.” She turned her sad gaze to Kiva and repeated, “He’s all I have left.”

Despite Serafine’s assumption, Kivadidunderstand, and worse, could relate. She knew the strength of family bonds, how they could influence beliefs and actions. Serafine had lost her mother at a young age, and her father much more recently. If she went against Navok’s wishes, she risked losing him too, leaving her all alone. Kiva could appreciate that fear more than most, and while part of her wanted to shake Serafine and tell her to stand up to her brother, the other part wanted to wrap her in an embrace and say that everything would be all right — even if they both knew it was a lie.

“You know,” the princess said as they finally approached Kiva’s bedroom, her voice deliberately bright, as if she wanted to forget their conversation up until now, “I just realized we were never properly introduced.”

“I think we’re beyond introductions,” Kiva said, biting back a moan when she felt a renewed surge of pain.

Serafine hummed with agreement. “Despite the circumstances, I’mlooking forward to getting to know you, Kiva Corentine.” Her words were heartfelt and honest. Quietly, she added, “I promise it won’t all be bad. And I also promise to help you every step of the way.”

Kiva was quickly coming to understand why Serafine was so beloved; it was impossible not to be drawn to her gentle spirit and sincere kindness. What Navok considered Serafine’s weakness, Kiva considered her strength.