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M areleau Harvallis stood before the closed doors to her father’s study several moments before gathering the courage to enter. King Dimetreus had already taken his leave, which meant now was her chance. Yet she lingered, still stewing after her interaction with Princess Aveline. She required a clear head to do what she had to do next, so she needed to rein in her emotions. She’d been planning this for weeks. She wouldn’t let her plan fail now.

It was time to utilize her magic trick . She planted a false smile on her lips and envisioned the persona she wanted to project. Confidence. Dignity. Authority. Not that manipulating her outer composure ever really worked with her father. King Verdian and Queen Helena were amongst the few who often seemed immune to her charms. Still, it was worth a shot. She needed all the pretend magic she could muster for the reckless actions she was about to take. With a deep breath, she pushed open one of the doors.

“Princess Mareleau.” Dowager Queen Bethaeny greeted her with a warm smile. It took no small effort not to sneer at the woman as Mareleau lowered into a polite curtsy. Mareleau had never had a reason to dislike Bethaeny before, but after the meeting she’d overheard, she found it hard not to despise her. She knew the queen wasn’t to blame for the proposed marriage between Larylis and the lost princess. According to Bethaeny, it had been Teryn’s idea. His mother had only played messenger. Either way, it gave Mareleau yet another reason to hate Teryn Alante—her fiancé—from the depths of her soul.

Once she rose from her curtsy, she faced her father’s desk.

King Verdian gave her an impatient look. “I did not summon you, daughter.”

“Yet I came anyway.”

“I am expecting someone else.”

She cocked her head innocently to the side. “Who might that be?”

He released a sigh and pinned her with a pointed glare. “Prince Larylis.”

“Oh, how convenient. He’s exactly who I came to speak to you about.” She opened her mouth to say more when the study doors opened again. Her pulse kicked up as she expected Larylis to enter the room. Instead, she gritted her teeth at the sight of Teryn. Her sneer was lost on him, for he didn’t so much as look at her. His eyes were locked on his mother.

His rigid posture—broad shoulders tense, chest heaving—stripped Mareleau’s mind of all previous thought. She’d never seen him looking anything other than the arrogant, composed prince he was. What in the name of the seven gods did he have to be so enraged about? More than that, did he not realize he was interrupting a very important meeting? One she’d plotted with stringent care?

Teryn’s voice came out strained as he spoke to Bethaeny. “Mother, did you offer a marriage alliance to Princess Aveline?”

She gave a gracious nod. “I did.”

“Between Aveline and whom?”

“Between Aveline and Larylis, of course.”

Mareleau internally roared with anger, but before she could let it out, her father cut in.

“Was it not your idea?” he barked.

Teryn’s jaw tightened as he looked from Verdian to Bethaeny. “It was my idea to form a marriage alliance between Menah and Khero. I had suggested nothing beyond that.”

Bethaeny skirted around to the front of Verdian’s desk and laid a placating hand on Teryn’s arm. “Darling, I simply executed your idea in the best possible way.”

“I didn’t ask you to do that, nor did I express the intricacies of my plan.”

The queen gave Teryn a knowing look, one Mareleau couldn’t quite decipher. “I had some inkling as to your intricacies ,” Bethaeny said, tone terse.

Teryn returned the look, green eyes flashing with anger. His words were clipped as he spoke through his teeth. “Clearly you didn’t.”

“I have something very important to discuss with my father,” Mareleau said, giving Teryn and Bethaeny an exaggerated smile that probably looked more like a snarl. “You’ll excuse us, won’t you?”

They both ignored her.

“Princess Aveline is not marrying Larylis,” Teryn said.

Mareleau blinked at him in surprise. When she managed to find her voice, she rushed to say, “I agree. She most certainly is not.”

Teryn frowned at her as if he hadn’t realized she was there until now.

“The princess has already agreed,” Verdian said.

“She agreed under false pretenses,” Teryn argued. “It was never my intention for her to marry Larylis.”

Verdian released a grumbling breath. “Then who did you intend for her to marry?” When Teryn didn’t answer, the king continued. “If Queen Bethaeny hadn’t brought your idea to my attention, I would have come up with a similar solution myself. We need more than spies and allies at Ridine Castle. To ensure Khero is never again a threat?—”

“Cora isn’t—” Teryn shook his head and started again. “Princess Aveline isn’t a threat.”

“To ensure that is the case,” Verdian said, enunciating each word, “we need a stronger alliance. Your marriage to my daughter will seal peace between Selay and Menah. Aveline’s marriage to Larylis will do the same between Menah and Khero.”

“Aveline cannot marry Larylis,” Teryn said. “And I…I cannot marry Mareleau.”

Mareleau’s eyes shot to him. Never had she heard sweeter words. She shuttered her eyes, certain she was hallucinating. “You…can’t?”

He met her gaze with a sympathy that almost made her bark a laugh. “I’m sorry.”

She huffed. “Don’t waste an apology on me. If you weren’t going to end it, I was.”

Verdian rose from his seat. “Have the two of you lost your minds? What is this?”

Bethaeny’s cheeks flushed pink as she took her son’s hand in hers. “What are you thinking, my dear? This marriage alliance has been secured for three years.”

He quirked a brow. “I think we can all agree that this marriage alliance has been anything but secure. I will sign a treaty for peace. I will promise my kingdom’s loyalty. But I will not go forward with this marriage.”

Mareleau lifted her chin, mildly disturbed that she was agreeing with the man she’d been fighting against for three years. “Nor will I.”

Verdian scoffed and planted his hands on his desk. “You have no say in this.”

“I do,” she bit out, despite her father’s warning glare. She knew she should stay silent. With Teryn’s refusal to go through with their betrothal, her most pressing battle was won. But there was something left to fight for. Something she’d given up on once before, only because she’d been tricked. This was her chance to try. “ I’m marrying Larylis.”

A vein pulsed at her father’s temple. “You’ve gone mad.”

“You knew I wanted to wed him three years ago. Did you think my heart would change because you and Mother stole my letters and forged a mockery of my words?”

His face paled. It was the only confirmation she needed; both he and her mother had been involved with intercepting her letters. He revealed no shame as he spoke. “We’ve been over this. You are not marrying a bastard.”

Her blood boiled at the word. That despicable, hateful word. It had driven her and Larylis apart three years ago when Uncle Ulrich caught them kissing in the stables. Moments before, they’d confessed their love for each other, their wishes to marry. Then, just like that, their dreams had been murdered, buried beneath the headstone of Bastard .

Larylis’ parentage hadn’t mattered to her then, and she wanted to argue that it didn’t matter now. But she knew it wouldn’t move Verdian. Her father didn’t care what she wanted or how she felt. He only cared about his throne and his legacy. Well, if it was a legacy he cared so much about, she’d play that card.

“Larylis Alante is not a bastard, Father. He’s been legitimized. He’s a true prince now.”

Verdian shook his head. “It may have been Arlous’ last wish to give Larylis the Alante name, but it doesn’t change the boy’s origins. You are my heir, Mareleau. As a woman, your claim to the throne is tenuous.”

“ As a woman ,” she echoed, every word laced with venom. She curled her hands into fists to keep herself from shaking. “You do realize that if you were dead, Mother could run this kingdom just fine. Perhaps even better.”

He snorted a humorless laugh. “That might be true, daughter, but Helena will not rule after I’m gone. My heir will. However, both of your uncles would rather see themselves on my throne than you. Should you marry someone of questionable blood, you won’t stand a chance. The crown will never make its way into your hands. Not unless you make a proper match. Teryn is that match. He is a king. You will be his queen.”

She threw her hands in the air. “How can I be queen of one kingdom and heir to another? Are you simply trying to get me out of the way so you can give your crown to one of my uncles? Are you so desperate to be rid of me as your heir?”

“You are my heir and I plan on keeping it that way,” he said, with so much conviction she was partial to believe him. “Whether you keep my crown after I die is dependent upon your standing in the eyes of your competition. Should you marry a crown prince, or even a second or third son of distinguished royal lineage, that would be enough. Anything less…”

“Anything less…what?”

He ran a hand over his face. “Do you know what happens to monarchs with a weak claim?” He walked around to the side of his desk, stopping when he was a few feet away. “Queen Marion, 29 Year of the Fox, ruled for fifteen days before she was beheaded by her younger brother. Queen Jesebel, crowned 76 Year of the Sheep, overthrown in her second year of rule and imprisoned until her death. Princess Vilas, 102 Year of the Tiger, disappeared three days before her coronation as queen and was never seen again. Her cousin took the throne. Do you understand?”

Mareleau suppressed a shudder at what her father was insinuating. She’d never been overly fond of her uncles, and they bore very little love for her. But…did he really think they’d do something so sinister? The names he’d listed filled her mind, followed by other famed monarchs in history who’d been overthrown by powerful relatives. She kept her voice level as she said, “You underestimate my own cunning.”

“You may be cunning, daughter,” her father said, tone softening, “but I cannot risk your safety. You think I’ve been hard on you, but I will not set you up to fail. It is better that you are strong and safe. As Teryn’s queen, you will be. Upon my death, you and Teryn will merge two kingdoms into one. Forge a power so great your uncles won’t stand a chance. Even if they did manage to wrest Selay from your control, you would still have Menah. My legacy would die in this kingdom, but it would live on through you elsewhere. That would be enough for me.”

Her heart shattered at the care she saw in his eyes. It was the first time she considered that his unwavering austerity toward her could have been fueled by something other than cruelty. And yet, she couldn’t give him what he wanted. “I can’t marry Teryn.”

Verdian’s composure hardened once again. “You will marry King Teryn. The two of you will rid your minds of this nonsense.”

“I don’t love him, Father. You know this. I love Larylis.”

“We’re not talking about love. We’re talking about politics. About your own safety.”

Her stomach churned. It was time to play the card she’d been keeping close to her heart. One she knew would damn her soul as soon as she uttered it aloud. Folding her hands at her waist, she met her father’s eyes with contrived calm. “I will marry Larylis, Father, for it is the only reasonable course of action now that I’m with child. His child.”

Silence echoed in the wake of her words, the tension so thick she thought it might smother her. Then a sound cut through. The only sound that could shatter her composure, her resolve, and her heart all at once.

Larylis’ voice trembled from behind her. “What did you say?”

Slowly, she turned to face him. He stood in the doorway, his expression brimming with a flurry of feeling. Confusion. Anger. Guilt. Hurt.

His emerald gaze turned to steel, hardening on one final emotion.

Betrayal.