Page 116 of A Queen’s Game (Aithyr Uprising #1)
Chapter Seventy-Five
Marietta
M arietta wasn’t sure what was worse—Keyain when he yelled until he was red in the face, or Keyain when he remained silent and calm. His rage was stirring underneath; she had seen as much from his eyes.
When they approached their suite, he sent the guards stationed outside their door to wait at either end of the hall. That was Marietta’s second sign that the fight would be different—that Keyain was a peculiar degree of angry.
Once inside, Marietta darted for the bedroom, desperate to strip herself of her dress, but she only made it halfway. “That’s far enough, Marietta.” The calm in his voice made her hair stand on end. She faced him, trying to steady her breathing as Keyain narrowed the pace between them.
“How long has this been happening?” Keyain’s lumbering form towered over her, fists clenched at his side.
“Keyain, I—”
“How long?”
Marietta hesitated, not wanting to share the truth. “Tonight was the first—”
“What about the sculpture garden?” Emotion cracked his voice, tears welling in his eyes.
“Nothing happened at the sculpture garden.”
“But it almost did, didn’t it? You knew what he was doing the whole time—kissing your hand, your injured ankle.
” He dragged his hand through his hair, his gaze landing on anything but Marietta.
With a sigh, he unbuttoned the top of his shirt, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it on the back of the chair. “Why?”
She didn’t dare to breathe. In all the years she knew Keyain, he has never remained this calm while angry.
“Marietta, tell me why.”
At her silence, he stalked towards her, Marietta taking a few steps backward until she hit the wall. Keyain leaned over, bracing himself. “Do you think he loves you?”
“Gods, Keyain. No—”
“Finally, an answer.”
Marietta glared up at him, flinching away as he cupped her cheek.
“This is what you want, right? To be pinned against a wall, or is that only Wyltam when you thought you wouldn’t get caught?”
Her breath caught in her throat.
“Tell me it isn’t true.”
She closed her eyes, unable to look at him. Then she felt his lips on hers. Marietta tried to pull away, but Keyain used both hands to pin her in place.
“Kiss me as you kissed him.” His voice cracked, and he kissed her again, Marietta not reciprocating with fear lodged in her throat. “Kiss me as you kissed him, Marietta,” he whispered, desperation in his tone.
But she didn’t.
His forehead rested on her own as he heaved a sob. “It was all a lie. You don’t love me; you never fell back in love with me.”
Marietta pushed back into the wall, wishing to be away from him and his heartbreak. Tears streamed down his face as he shook his head.
Keyain took a deep breath, stepping away from Marietta, his expression crumpling. “Start talking.”
Fear dug at her mind, disabling her words.
Where the heat usually flared in her chest came a stirring, like the way wind twists to form a tornado.
At first, it added to her fear, but then realized it was a comfort—a sign not to hold back.
“Did you think I’d ever love you after all of this?
” she said, squaring her shoulders to him.
The whirling in her chest was like chaos, growing faster.
“I hate you, Keyain—you are my enemy. How could you be anything more after destroying my life? Taking away my freedom?”
Keyain closed his eyes, a hand covering his mouth as another sob choked him. “So you finally learned to lie.” He shook his head, swallowing hard.
“You killed Tilan—”
“Tilan was a monster.”
“He was my husband!” Her breaths became ragged with all the anger built since she woke up in Satiros—since the night Keyain had murdered him.
“And what of me? I’m your husband, Mar.”
“Is that so? Tell me about our wedding day, then. Who was there? Did I smile when I agreed to marry you?” She stalked towards him, grinning at his silence.
“Oh, you can’t, because I left you. I decided I wanted to live my life without you in it, but you dragged me back.
” She laughed, craning her neck to look up into his face.
“The day I married Tilan was one of the happiest in my life. Our ceremony was on the shore of Lake Malakos in Olkia, surrounded by our friends—our community. There wasn’t an empty seat, and my parents cried tears of joy. They loved Tilan, as did I.”
“Stop it,” he hissed, tears falling.
“Stop what? Telling you the truth? Isn’t this what you want?”
“Tilan lied to you the whole time—”
“And so did you! You were the Minister of Protection, pretending to be a bodyguard! Do you understand how insane that is?”
“I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with you,” he choked out, wiping away the tears that fell.
Marietta cocked her head. “Excuse me?”
Keyain bit his tongue, eyes burning. He only shook his head. “Things are going to change. You’re done running around like you’re the Queen of this fucking palace. I’d confine you to our rooms, but then you won’t get to see how much you embarrassed yourself tonight.”
“Oh, okay—”
Keyain held up his hand. “Marietta, everyone will know. They’ll assume you and Wyltam have been having an affair.”
The swirling in her chest died at that realization.
Keyain laughed, wiping away his tears. “You’re in over your head. You will never keep up with court, Marietta.” He gripped her chin, turning her crestfallen face at him. “It’s funny that you kissed him so willingly considering he’s certain you’re on the Exisotis’s side.”
Marietta stilled the panic that wanted to rise in her face. Gods, the King knew. Or at least, he suspected. Was that why he kissed her? Is that why he was kind to her all along, hoping she’d confess that she’s part of the Exisotis? The realization came as a crushing blow to her chest.
“I protected you, Marietta. If you were still in Olkia when we attacked, we would have rounded you up with the other Exisotis families and used you to get Tilan to speak.”
“Is that how you justify it?” she said. “Capturing me and killing Tilan?”
Keyain scoffed. “He lied to you, just as I did, yet you can still love him. Why can’t you love me?”
“Because you killed him, Keyain!”
“And if Tilan were alive, could you love me?”
“Never.”
Silence settled between them as she held her glare.
Keyain shook his head. “You’ve changed so much since we were together.”
“Your idea of me is not my responsibility to live up to.”
“This,” he said, gesturing between them, “is done. You and I are done. By law, you are my wife and only remain so for my control. From here on out, you will listen to me—”
“I will not—”
He held up his hand, silencing her. “Learn when to stop talking. When this war is over, I’m ending our marriage, and I will leave your fate to the King’s Council of Ministers.
I protected you, Marietta, but not anymore.
Not after this.” He shook his head, running a hand through his hair.
“I hate that after all of this, after you leaving me, loving Tilan even knowing his truth, wanting the King, and fucking the guard from the temple—”
“What? I never—”
“Does it matter? It might be a rumor but it’s not outside of your nature.”
She glared at him with new fury.
“After everything, I still love you, Marietta; but I can’t be near you.” He turned, heading to the door. “I’m stationing extra guards at our door. No one comes in or out until I’m back. If you try anything—to leave or escape—I will have you thrown in the dungeons for treason.”
The door snapped shut behind him, leaving Marietta alone, dumbfounded.
She should have accepted Grysella’s help.
If she had, she’d be with the Exisotis, safe from this court and Keyain’s devices.
Tomorrow, she would go to the temple. Deania and Coryn could help, could protect her against the crown.
They said as much during her last visit.
Gods, but she still had the papers for Valeriya.
Marietta scrubbed her face, then yanked her hair free of its bind. If sleeping with Keyain was to help get information to the Exisotis, then she wanted to make it count. She’d ask the Queen to meet again, dropping off the papers. Perhaps she could get one last piece of information from Keyain.
Keyain only opened his desk in the morning before leaving for his meetings and in the evening when he returned them.
Though she couldn’t break into the desk, they must discuss those papers within their meetings.
Trying to overhear them would be a risk, but the situation changed.
If Keyain caught her, what’s the worst he could do?