Page 43 of Rejected By the Shifter King

She was ready.

"The Miller Mine battle..." Years of listening to many a forbidden conversation had taught Fina a lot, and one of it was predicting how people typically responded to a particular situation. "Our people have told you about it?"

Lysander tensed, not having expected Fina to bring up the one thing that had perplexed him from the start. "It's not true, then?" he asked tightly.

"I'm afraid not." Head still lowered, Fina allowed her lips to curve in a smile of secret triumph. She had no idea what the prince was talking about, but it didn't matter. The prince's words from earlier had betrayed his doubts, and all she needed to do was bide her time.

A hand suddenly appeared in front of her, and a moment later the prince was helping Fina to her feet. His touch was gentle, and his voice...defeated. "They were all wrong, were they not? Somehow, none of them knew...it wasyouwho won that battle."

"Your Highness—-"

"It is not right for a ruler to take credit for someone else's work. I apologize on the princess' behalf, Fina, and I shall rectify this—-"

"No."She held on to the prince's hand. "Please don't do that or she would never trust me again. We cannot afford to have such a rift in these troubled times, Your Highness. Especiallynow..."

His gaze narrowed. "What about now?"

"I've found where Ivy's hiding."

And the spy started doing what she did best, weaving lies between truths, and the prince listened, too much in pain to know the difference between the two.

It was almost dawn when Lysander and Fina came back to the Moretti compound, and just in time to see another Lyccan princess about to leave.

He strode forward immediately, wanting to know if Matilda had succeeded.

"Your Highness." Matilda's smile faded as he came closer, and Lysander wondered why that was.

"Have you found the person we're looking for?"

"It seems you've found her before I did."

He saw Matilda's gaze move past him...and straight to where a hooded Fina stood.

"I smell a lot of lies on that woman, prince."

And so she did,he thought bleakly. So many lies Fina had to utter...and all for his wife's sake.